Rays honor Don Zimmer by retiring his uniform No. 66 on Opening Day
The Tampa Bay Rays will honor Don Zimmer, a beloved baseball figure, by retiring his uniform No. 66 on Opening Day.
On Tuesday, the team made the announcement to retire the number, which will happen during a ceremony before the Rays face the Baltimore Orioles on April 6 at Tropicana Field. Zimmer served as a senior baseball adviser for Tampa Bay from 2004 until his death on June 4, 2014, at age 83.
The No. 66 was the last uniform number worn by the revered former player and manager. It represents his number of years in professional baseball. The coming Opening Day will be the first without him since 1971.
"Don Zimmer enriched the lives of everyone in the Rays family, and he played a significant part in the growth of our organization," Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement. "Zim's presence has been a gift to the game of baseball, and his influence will be felt for years to come.
"It has been a true privilege of my stewardship of the Rays to have had Don as such an important part of our organization. It is with great pride that we honor him and the game by retiring his number."
Zimmer's uniform number will be placed above the left-center field wall at Tropicana Field. It will join the Rays' other two retired numbers: Wade Boggs' No. 12 and Jackie Robinson's No. 42. Zimmer's wife, Soot, and son, Tommy, are expected to attend the ceremony.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
