It was a cold sunny morning December 9th when I set out for Cooperstown. It took about 45 minutes to get there, traveling east across NYS Route 5 to Mohawk, where I picked up NYS Route 28 South and encountered a picturesque, winter countryside to brighten my already exciting day. Soon I would be navigating along Canadarago Lake, frozen solid by now, with the huts of ice fisherman scattered along its surface.

I was excited about getting to see Don Zimmer in person. As a Friend of the Hall of Fame, I had been invited to attend his appearance there that day. As I entered the Hall to pick up my reserved ticket, I decided to resist the urge to visit some of the exhibits or to make my customary stop by Mickey Mantle’s plaque. Instead, I went directly to the theater. I am glad I did as a line was already beginning to form outside the closed doors to the theater. It was one hour before the doors would open and there were already about 15 people in line. That number would increase by the minute. As I took my place in line, I noticed that the Abbott and Costello ‘Who’s on First’ comedy routine was being continuously played on monitors positioned in the outer lobby in which we were waiting. Fans, both young and not so young, were taking delight in the shenanigans of Bud and Lou.

The doors opened at 2:00 pm and I was able to get a seat in the third row. By now, there were enough people there to fill the room, easily 300, by my guess. The theater is designed to resemble a ball field. As you take your seat and look towards the front, you see a green Astro-turf ‘field’. A round ‘coffee table’ and two chairs were placed on the ‘field’ for interviewing purposes. In the background, a scoreboard is mounted and there are caricatures of fans in the background and along the walls on both sides. Overall, it’s quite a neat room.

About 10 minutes after we were seated, Don Zimmer (Zim) and his wife made their appearance, along with HOF staff. Dale Petroskey, HOF President, made the introductory comments. He noted that Zim (now seated in one of the two chairs up front) and his wife, Soot, (who had joined NY Daily News columnist Bill Madden and his wife, who were seated in the front row, directly in front of me) had made the trip from warm, sunny Florida to cold, sunny New York, just to be with us that day. Bill Madden, it was noted, was currently co-authoring a book with Zim, entitled Zim: A Baseball Life, to be released in Spring 2001. (As we know, that book was recently released to excellent reviews).

Petroskey continued, "Today’s players play a game that makes them become rich young men. But nobody is richer in terms of a life in baseball than Don Zimmer. This is a man that has lived a very rich life, based on the memories and on what he has given back to the game." Petroskey then introduced Bruce Markusen, HOF Programs Director (see my article ‘ A Night with a Hall of Famer’ for more on Bruce), who would be facilitating the interview. There would be questions asked by Markusen, along with questions sent via email and from the audience as there were 4 members of the HOF staff with microphones circulating among the crowd. Bruce Markusen introduced Zim, and the program was under way! Markusen started the afternoon off by noting one of those truly neat baseball facts that identifies someone as a baseball version of a ‘gym rat’ when it’s heard: Zim and his wife had been married on the minor league ball field in Elmira, NY, all those years ago when he was making his way up to the big leagues.

Markusen asked Zim to tell us about the time he met Babe Ruth. It was 1947 and Zim was on an American Legion team from his hometown, Cincinnati. The team had just won the National Championship game in Los Angeles. There were about 12,000 in attendance and the Babe addressed the crowd. Zim said his voice was pretty much gone by then, ravaged by the throat cancer that he would eventually succomb to. Every member of the team received an autographed ball from the Babe. Zim used his to play ball with and eventually the cover came completely off. Zim got a laugh as he told us that 15 of the 16 members of that team probably still have their ball with the autograph; the 16^th ball, with black tape all over it, is only a memory.

An email from an official with the Ty Cobb Museum asked if Zim had ever met the man for whom the museum honored. Although Zim said he had never met Cobb, he admitted to admiring the man who "…did whatever it took to win a ballgame." We chuckled as he commented "God Bless him".

Since Zim was from Cincy, it was asked how he became a Dodger. He wanted to be a Red Leg since his junior year in high school, but was convinced by a ‘bird dog’ scout for the Dodgers to go to a Dodger’s try out camp in Brooklyn. Zim’s dad promised the Reds his son wouldn’t sign and would be back. At that time, George Sisler was the top farm team executive for the Dodgers and was watching the try outs at Ebbets Field. Zim admitted to being extremely nervous and just concentrated on making contact when he was in the batting cage. Well, the scout had told Sisler that this boy had power, and just about then he was wondering where all that power was.

