Don Zimmer
A baseball lifer with a famously round face and a sharp mind, who spent over six decades in uniform as a player, manager, and beloved coach.
1931–2014 (age 83)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: January 17·The Silent Generation
Biography
Don Zimmer's baseball story is one of pure, unadulterated endurance. He broke into the majors as a promising infielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers, even making an All-Star team, but his trajectory was nearly ended by a beaning that left him with holes drilled in his skull. He came back, playing for over a decade with a trademark grit. After hanging up his glove, Zimmer truly found his calling. He managed four teams, leading the 1989 'Morgan's Magic' Red Sox to an improbable division title. But his most recognizable role was as the wise, occasionally irascible bench coach for Joe Torre's New York Yankees dynasty, his scowls and smiles becoming a fixture of championship seasons. For 65 years, Zimmer was simply there—a living bridge from the era of Ebbets Field to the modern game, his passion etched in every line of his well-worn face.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Don was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Died at 83
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Served as a coach for the New York Yankees during their World Series championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
- Managed the Boston Red Sox to the American League Championship Series in 1978 and the AL East title in 1989.
- Played in the MLB for 12 seasons as an infielder, including a 1955 All-Star selection with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- Was involved in professional baseball for 65 consecutive years, spanning eight different decades.
Did You Know?
He was the original third baseman for the New York Mets in their inaugural 1962 season.
He wore uniform number 23 for the Yankees in honor of his friend, college basketball coach Jim Valvano.
The beaning he suffered in 1953 left him with permanent double vision for a time and required him to wear a plastic insert in his hat for protection.
“What I lack in talent, I make up for in hustle.”
