Former Red Sox manager Don Zimmer has passed away.

For me, Zimmer was the first Red Sox manager. By that I mean he was the manager of the first Red Sox team I lived and died with. The end of the ’78 season was the first time I followed baseball. 1979 was the first year I couldn’t get enough. It was also the first year I went to Fenway. Don Zimmer was there that night with me.

Then there was the 2003 Red Sox vs Yankees playoff and the Great Zimmer Toss of ’03. I was playing in Break Even and we had a gig at Burgundy’s Billiard room in Derry, NH. The place seemed to be wall to wall big screen televisions and every 5 minutes the replay of Pedro Martinez grabbing the elderly Zimmer by his bald head and chucking his fat ass to the ground was shown. I will never forget that night. I will never forget watching the Red Sox and Yankees clear the benches in a play off game. I will never forget seeing a senior citizen trying to take out a professional athlete.

Don Zimmer is a legend. Even if he did work for the Yankees forever, he will still be missed.

Happy trails to you, Zim.