The scout took Zim and his parents to Coney Island that night and talked to him about his need to display some power. The next day, knowing what Sisler was looking for, Zim delivered, prompting Sisler to say " Now that’s what I have been told about this boy!"

Now at that time, any recruit signed to a contract of $4000 or more was classified a ‘Bonus Baby’. Zim figured the Dodgers wouldn’t offer him a contract at that level; actually he had no idea what, or even if, they would offer. So when the Reds asked him what the Dodgers were offering, he said $3000. The Reds wouldn’t match that figure, so he ended up with the Dodgers. Zim never did tell us what contract amount the Dodgers eventually signed him to.

A young boy from the audience asked what it was like to know the Yankee players. Zim’s face burst into a broad grin that lit up the room and one could only imagine what was going through his mind. "They’re pretty nice guys. They win with class". He had kind words for his bench-mate Joe Torre. "We get new players and they always seem to fit in; we win and we have fun".

Another fan from the audience started off by mentioning he was a Mets fan and would Zim talk about the Met’s first year 1962. "Well, being a Mets fan doesn’t make you bad", he said to the fan. About that year: "I was the Mets first draft pick and starting third baseman. I got a hit in my first game with them; I’m sure we lost. I got a hit in my second game with them; I’m quite sure we lost that game too". After that he proceeded to go 0 for 30! "Players usually have bad luck when they have a streak like that; I didn’t. I was just bad!"

Zim said one day he was in the showers and Casey Stengel was standing there naked, holding a towel. "That was the ugliest body I had ever seen". Casey called to him and gave him a wink; Zim gets out of the shower and Casey is giving him the eye. "Suddenly he starts talking about the centerfield fence and how I’m going to like it and all kinds of stuff I can’t follow. Finally, I asked Casey what was he talking about?" "Oh, you were traded to the Reds", he tells Zim. (Just like the ‘Ol Perfesser, talking in circles!)

About Gil Hodges, "He saved my butt at first base many times. He was a great player and human being". Zim was especially grateful to have played with him for three years while a member of the Washington Senators. When asked about Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, who is battling cancer, "He is doing great. I talk to him 3-4 times a week and he has a clean bill of health for March 2001 (as we know, Mel is currently with the Yankees and has battled back).

Zim told us both his greatest thrill and his greatest disappointment occurred on the same day. It was 1978 and the Red Sox had blown a twelve game lead and had to win their last eight games of the season to tie the Yankees and force a one game playoff. That late surge provided him with the thrill. And then there was the disappointment — Bucky Dent and that home run. Oh, that home run; forever etched in the minds of Yankee and Red Sox fans alike, although the caption accompanying that mental image probably differs!

But the home run story continues. Several years later, Zim found himself coaching for Billy Martin in NY. Needing a place to stay, Zim learned that Dent had a house in Jersey. He and his wife decided to rent it. "There were pictures of that home run all over the place!" The next time he saw Dent, he told him he had turned all the pictures around to face the walls and he had spit tobacco juice all over his white shag carpet for good measure!

Next he took us to the summer of ’89, when he coached the Cubs from a 7-20 spring season record to the NL East Division Championship: the Boys of Zimmer they were called. He was being called a genius in the papers. "Heck, I was the same manager I was when San Diego lost 104 games two years earlier!" When asked about playing in Wrigley, he noted," Oh, no lead is safe there; you need some strong heat on the mound, same with Fenway". When asked his favorite ball parks, no surprise it was Wrigley and Fenway. "You’ll say I’m an old timer — well, I am!"

When discussing Pee Wee Reese, whom Zim was back-up shortstop to, Zim suddenly became less animated and more deliberate with his comments. "He played so long that by the time he left the Dodgers wanted someone younger than me; I was too old. It was cut throat competition in those days. But Pee Wee talked to me like I was a son. Remember, he was the one who came up to Jackie Robinson and put his arm around him. That’s the type of guy he was."

Someone from the audience asked if he had any advise for youngsters. "Yes, practice and play; you can’t get in trouble while you’re on the ball-field". Actually, that’s not exactly true. You see, Zim said when he was a young boy, he began playing at 8am but was to be home for dinner by 5pm. When he wasn’t home by 5pm, his mother would come and get him, giving him a good spanking on his rear end all the way home! Every Saturday he had his chores to do before he could go out to play ball. "For instance, I had to mop the floors. Well, if you do it the correct way, it took too long. So I found a way to do it more quickly. Instead of starting with soapy water and then having to wring out the mop and go over the floor again with clean water, I just started off using clean water and eliminated a step." I glanced over to Zim’s wife while he was telling us this and she shook her head and chuckled in amusement.

