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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Zim returns to the Trop

Posted May 17, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated May 17, 2012 at 07:46 PM

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG Don Zimmer made it out to Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon, sat in the seats behind home plate and watched the Rays take batting practice.

“It’s nice to be back where you’re supposed to be,” Zimmer said.

The 81-year-old Zimmer undergoes four hours of dialysis three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday – for kidney failure.

“That’s a long four hours, I’ll tell you, boy,” he said.

Zimmer last attended a Rays game during the opening weekend of the season. The following week he fell into a diabetic coma while sleeping.

“I was gone,” he said. “I was in a diabetic coma. If my wife don’t wake me up I’m still sleeping. That’s how close I was. My blood sugar was 20.”

His wife, Soot, called their son, Tom, who told her to call 911.

“They tried to wake me,” Zimmer said. “But nothing.”

After spending time in the hospital, Zimmer said he feels his health is moving in the right direction.

“The say dialysis, the more you take it the stronger you get,” he said. “I get out of breath if I walk too far.”

Zimmer said he’s also lost his appetite but knows he has to eat. Another drawback, he said, is he’s on a restricted diet.

“Every time I eat something I say, “Am I all right?” Zimmer said.

Roger Mooney

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