Rangers History Today: Don Zimmer Hired As Manager

On this date in franchise history, the Texas Rangers hired a new manager to replace Pat Corrales: former Boston skipper Don Zimmer.

On Nov. 12, 1980, the Rangers made the move to Zimmer, who would become the 10th manager in Rangers history.

Zimmer didn’t last particularly long with the Rangers. He didn’t even finish the 1982 season before then-owner Eddie Chiles fired him (Chiles was later quoted as saying he fired Zimmer for “something personal”). Zimmer went 95-106 with Texas.

Zimmer is one of the most famous baseball lifers in the game’s history, spending 65 years in baseball as a player, coach and manager.

As a player, Zimmer played with Jackie Robinson when he broke in with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. He made the trip with the Dodgers to Los Angeles and later played for the Chicago Cubs. He was an original New York Met, and later played for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators. He played winter ball in the Cuban League and the Puerto Rican League. He was a two-time All-Star—both of which came in 1961, when Major League Baseball played two All-Star games. He even earned two World Series rings as a player.

Zimmer managed the San Diego Padres, the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs, along with the Rangers. He went 885-858 and led the Cubs to National League East Division title in 1989.

Zimmer became a lovable bench coach later in life, most specifically with Joe Torre in New York, where he helped the Yankees win four World Series from 1996-2000. He ended his coaching career with a 10-year stint with the Tampa Bay Rays and passed away on June 4, 2014, at 83.

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