TALKIN' SPORTS WITH PAT: TONIGHT AT 7:30-8 pst LIVE TO TAKE QUESTION OR JUST TALK SPORTS

Talkin’ Sports

With Pat

First “Sorry” L that I missed last week.  Was busy and time got away from me.

Now let's get to the good stuff...

1.) I was going to talk about Don Zimmer who had passed away.  He had been in baseball for 66 years.  1^st signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949, he played in the majors with Dodgers 54-59, Cubs 60-61, Mets 62, Reds 62, Washington Senators 63-65. He then played in the Japan League 66, played winter ball in Latin America, in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.  He never had a metal or steel plate in his head.  After being beaned in the temple with a pitch.  He was not fully conscious for 13 days and holes were drilled in his skull to relieve the pressure.  The holes were later filled with four titanium metal cork screws shaped buttons.  He was again beaned in 1956 when a fast ball by a Cincinnati Red pitcher broke his cheek bone.  His final playing season was 65 than he started coaching in the minor leagues and in 71 he was the Montreal Expos third base coach.  In 72 he was the Padres third base coach and after 11 games was named the manager after Preston Gomez was fired.  After being fired at the end of 73 by the Padres he was then asked to be the Boston Red Sox third base coach he was their coach for the 75 World Series.  Against the Reds which was one of the best games.  In July of 76 he was asked to replace the manager and would stay on as the manager of the Red Sox for three seasons 77-79 winning more than 90 games each season only the second time in their history since WWI.  But he is still remembered for the collapse of 78 when they at one time had a 14 game lead against the Yankees and by September it was 4 and then with a 4 game series against the Yankees they lost all four.  Still known as the “Boston Massacre.”  Forced a one game playoff which was played in Boston the Yankees won.  Later on, he said that his family could not go to Boston games that year because of the hatred expressed toward him and then towards his wife and children.  Very sad.  He would get fired and be coaching other teams then in 89 when the Cubs made it into the Playoffs he was their manager, said that, and was a fun year.  Overall, as a manager he won 906 games.  He would then become a bench coach and in 96 Joe Torre hired him after he left the Yankees two years before Torre he was hired by the Tampa Bay Rays.  Other than Vin Scully, Zimmer was the last former Brooklyn Dodger still serving on the field in some capacity.  Zimmer was still married to his high school sweetheart who he married in 51 at home plate before a night game.  He wrote two books: Zim: A Baseball Life & The Zen of Zim

2.)  Well, the Heat must win tonight or I think they will lose the series to the Spurs.  I can’t see the Spurs shooting 75% in the 1^st half like they did the other night so, now it is up to the Heat to play like they are the defending champions.

3.)  The Rangers, won a game last night to make it 3-1 in favor of the Kings with game #5, Friday in L.A.  I hope the Kings can play like they did last night because I cannot see the puck stopping on the line twice like it did without going in.  The Rangers played like a team that did not want to be swept, which I could understand.  So, GO KINGS!!!