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Born January 17 in Cleveland, Ohio
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Member of Bentley, Ohio Post #50 American Legion team that finishes in 4th place at national tournament. Childhood friend Jim Frey is a teammate
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Member of Bentley, Ohio Post #50 American Legion team that wins national title. Meets Babe Ruth at championship game
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Signs with Brooklyn Dodgers. Begins professional career with Cambridge Dodgers of the Eastern Shore League
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1950 |
Plays for Hornell Dodgers in the Pony League |
1951 |
Plays for Elmira Pioneers in the Eastern League. Married wife Jean at home plate of team's stadium on August 16. Travels to Cuba to play 1951-52 Winter League season with Cienfuegos |
1952 |
Plays for Mobile Bears in the Southern Association. Plays 1952-53 Cuban Winter League season with Marianao Tigers. |
1953 |
Plays for St. Paul Saints in the American Association. Suffers first career-threating beaning on July 7 on pitch thrown by Columbus' Jim Kirk; misses rest of the season and winter league |
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Begins the season in St. Paul, but makes major league debut with Brooklyn Dodgers. Plays winter ball in Puerto Rican League for the Santurce Crabbers who, with teammates Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, win 1955 Caribbean Series. Named MVP of that series
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Wins a World Series ring when Dodgers beat the Yankees in seven games
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Suffers second career-threating beaning on April 30 on pitch thrown by Hal Jeffcoat; misses rest of season
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Dodgers relocate to Los Angeles
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Wins second World Series ring when Dodgers beat the White Sox in six games
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Named to All-Star Team as member of the Cubs
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Picked up by New York Mets in expansion draft, then later traded to Cincinatti Reds
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Returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers for start of the season, then soon traded to the Washington Senators
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Plays last of twelve career MLB seasons, retiring with the Senators
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Ends his playing days with one season in Japan with the Toei Flyers of the Japanese Pacific League
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Takes first job as a manager in the Reds farm system, managing the Class AA Knoxville Smokies of the Southern League and Class AAA Buffalo Bisons of the International League
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Manages the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians of the Pacific Coast League, a Cincinnati Reds farm team
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Transfers to Padres farm system in the organization's inaugural year. Manages for the Key West Padres of the Florida State League
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Manages the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pacific Coast League
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Returns to the big leagues as a base coach for the Montreal Expos
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Begins season as base coach for the San Diego Padres, but is promoted to San Diego's team manager after only 11 games when Preston Gomez is fired
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Joins Boston Red Sox as third base coach
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Promoted to Red Sox manager mid-season when Darrell Johnson is fired
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Heavily criticized for managing decisions during infamous late season Red Sox collapse that includes famous "Boston Massacre" four game sweep at the hands of the Yankees and eventual one game playoff loss to New York on Bucky Dent's famous home run
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Manages the Texas Rangers for three seasons
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Takes coaching position with New York Yankees
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Switches to Chicago Cubs organization, coaches for three seasons
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Takes coaching position with San Francisco Giants
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First of four seasons as Manager for the Chicago Cubs
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"Boys of Zimmer" win the NL East pennant; named NL Manager of the Year
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Manages major league all-star team that tours Japan
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1992 |
Coaches with the Boston Red Sox |
1993 |
Joins first coaching staff of the expansion Colorado Rockies, stays three years |
1996 |
Serves as Joe Torres' bench coach with the New York Yankees through 2003, Yankees win four World Series during his tenure (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000) |
1999 |
Manages Yankees for the first 36 games of the season with Joe Torre sidelined by recovery from prostate cancer |
2002 |
Releases NY Times bestseller "Zim: A Baseball Life" co-written with
Bill Madden, a columnist for the New York Daily News |
2003 |
Tangles with Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez in infamous 2003 ALCS brawl. Released by Yankees at the end of the season |
2004 |
Named Senior Baseball Advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays; releases second book with Bill Madden, "The Zen of Zim" |
2008 |
Tampa Bay advances to World Series, but is defeated by Philadelphia in five games |
2009 |
Suffers minor stroke in off-season, but returns to Rays for spring training |
2014 |
Passes away on June 4, 2014 at the age of 83. Numerous memorials held throughout MLB honor his accomplishments and contributions to the game. |
