Bob Wiesler and Don Zimmer, former Yankees figures, pass away

[Cowtipper]

Bob Wiesler pitched for the Yankees in 1951 and from 1954 to 1955, going 3-6 with a 4.95 ERA in 26 games (15 starts). He even showed some skill with the bat, hitting .273 for the club in 1954. In February 1956, he was involved in a big trade with the Washington Senators: "Traded by the New York Yankees with a player to be named later, Lou Berberet, Herb Plews and Dick Tettelbach to the Washington Senators for Bobby Kline and Mickey McDermott. The New York Yankees sent Whitey Herzog (April 2, 1956) to the Washington Senators to complete the trade." (source: Baseball-Reference.com).

Former Beaumont High lefthanded pitcher Bob Wiesler, who signed with the New York Yankees in 1949 and finished his career with the Washington Senators in 1958, died Sunday of heart failure at his home in Florissant. He was 83. Wiesler was a standout at Beaumont and gained attention of pro scouts playing for the Stockham American Legion Post.

Read more:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other...d25947922.html

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We all know who Don Zimmer was and what he did for the Yankees, but he did not have a thread dedicated to him at the time of his death, so I thought I'd do one now. He coached for the club in 1983 and from 1996 to 2003.

He had the jowls of Dizzy Gillespie, the chins of Alfred Hitchcock and the forearms of Olive Oyl's favorite sailor man. For most of his 83 years, he had a haircut that required minimum maintenance and a quick, disarming smile that significantly widened his face and belied his sense of purpose. Well before his time came, he had developed a silhouette like no other in the game. If nothing else, Don Zimmer was distinctive, a ball of distinction, you might say -- no corners, no angles, no edges. So round he almost was spherical.

Zimmer, a baseball icon for the past six decades -- most recently as a senior advisor for the Rays -- passed away on Wednesday at BayCare Alliant Hospital in Dunedin, Fla. He was 83.

Read more:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/...&vkey=news_mlb

[The Monument]

Never heard of Wiesler, never liked Zimmer. He played for dodgers and mets, managed red sox. Thats three strikes. The whole idea of a bench coach is ridiculous, but I guess Torre needed one, or steinboner forced one on him after the "Clueless Joe" headlines.

[Mattingly]

Never heard of Wiesler, never liked Zimmer. He played for dodgers and mets, managed red sox. Thats three strikes. The whole idea of a bench coach is ridiculous, but I guess Torre needed one, or steinboner forced one on him after the "Clueless Joe" headlines.

From what I remember about Torre's comments, he wanted to get this one right, so he was responsible for hand-picking his own bench coach, and he chose a baseball lifer in Zim.

The two closest people to Torre during those early part of his 12 years managing the Yanks were Zim and ex-Yankee pitcher, Mel Stottlemyre, who served as the bench coach.

As far as the bench coach is concerned, I've never been one, but it seems as one would be an experienced person who's previously coached and/or managed, and who can discuss strategy of the game before the moves are made. Things such as when to go to the bullpen, who to bring in, when to IBB a batter, when to call for the hit-and-run, when to use a pinch hitter (and who to use). A bench coach always has a manager's ear, so he's like an "idea person".

[The Monument]

I get the idea, I just don't think it's necessary. Soon they'll need a Replay Coach, someone to tell the manager wether or not to challenge a call. This way the Bench Coach won't be distracted from his duties.