ST. PETERSBURG Don Zimmer acknowledged Friday that a stroke he suffered last month has slowed him down a bit, but he doesn't plan to let it keep him off the baseball field.
The Rays senior adviser, who turns 78 today, was stricken Dec. 23 during a family gathering celebrating his wife Soot's birthday. Zimmer wasn't feeling quite right. He wasn't in pain, but he stayed quiet for the most part. It didn't take long for his family to take notice.
"They all knew that something was up," Zimmer said. "I tried to hide it as much as I could and I couldn't do it."
Tests revealed he had suffered a stroke, and Zimmer said he was having significant trouble speaking as recently as 10 days ago.
"I wanted to say something and I couldn't get it out," he said. "But it's come a long way since then."
Zimmer has improved enough that he was able to go out to dinner with Rays third base coach Tom Foley and clubhouse manager Chris Westmoreland and their wives Friday night. Earlier in the day, he secured a place to stay for spring training in Port Charlotte.
He's still undergoing further medical screening, including a stress test Friday, and has an appointment next week with a neurologist. Zimmer thinks it will just take a bit more time to feel more like his old self, and with a month to go before spring training begins, he has no reason to believe he won't be there to open his 61st season in baseball.
"I'll be all right," he said. "I'll whip this thing."
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