Don Zimmer, Beloved Baseball Icon, Dies At 83

Beloved baseball icon Don Zimmer died Wednesday evening at the age of 83.

The long-time Major League Baseball fixture "went peacefully," his son Tom told the Tampa Bay Times. Zimmer played in the MLB for 12 years ending in 1965 before gaining greater attention over more than 30 years as a successful career coach and manager, most recently serving as senior adviser to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Zimmer's baseball career spanned more than 60 years, from playing alongside fellow teammate Jackie Robinson to managing teams including the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers. He also was a noted member of the coaching staff of the World Series-winning 1996 New York Yankees.

Zimmer was widely seen as one of the more personable and likable figures in the majors, and his passing comes less than two months after he underwent major heart surgery.

The exact cause of death was not immediately available, but Zimmer had been hospitalized since the surgery, according to USA Today.