Longtime baseball fixture Don Zimmer died on Wednesday at 83 years old after spending more than 60 years in the baseball field as a player, manager, coach, and adviser.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced that their senior adviser Zimmer died in Dunedin, Florida. Zimmer had undergone a heart valve surgery in April 18, The Tampa Tribune wrote.

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Zimmer had begun undergoing kidney dialysis in May 2012 after experiencing a diabetic coma at home, but he still tried his best to drop by the Rays' Tropicana Field whenever he could.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Donald William Zimmer debuted on the major league in 1954 and had played for the Brooklyn Dodgers' World Series championship team. He also served as the bench coach for the Yankees on four World Series championship teams and filled in for Manager Joe Torres for 36 games.

He played mostly as an infielder for 12 seasons and managed teams for 13 seasons.  He was a fast and powerful player but he almost died after sustaining a fractured skull from a blow during a game in Ohio. He fell into a coma and doctors had to drill holes on the sides of his skull to decrease the pressure on his brain.

In 1956, he was beaned for the second time during a game against the Cincinnati Reds. This time, the blow shattered his left cheekbone and damaged his eyesight.

The Popeye-muscled character stayed with the Dodgers throughout their 1959 World Series championship period in Los Angeles, played a couple of seasons for the cubs, and became the Mets' third baseman in 1962.

The teams that Zimmer managed include the San Diego Padres, the Red Sox, the Texas Rangers, and the Cubs. From 1996 to 2003, he was the bench coach of Torre before quitting due to "abusive treatment" from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

The following season, Zimmer joined Tampa Bay as a senior adviser and as a community relations worker.

Don Zimmer had left behind his wife Jean, son Tom, daughter Donna, and four grandchildren, according to The Tribune.

TagsDon Zimmer, Baseball, Donald William Zimmer, Tampa Bay Rays