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  • Jerry Zimmerman

    Birth Date: 09/21/1934
    Deceased: 09/09/1998

    Jerry Zimmerman Autograph

    Jerry Zimmerman's Autograph

    Jerry Zimmerman Bio

    Twins Video

    Gerald Robert Zimmerman was born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 21, 1934. His family would move during his childhood to Oregon where Jerry went to high school.

    After high school, Zimmerman signed with the Boston Red Sox before the 1952 season.

    Zimmerman played eight long years in Boston’s minor league system at all levels. From there he bounced around, first to the Baltimore organization, then to Cincinnati where he performed well enough in minor league Seattle to earn a shot with the big club in 1961.

    He debuted in the Major Leagues on April 14, 1961. That Reds team was particularly good, ending with a 93-61 record, winning the National League, and making the World Series. The Reds moved on and traded him to the Twins before the 1962 season for outfielder Dan Dobbek.

    Zimmerman came to the Twins in 1962 and immediately settled into a back-up role for Earl Battey. 1967 was the one season when the excellent defensive catcher Zimmerman garnered most of the playing time. But after the 1967 season and Battey’s retirement, the Twins did not turn to Zimmerman. They quickly traded for John Roseboro again relegating Zimmerman to back up duties for 1968.

    For his MLB career, Zimmerman batted .204/.269/.239. He had three home runs and 72 RBI in 994 at bats. Baseball Reference calculates his career WAR as -2.7.

    Notable Events & Trivia

    • Batted .625 as a high school senior.
    • Played at Metropolitan Stadium as a minor leaguer in the Red Sox system before the Twins moved to Minnesota, and he moved to the Twins organization.

    Jerry Zimmerman Statistics

    Standard Batting Table
    Season Age Team Lg WAR G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ rOBA Rbat+ TB GIDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards
    1961 26 CIN NL -1.5 76 222 204 8 42 5 0 0 10 1 1 11 21 .206 .252 .230 .483 29 .228 15 47 10 2 4 1 0 2  
    1962 27 MIN AL 0.1 34 69 62 8 17 4 0 0 7 0 0 3 5 .274 .318 .339 .657 75 .301 63 21 1 1 3 0 0 2/H  
    1963 28 MIN AL -0.1 39 61 56 3 13 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 8 .232 .259 .250 .509 43 .232 22 14 3 0 3 0 0 2/H  
    1964 29 MIN AL -0.3 63 138 120 6 24 3 0 0 12 0 0 10 15 .200 .278 .225 .503 42 .261 45 27 6 3 5 0 0 2/H  
    1965 30 MIN AL 0.0 83 176 154 8 33 1 1 1 11 0 0 12 23 .214 .275 .253 .529 49 .262 43 39 6 1 8 0 3 2/H  
    1966 31 MIN AL 0.3 60 136 119 11 30 4 1 1 15 0 0 15 23 .252 .338 .328 .666 88 .302 77 39 4 1 0 1 4 2/H  
    1967 32 MIN AL -1.0 104 267 234 13 39 3 0 1 12 0 1 22 49 .167 .243 .192 .436 26 .208 5 45 8 2 8 1 5 2  
    1968 33 MIN AL -0.2 24 50 45 3 5 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 10 .111 .180 .133 .313 -6 .155 -29 6 0 1 0 1 0 2  
    8 Yrs -2.7 483 1119 994 60 203 22 2 3 72 1 2 78 154 .204 .269 .239 .508 42 .243 30 238 38 11 31 4 12 2/H  
    162 Game Avg -0.9 162 375 333 20 68 7 1 1 24 0 1 26 52 .204 .269 .239 .508 42 .243 30 80 13 4 10 1 4    
                                                               
    MIN (7 Yrs) -1.2 407 897 790 52 161 17 2 3 62 0 1 67 133 .204 .273 .242 .514 46 .247 34 191 28 9 27 3 12 2/H  
    CIN (1 Yr) -1.5 76 222 204 8 42 5 0 0 10 1 1 11 21 .206 .252 .230 .483 29 .228 15 47 10 2 4 1 0 2  
                                                               
    AL (7 Yrs) -1.2 407 897 790 52 161 17 2 3 62 0 1 67 133 .204 .273 .242 .514 46 .247 34 191 28 9 27 3 12 2/H  
    NL (1 Yr) -1.5 76 222 204 8 42 5 0 0 10 1 1 11 21 .206 .252 .230 .483 29 .228 15 47 10 2 4 1 0 2  
    Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
    Generated 1/16/2025.

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    Jerry Zimmerman Baseball Cards

    Page Creator:

    Al from SoDak

    Other Contributors:

    Brock Beauchamp

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    Recommended Comments

    Dave Mona

    Dave Mona 21

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    More good work, Al. Jerry was the backup shortstop to John Roseboro when I covered the Twins for The Minneapolis Tribune. He had what I thought was the best player quote of the year. It happened in the game in Chicago when Halsey Hall started a fire in the broadcast booth that brought all the players out of the dugout. Hearing that it started with the ashes from Halsey's cigar falling onto his clothes, Zimmerman said, "What a guy that Halsey Hall. He's the only person I know who can turn an ordinary sportcoat into a blazer in nothing flat."  

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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