When asked about the incident involving Clemens and Piazza, Zim suddenly became serious, almost to the point of anger. "I’m not taking Torre’s or Valentine’s side on this. Here’s how I feel — if I was a pitcher with a 5.80 ERA, I’d do something about it! These batters today ‘squeal like a pig’ if a pitcher misses inside. Today’s pitchers don’t pitch inside enough. I was hit in the head by a pitch and would never say it was done purposely."

It was July 7, 1953 when it happened, putting Zim in the hospital for an extended stay. "I saw three mothers, three fathers and three wives." His wife explained everything to him when he awoke — he thought it was the next morning; it was eleven days later! He spent 31 days in rehab in the hospital. He had suffered a skull fracture and a blood clot, lost his speech and had to learn to walk again. He went from 170 lbs to 128 lbs. "I want to get something straight — I do not have a metal plate in my head. The doctors inserted three buttons on the left side and one on the right side of my head."

A question via e-mail inquired about the unusual exit he made from the Colorado Rockies. If you recall, it was in 1995 that Zim left the team in the middle of a game, raising all sorts of speculation as to what really happened. "In the Spring of 1995 I could see I was no longer needed and told my wife I wanted to quit. She said to retire instead. So I told manager Don Baylor and the rest of the management that I would retire, leaving in the 5^th inning of a designated game. So they knew well in advance what I planned to do. Why in the 5^th inning? — because I didn’t want to be the focus of the sportswriters in the clubhouse if I did it at the end of the game. I wanted to pack my stuff and be out of there before the game ended."

Well, the Rockies loss became the Yankee’s gain when Torre tabbed Zim to be his bench coach in 1996. "1996 was a special year, with Joe’s brother Rocco dying and his brother Frank having heart surgery. The Yanks hadn’t won in 17 years and Joe had never been in a World Series." As for 2000, "This past year was a close second; I don’t know how we did it!"

After the season ended, Torre began to call him, supposedly just for small talk. But Joe couldn’t avoid asking what Zim planned to do in 2001. Zim would just change the subject. Finally Yankee GM Brian Cashman called him and said his manager was becoming quite worried. "I finally called Joe and told him I had just renewed my lease on my NY apartment for 2001." Torre’s response was ‘Good’.

Zim had been talking for almost 1.5 hours and you could sense the program was winding down. "Why am I here at the Hall of Fame anyway, you might ask. The Hall of Fame is for Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. I hit .235 in my career! I’m here because I’m 70 years old and have been around a long time. And I’m here to represent the new Subway Series exhibit." Petroskey presented Zim and Soot with special HOF gifts, including a lifetime pass to the Museum. Petroskey remarked, "Don, if there was a Hall of Fame for great guys and great storytellers, you’d be in it."

All who wanted were invited to the front for a picture with Zim. I looked through some of the stuff I had brought for autographs and although Zim wasn’t signing, I did get Bill Madden to autograph an article he had written about Zim. Madden appeared quite surprised and flattered to be asked and I snapped his picture while signing. Someone asked me how I knew Madden would be there, as it appeared I had come prepared with something for him to sign. I responded I didn’t know he would be there; I had brought it for Zim to sign!

I waited in line for my turn to be photographed. Handing my disposable camera to Bruce Markusen, I asked him to be sure to get a good picture. I would rather have my picture taken with a sports celeb than get their autograph. I have had my photo taken with Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Clete Boyer, John Blanchard, Luis Tiant, Don Larsen, Goose Gossage, SU basketball coach Jim Boeheim, St. John’s basketball coach Mike Jarvis and NY sports columnist Mike Lupica. Zim and I would be a great addition to my gallery. I showed Zim two plastic baseball coins that in 1963 were inserted in packages of Salada Foods brand custard. The coins were of Joe Torre and Don Zimmer and were side-by-side, just like on the Yankee bench these days. Zim really liked them and held them up as the picture was taken. He shook my hand and wished me well.

As I drove home that late afternoon, I thought how fortunate I was that I live close enough to the HOF to take advantage of events like the one I was just leaving. It was about 4:30 pm as I drove back along Route 28, and being early December, a full moon was just rising, creating a glimmering reflection upon the frozen lake and presented a most beautiful close to a most enjoyable day.