Don Zimmer Baseball Collectibles & Memorabilia

1947 American Legion Junior Baseball Handbook, featuring Zimmer's 1946 American Legion team from Robert E. Bentley Post #50 Cincinnati. The team finished as 4th runner-up at the national tournament. Don (front row, fourth from left) is joined by his older brother Bill (third from left) and best friend Jim Frey (fifth from left).

Original 1947 Ford News Service 8"x10" photograph of the 1947 Robert E. Bentley Post #50 American Legion team that captured the national championship. Zimmer is third person from the left, kneeling with glove. His brother William is kneeling next to him with his arm on Zim's shoulder. World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey, standing in the middle, presented the champions with their trophey. Caption from the photo reads "THE WINNERS! Cincinnati Team, sponsored by American Legion Bentley Post No. 50, poses with its trophies after capturing the championship in the Little World Series held at Gilmore Field in Hollywood, California August 28, 29, 30 and 31, 1947. Jack Dempsey, standing center, presented one of the trophies."

1948 American Legion Junior Baseball Handbook, featuring Zimmer's 1947 American Legion team from Robert E. Bentley Post #50 Cincinnati. The team followed up its 1946 success by winning the 1947 national tournament. The team again featured Don (front row, fourth from left), brother Bill (fifth from left), and best friend Jim Frey (third from left). Babe Ruth was the featured guest at the tournament and presented Don and his teammates with autographed baseballs.

1948 Western Hills High School (Cincinnati, OH) featuring Don Zimmer in his Junior year. Don was a 3-sport letterman in high school, excelling at baseball, football and basketball. The Western Hills baseball team featured Don, brother Bill, and Jim Frey. Eleven members of the 1948 American Legion National Championship team (see above post) were members of the high school team. Don was the school's starting varsity quarterback and a guard on the basketball team. Zim autographed this yearbook at the 2011 National Sports Collectors Convention held in Rosemont, Illinois.

This 1951 PONY (Pennsylvania, Ontario, New York) League Baseball Guide features Zimmer during his minor league stop with Hornell. Zim set league records for runs scored (146) and stolen bases (63) while batting .315, and was named the league's MVP for the 1950 season. The guide includes both a team photo of the Hornell Dodgers and a nice close-up photo of Don

Signed government postcards from the two men that almost ended Don Zimmer's with beanballs. The first is signed by minor-leaguer Jim Kirk, who beaned Zim in a game played on July 7, 1953 between Zim's St. Paul Saints and Kirk's Columbus Redbirds. Zim spent 31 days in the hospital, 13 of them unconcious. He had 4 holes drilled in his skull to relieve swelling on the brain. The second is signed by major leaguer Hal Jeffcoat of the Cincinnati Redlegs, who beaned Zim on June 23, 1956, fracturing his cheekbone and detaching the retina of his left eye. The second incident left Zim with permanent damage to his sight, and he was never the same hitter afterwards.

1954 official American Association team signed ball of the St. Paul Saints, Zim's last stop in
the minor leagues. This ball is autographed by Zimmer (bottom signature in lefthand photo),
19 other Saint teammates, and team manager Clay Bryant. 12 of the 20 players who signed
this ball would go on to play in the Majors.

Ticket stub from Zimmer's first major league home run, hit at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, April 19, 1955. Zim bashed a Curt Simmons pitch for the game-winning hit and RBI, as Brooklyn defeated the Phillies with a final score of 7-6. Roy Campanella and Carl Furillo also homered.

1955 Brooklyn Dodgers Christmas Card, from first World Championship season. The card showcased the design artwork of the yet-to-be-made championship rings on the cover, and a black and white team photo on the inside. Don Zimmer is pictured front row, second from left.

1957 Dodgers 8"x10" Promotional B&W Photo

Ticket stub from July 27, 1958 double-header games that saw the Dodgers battle the Philadelphia Phillies. In the 1st conest, Zimmer hit a 9th inning homer off of Robin Roberts. Then, in Game 2, Zim took starter Curt Simmons deep for his 12th homer of the season. Despite Don's double-header double dingers, the Dodgers dropped both games.

1958 Dodgers Drinking Glass, sold in a set of 4 at Los Angeles Dodger's Stadium souvenir stands. In addition to Zimmer, the other players in the set included Don Drysdale, Gil Hodges and Pee Wee Reese. Glass measures 5" tall.

Circa 1958-59 Don Zimmer Youth Model Wilson A2135 "Ball Hawk" Glove

Circa 1960-61 Don Zimmer Youth Model Wilson A2174 "Fieldmaster" Glove

1960 business mailing envelope for Don Zimmer's Florida Baseball School. In the offseason, Don was the chief instructor for a youth instructional school located in Tampa, Florida. According to the Florida Star Newspaper, Zimmer was instrumental in getting the school moved in 1961 to Fort Pierce, Florida because he was upset with Tampa's segregational laws that prevented black participants from sharing the same dormitory facilities as the school's white participants.

