At Home Plate - Book Review: The Zen of Zim

At Home Plate

Written by Jim Amato (Contact & Archive) on September 10, 2008

Don Zimmer is a baseball icon. He has been involved in organized baseball longer then I've been alive. He was with some of the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950's including their world championship club. He was a mediocre player but he was smart and a quick learner. He is a people person who has a way of imparting his knowledge to others. That is what has made him a valuable manager, coach, bench coach and senior adviser to several clubs over the years. He has seen them all up close and personal. From Jackie Robinson to Alex Rodriguez. Mays, Aaron, Banks, the Duke, Koufax and Drysdale. It is almost an endless list. It is just mind boggling what those piercing eyes have seen.

The book "The Zen of Zim" is the sequel to his New York Times bestseller "Zim-A Baseball Life." Zen is an interesting book in which the usually unflappable Zimmer does a little venting about ex-boss George Steinbrenner. He talks about his near disastrous beaning. He discusses his many travels during his baseball journey. There is even a chapter where his wife discusses life with Zim. What I enjoyed the most was when Don talked about the players he's seen over a half of a century and the great teams of today and yesteryear. I like how he talks about how the game has changed yet it still remains the same. There are many pearls of wisdom between the covers.

I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read. Don Zimmer seems like the kind of guy you could just sit with at the local tavern talking baseball for hours. It is far from being a baseball classic but Zim makes some very good points and his opinion deserves respect. It is definitely worth the read.

I give this book two balls out of four.

The AHP Rating System is based on a four ball system:
One Ball: Average. It has something to say but is nothing special.
Two Balls: Something men usually have - also means it’s a cut above average, and worth reading/owning.
Three Balls: Stands out from its peers and is highly recommended.
Four Balls: More than just what two men have when hanging out together, it means it is an exceptional book that truly earns a walk - straight to the local book store to get a copy.

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