What about Bob?

I believe it was the 1990 season, and Zimmer was manager of the Cubs.

I was doing sidebars on a Mets-Cubs game at Shea for Newsday, where I had started the year before as a backup on the Giants and Jets beats. As I'd explained to Boland, who has been covering a bit of baseball these days, covering the occasional baseball game was part of a young(er) football writer's responsibilities, although there were no live blogs at that time. Nor were there any blogs. Or high-speed Internet, for that matter.

Anyway, I don't recall the specific details of the game, other than Zimmer had kept his pitcher in a batter too long, because he gave up a homer that proved pivotal in the Mets' win.

Former New York Post writer Dave Hanson, a very nice man whose current whereabouts I do not know, and I were a bit late coming out of the Mets' clubhouse. We needed a Zimmer quote, but were told upon entering the Cubs' clubhouse that he'd already talked to the writers.

The clubhouse had nearly emptied, but we peeked around a corner and found Zim. He was just getting out of the shower.

"Hey, Skip, got a minute?" Hanson asked.

"Sure, fellas, what's up?" Zimmer said.

Rather than ask an innocuous question to get things started, Hanson dove right in.

"Hey, Skip, do you think you left (name of pitcher) in maybe too long?" Hanson asked.

Zimmer's face reddened immediately and he began screaming at the two of us, waving his towel in the process. Um ... yeah.

I do remember Zimmer's last words to us.

"Get the f*** outta here!"

Dave, if you're out there, thanks for the memories.

I think.

Memo to Boland: Stay alert. You never know what life-changing memory will be created when covering a baseball game.

(fyi, this is not the gross baseball story I referred to a few posts back, although seeing Zimmer naked certainly qualifies. I will post the other item shortly. Enjoy the baseball season.)