Original 1961 NL Contract to play with Chicago Cubs
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Mailing Envelope

1961 Tri-Fold Informational Brochure for Don Zimmer's Florida Baseball School Camp

March 14, 1962 Illustrated Current News broadside featuring MLB players and their sons at Spring Training. Don and his son Tom are featured at the Mets' St. Petersburg camp.

Circa 1962 original artwork of Don Zimmer by prominent sports journalist and cartoonist Murray Olderman, whose syndicated column "All You Got To Do Is Ask" and accompanying sketches appeared in more than 200 newspapers during the 1960s and 70s.

Circa 1962-63 Don Zimmer Youth Model Sonnett 1315 "Velvotan" Glove – Right-Handed

Circa 1962-63 Don Zimmer Youth Model Sonnett 1315 "Velvotan" Glove – Left-Handed

1963 Dodgers Souvenir Coloring Book (cover and inside page). Sold at stadium souvenir stands for 60 cents, it included humorous write-ups of many team members.

1968 Indianapolis Indians Scorecard

1972 San Diego Padres Scorecard Program

1976 "Americans in Japan - Foreign Players in Japan 1950-1976" pamphlet produced by Edward Broders and Melvin Bailey, picturing Don Zimmer with the 1966 Toei Flyers. Hand signed by Zim.

1977 Boston Red Sox Scorebook Magazine

1978 Boston Red Sox Scorebook Magazine

1982 Texas Rangers Spring Training Scorecard Program

1982 Texas Rangers Informational Folder

1982 Texas Rangers Souvenir Program

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Mailing Envelope

Original 1982-1983 AL Contract to manage the Texas Rangers

Original 1984 Photograph by Louis DeLuca, noted sports photographer for the Dallas Morning News. The photo is entitled "Pre-Game Jitters" and originates from the Sporting News Archives.

April 1988 issue of Sport Magazine. Sadly, the answer to the question was "No."

Game-used lineup card from May 18, 1988, signed by Cub's Manager Don Zimmer.

1989 Cubs 8"x10" Promotional B&W Photo

1989 Sports Illustrated feature story from September 25, 1989 issue, pages 58-64.

October 1989 Special Edition of Chicago Sports Profiles Magazine with Don Zimmer cover and articles celebrating "The Boys of Zimmer"

December 9, 2000 Ticket Stub to Don Zimmer's "Legends Series" presentation at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Autographed Red Sox hat was a box bonus from
2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Anniversary baseball cards

Autographed baseball serial numbered #202/500 was a box bonus
from 2001 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia baseball cards

Zimmer left the Yankees at the end of the 2003 season, publicly fueding with George Steinbrenner. The Tampa Bay Rays welcomed him onboard for the 2004 season, and cooked up one of the more memorable stadium giveaways. The Yankees came to town for the opening series, and on April 7, 2004, the Rays held Don Zimmer Face Mask Day. The promotion helped welcome Zimmer to Tampa Bay, and was also a none-too-subtle jab at Steinbrenner.

Internal flier created by the Smithfield Corporation's Deli Group for a Don Zimmer appearance, May 20, 2005. Zimmer was a paid spokesperson for the meat processing company. The flier is inscribed "To Albert, Don Zimmer."

Tampa Bay Rays stadium giveaway poster from Turn Back the Clock Night celebrating the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Championship Season held at Tropicana Field held June 23, 2007.

"Now and Then" Don Zimmer Bobblehead given away at June 23, 2007 Rays home game, limited edition of 15,000.

A program from the Andre Dawson & Friends Celebrity Softball Event held July 28, 2010. Zimmer was a coach of Dawson's team at the event, which was staged at Alexian Field in Schaumburg, IL to honor Dawson's recent HOF induction. Zimmer signed his personal section in the program, while the cover is signed by 14 retired stars; including Jerome Walton, Vida Blue, Leon Durham, Dale Murphy, Andre Dawson, George Foster, Dave Parker, Gary Carter, Al Oliver, Bill Buckner, Warren Cromartie, Bill Madlock, Bruce Sutter, and Mitch Williams.

The Zim Bear, an unusual stadium giveaway at Tropicana Field as the Rays honored Don Zimmer on June 29, 2012. It was named MLB Promotional Item of the Year.Described by jounalists as "cuddly and creepy," the plush bear with Zim's face was given away to the first 10,000 fans.

Snowglobe given away on July 25, 2014 at Tropicana Field for the contest between the Rays and Red Sox. The promotion was sponsored by the Tampa Bay Times.



Commerative jersey sleeve patch worn by the Tampa Bay Rays on their uniforms late in the 2014 season. The black-band patch honors Don Zimmer's passing on June 4, 2014. This patch was not made available to the public, and the example above was removed from a team issued jersey.

Zim Bear bobblehead doll given out as a Tampa Bay Rays stadium giveaway promotion on April 2, 2023. The bobblehead commemorates the plush bear Zim Bear SGA that was originally given away on June 29, 2012,