Yankees Zimmer less?

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Boss no longer has Zim to kick around

Gallery

Compiled by P.K. DANIEL
UNION-TRIBUNE Staff writer

October 27, 2003

Don Zimmer, who made it official on Saturday night that he had had his fill of Yankees boss George Steinbrenner, said: "All I'm gonna say is for 25 years Steinbrenner called me 'Zimmer' and I called him 'Boss.' From now on as far as I'm concerned he's just 'Steinbrenner.'

Zimmer, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., and had been a pal and frequent racetrack companion of Steinbrenner's for 25 years, was inexplicably slighted by the Boss on a number of occasions this season. It began last

winter when, according to Zimmer, the two ran into each other at a

Tampa racetrack and Steinbrenner wouldn't talk to him.

Then when Zimmer arrived at spring training, he was informed he would not be getting the courtesy car the Yankees extend to all of the coaches. During the season, Zimmer found out that a proposed "Don Zimmer Bobblehead Doll" promotion day had been nixed by Steinbrenner. At the same time, Steinbrenner reportedly ordered his YES TV directors not to put the cameras on Zimmer.

But what really got to Zimmer and all of Joe Torre's coaches was when a front-office employee came down to the clubhouse and told them he had been ordered by Steinbrenner to "stay out of the coaches room and don't talk to those –-holes!"

From that point on, the coaches sarcastically referred to each other as "–-holes," and in his emotional outburst after Game 7 of the ALCS last week, Zimmer said: "This is one –-hole he won't have to worry about firing."

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Yankees: Straight from Zimmer's mouth
Monday, October 27, 2003





NEW YORK --Don Zimmer conducted a lengthy group interview yesterday on his way out of Yankee Stadium for what he said would be the last time as an employee or guest of George Steinbrenner. Some of the points he addressed.


On the possibility he will work for another team: "I never once said I'm retiring. I'm going home. ... I don't think my phone is going to be ringing off the hook, but that's the way I'm leaving it. ... I'm not going to make any calls. I've never made one yet. I'm not going to start now."


On whether he would answer the phone if Steinbrenner ever called him: "How would I know who's calling? I don't have that ID call or whatever that thing is."


On why he will refer to Steinbrenner by his last name henceforth: "He's no longer The Boss. I announced that last night. ... He called me Zimmer for 25 years. I called him The Boss for 25 years. Today he's Steinbrenner. He's no longer The Boss with me."


On the possibility that his defense of Joe Torre and criticism of Steinbrenner early in the season led to the owner's brief edict that no image or reference to Zimmer appear on YES Network game broadcasts: "Joe don't need to no help, but I just thought some of the statements were unfair. I think that didn't set good with him, to where he owns the station and I guess he took me off his station, which I thought was comical."


On whether Steinbrenner was jealous of his popularity: "Well, we won't have to worry about it no more."


On whether he's had a good run with the Yankees: "I've had it great here. It's been wonderful. I left Denver (in 1995) and went home thinking that I'm out of baseball. And to think what has happened to me the last eight years. What is this, the sixth World Series that we've been in? I mean, it's a story people wouldn't even believe if you told them. So that part of it has been unbelievable."

-- Lawrence Rocca


Copyright 2003 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission


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[Chiwas]

Expect a lot of changes from Steinbrenner before the next season.

[MavKikiNYC]

He should be banned from baseball for that sweater.

[BQuinn2210]

I agree with the sweater, but Don Zimmer is a great coach. The sad thing is that Steinbrenner doesnt even appreciate what Zim brings to the Yankees and he just needs a scapegoat for the underachieving yankees that were put in the world series this year. Soriano played like complete shit, wells was awful, and the bullpen was in shambles. Its sad to see you go Zim- wish you would've actually landed that punch on Pedro cus that bastard deserves it!

[Lonnie]

I know that steinbrenner is a real bitch and he is forcing zimmer out, but looks almost justified after what he did in the redsox series. What the hell was he thinking? Pedro made him look like a fool and even without steinbrener forcing him out, zimmer whould have retired out of shame.