Longtime Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer, a baseball fixture for many different franchises across more than six decades, has died at 83 after undergoing heart surgery in April.
Zimmer, who made his MLB playing debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 and also played a season with the Mets, was working as a senior adviser to the Tampa Bay Rays. The team’s broadcasters announced his death on air during Wednesday night’s game.
Zimmer played for five teams over the course of 12 seasons in the majors. He managed four — the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs — and coached for the Montreal Expos, Padres, Red Sox, Cubs, San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies, in addition to the Yankees.
Among Bombers fans, Zimmer is fondly remembered as Joe Torre’s right-hand man from 1996-2003, helping lead the team to four World Series championships.
He was the last Brooklyn Dodger still working in baseball.
