Pirates World Series Champion Dies at 94
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost a key member of two World Series teams.
He was not on the list.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost many great
players in the past year or so and they are mourning the death of another.
The Pirates confirmed that former outfielder and coach Bob
Skinner died at the age of 94 years old on May 4. Skinner played nine of his 12
seasons in the major leagues (with the Pirates and was coach for two stints and
10 seasons total, spending almost two decades with the franchise.
He helped the Pirates win the 1960 World Series, where he
was an All-Star, and then the 1979 World Series as a coach.
Skinner played 1,100 game for the Pirates, slashing
.280/.355/.426 for an OPS of .781, serving as a solid hitter for the franchise
during his time.
“As a member of the 1960 World Series championship team, Bob
was an important part of one of the most beloved teams in our storied history
and helped deliver a moment that will forever be woven into the fabric of our
city,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “Bob was a talented
player, a proud Pirate and a respected member of the baseball community. On
behalf of the entire Pirates organization, we extend our deepest condolences to
Bob’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved him.”
Skinner was born on Oct. 3, 1931 in La Jolla, Calif. and the
Pirates would sign him as an amateur free agent in the start of the 1950s.
He would eventually play his first full MLB season in 1954
and then after time in the minors in 1955, played in Pittsburgh the next eight
seasons from 1956-63, primarily as their left fielder, playing opposite Hall of
Famer right fielder Roberto Clemente.
His best season came in 1958, when he slashed .321/.387/.491
for an OPS of .879, with 170 hits, 33 doubles, nine triples, 13 home runs, 70
RBI and 58 walks to 55 strikeouts, earning his first All-Star nod and finishing
15th in National League MVP voting.
Skinner hit an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning
of the first game of the 1960 World Series, leading the Pirates to a 6-4 win
over the New York Yankees at Forbes Field, which they won in seven games. That
was the sole hit he had in eight plate appearances and in the two games he
played in.
He hit above. 300 twice more with the Pirates, batting .305
in 1957 and .302 in 1962 and finished his career with 1,198 hits, 197 doubles,
58 triples, 103 home runs, 531 RBI and 485 walks to 646 strikeouts.
Skinner returned as batting coach for the Pirates for three
seasons from 1974-76 and then returned in that role in 1979, winning the World
Series that year, and staying for seven seasons through 1985.
The Pirates have lost a number of their best players in the
past year, a tough time for a franchise with so much history.
Pittsburgh has lost three other players from their 1960
World Series team in Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski on Feb. 20 at
89 years old, Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face on Feb. 12 at 97 years old and
outfielder Bob Oldis at 97 years old on Sept. 21.
The only living Pirates from the 1960 World Series is
Pirates Hall of Fame pitcher Vern Law.
Other Pittsburgh Pirates that have died recently include
1979 World Series winners in infielder Phil Garner at 76 years old on April 12
due to pancreatic cancer and Hall of Famer Dave Parker to Parkinson's disease
at 74 years old on June 28, plus 1971 World Series winner in pitcher Dave
Giusti on Jan. 11 at 86 years old.
Skinner was born in La Jolla, California on October 3, 1931.
He attended La Jolla High School, and played on its baseball team in the
outfield. He had a .200 batting average as a junior and .302 batting average as
a senior, and made an All-League team. Pittsburgh Pirate scout Tom Downey saw
potential in Skinner because of the way he swung the bat (and Skinner would
come to be known for his "pretty swing"). Downey got Skinner into
semi-professional Sunday league baseball so he could further develop. Skinner's
father, a Spanish and French language teacher, wanted Skinner to go to college
so Skinner attended San Diego Junior College. He was pursued by a number of
scouts after high school, but put them off because his father wanted Skinner to
attend college. Skinner hit .411 on the school's baseball team. He left college
after one year, and was signed by Downey to a contract with the Pittsburgh
Pirates.
The Pirates signed Skinner as an amateur free agent in 1950
or 1951. He had turned down offers from the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis
Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox to sign with the Pirates. Skinner
was a left-handed hitter who threw right-handed, was listed as 6 feet 4 inches
(1.93 m) tall and 190 pounds (86 kg). He has also been reported at 6 ft 4½ in
(1.94 m). He had the nickname "Sleepy" with the Pirates.
In 1951, Skinner played 98 games for the Class B Waco
Pirates, with a .283 batting average, nine home runs, 58 runs batted in (RBI)
and 67 runs. He then played 29 games for the Class D Mayfield Clothiers, where
he had a .472 batting average, six home runs, 50 hits, 40 runs scored, 29 RBIs
and a 1.378 OPS (on-base plus slugging).
His early minor-league career was interrupted by service in
the United States Marine Corps, which lasted from November 5, 1951 through
November 1, 1953. He did play organized baseball while serving in the Marines,
hitting .402 and .379. According to his honorable discharge, he was a Corporal
at the time of his separation and had earned the National Defense Service
Medal. He was married the following February, just one week before starting
training camp with the 1954 Pirates.
