Zimmer Poised To Leave Yanks

Don Zimmer could leave the New York Yankees as soon as this weekend, depending on when manager Joe Torre decides he's ready to take over.

Zimmer gathered his team after Wednesday night's loss to Texas and announced: "After tomorrow's game, I'm going home."

"He was very emotional," pitcher David Cone said. "We just sort of sat in silence, then he left."

On Thursday, however, Zimmer said he would wait until Torre returned. And Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that would not happen Friday.

Zimmer, 68, was New York's bench coach the last three years until being asked in mid-March to serve as interim manager while Torre recovered from prostate cancer surgery. Torre underwent a checkup Thursday and was expected to be cleared to rejoin the World Series champions Friday.

But Torre told Zimmer he may not want to take over right away. Zimmer promised to stay on as long as needed, and a decision could be made Friday when the two meet for breakfast in Kansas City.

"If Joe says he's managing tomorrow night (Friday), I'll go home," Zimmer said. "If he says it'll be another week, I'll stay another week. ... I don't want him to come back before he's ready."

Cashman said he expects Zimmer to be needed for at least this weekend.

"Joe is not coming to Kansas City to manage Friday night. Friday night is not an option," he said. "I'd be surprised if it was in Kansas City, but I wouldn't rule it out."

Cashman said Torre will watch the Royals game in a luxury box with his family, including his brother, Frank. Torre wants to make sure he's physically ready to endure the rigors of the job before returning, and he's wary of returning too soon.

"If he's down, tired and fatigued, he's not going to be at his best to take the reins," Cashman said. "No matter when he comes back, we'll say, `Wow, he came back fast."'

The Yankees began Thursday's game against the Rangers in first place in the AL East with a 13-6 record.

Zimmer, who's spent a half-century in baseball, has stayed on the job out of loyalty to Torre. Otherwise, he may have already left because of excruciating pain caused by torn cartilage in his right knee that is especially aggravated by plane flights.

He had arthroscopic surgery eight weeks ago, but it hasn't helped. He's going to start wearing a new brace this weekend, but might need knee replacement surgery, which requires more than five months of rehabilitation.

Zimmer, 68, said the knee is 90 percent of the reason he's ready to leave. He classified the other 10 percent as personal.

Zimmer and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner squabbled early this season over the use of Hideki Irabu. Zimmer may have received flak from someone in the organization about a gamble that backfired in Wednesday night's loss to Texas.

The Rangers and Yankees were tied at 4 with one out in the seveth when Zimmer chose to intentionally walk Rusty Greer with a 3-0 count to load the bases in hopes of getting Juan Gonzalez to hit into an inning-ending double play. Instead, Gonzalez hit a two-run single.

When asked if he's been bothered by Steinbrenner, Zimmer paused for more than 10 seconds then slowly said: "I'm not going to ruin my life by making bad statements."

With his voice cracking and his bottom lip quivering, Zimmer added, "I've been lucky enough to be in this game for 51 years. ... I came in strong, quietly and that's the way I'd like to go out, not to burn any bridges."

Zimmer later said, "George has been good to me over the years. I'll leave it that way."

Cashman said everyone in the Yankees organization is thankful to Zimmer including Steinbrenner.

"Believe me, he appreciates what Zim has done," Cashman said. "You can't say anything about it but high praise."

Zimmer said he's not calling this departure a retirement and he won't say he's quitting.

"So I say I'm going home," Zimmer said, adding that he'll live in his New York condo and not his Florida home. "I don't know what that means except I'm going home."

Yankees players said things won't be the same without the man known as "Popeye." Cone called him "the best all-around baseball person I've ever been around."

"We'll all miss his presence on the bench and in the clubhouse, his knowledge and insight," third baseman Scott Brosius said. "He has a knack for saying the right thing at the right time."

Four years ago, Zimmer tried quietly walking away from baseball when he quit his job as bench coach for the Colorado Rockies during the fifth inning of a game.

He said Thursday that probably won't be how he goes out this time.

"I'm leaving," Zimmer said, "when Joe takes over, not in the fifth inning unless he takes over in the fifth inning."

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