Skinner spent 1954 with the Pirates. In 1955, he was
competing with Dale Long and Preston Ward for the first base position on the
Pirates. Dale Coogan was to play first base for the Pirates' Double-A affiliate
in the Southern Association, the New Orleans Pelicans; however, Coogan refused
to report. Because the Pirates could not assign Long or Ward to the Pelicans
without the risk of losing them to another team, the Pirates sent Skinner to
New Orleans. Skinner played in 86 games for the Pelicans, with a .346 batting
average, eight home runs, 62 RBIs, 62 runs and a .976 OPS. He had the second
highest batting average in the Southern Association among players with over 300
at bats. Skinner's season ended after he broke his wrist on July 3.
Skinner was 1-for-3 in Game 1 of the 1960 World Series,
batting third in the lineup. He had a single, RBI, stolen base, and run scored
in the first inning of the Pirates 6–4 victory. In the second inning he caught
a short fly ball and threw to second base for a double play against Yogi Berra.
He was also hit by a Ryne Duren pitch in the game. Skinner jammed his thumb
during the game sliding into third base, however, and did not play again until
Game 7; being replaced in left field by Gino Cimoli for Games 2 through 6. He
was 0-for-2 in Game 7, with a base on balls, run scored and a sacrifice bunt,
in the Pirates 10–9 series winning victory.
In 1967, Skinner retired from playing and became manager of
his hometown team, the San Diego Padres of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League
(PCL), the top farm club of the Philadelphia Phillies. He led San Diego to an
85–63 record and the 1967 PCL championship. The 36-year old Skinner won Minor
League Manager of the Year honors from The Sporting News.
In 1968, he began the year at San Diego but on June 16 he
was called to the Phillies to replace Gene Mauch as manager with the Phils in
fifth place with a record of 27–27. It was reported at the time that Mauch was
fired in connection with his strained relationship to future Hall of Famer Dick
Allen. Skinner was surprised when the Phillies told him he would be replacing
Mauch. Allen hit extremely well during the Phillies first 30 games under
Skinner, and the team was 17–13, including a seven-game winning streak. As of
July 15, the Phillies were 45–40 and in third place. The managing change
ultimately did not improve the Phillies' play, however, and the team fell in
the standings. Under Skinner, the team had a 48–59 record, and finished the
season tied for seventh place in the NL.
The Phillies began the 1969 season 26–37 and were in fifth
place in the new NL East Division when the relationship between Skinner, the
Phillies and Allen entered a phase of irreparable deterioration on June 24,
with Allen subsequently missing weeks of play. The team's record fell to 44–64,
and they were still in fifth place in the NL East Division, when Skinner
resigned and was replaced by his third-base coach, George Myatt, on August 6.
Myatt went on to a 19–35 record as interim manager that season. It was reported
at the time that Skinner resigned because he believed he had a lack of support
from the Phillies ownership and front office, particularly in his own difficult
relationship with Dick Allen. Skinner said he liked the job and thought he was
doing well as a manager, but his pride would not allow him to stay under
circumstances where he believed the team did not stand behind his decisions as
manager, and that the team's attitude and approach would prevent the Phillies
from becoming a winning team. Phillies owners Bob Carpenter said that he
regretted Skinner's decision to resign. Carpenter disagreed with Skinner on the
lack of support question, but agreed that if Skinner did not agree with his
bosses' decision making then it was right to resign.
In early September 1969, the expansion National League San
Diego Padres announced Skinner would join the team as a coach, under manager
Preston Gomez, in 1970. He served as third base coach and a hitting instructor
with the Padres in 1970, working with young slugger Nate Colbert, among others.
His dual role continued in 1971, but then he was made solely a batting coach in
1972 and 1973. Skinner became the Pirates batting coach from 1974 to 1976.
Skinner worked as a sports commentator for a San Diego
television station during his managing and coaching career.
In November 1988, the Houston Astros named Skinner to manage
their Triple-A affiliate, the Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League. He
managed the Toros from 1989 to 1992, with a 361–355 record. After the 1992
season, the Astros assigned Skinner to an advanced scouting position, and he
continued as a scout for Houston in the ensuing years.
Teams
As player
Pittsburgh Pirates (1954, 1956–1963)
Cincinnati Reds (1963–1964)
St. Louis Cardinals (1964–1966)
As manager
Philadelphia Phillies (1968–1969)
San Diego Padres (1977)
As coach
San Diego Padres (1970–1973)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1974–1976)
San Diego Padres (1977)
California Angels (1978)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1979–1985)
Atlanta Braves (1986–1988)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1958, 1960, 1960²)
3× World Series champion (1960, 1964, 1979)
