Bill Skowron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Skowron |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: December 18, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died: April 27, 2012 (aged 81) Arlington Heights, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 13, 1954, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1967, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .282 | ||
| Home runs | 211 | ||
| Runs batted in | 888 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Joseph Skowron (born December 18, 1930 – died April 27, 2012) was a famous American baseball player. People knew him by his nickname, "Moose". He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons.
Moose played for several teams from 1954 to 1967. These teams included the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels. He was chosen as an All-Star eight times. He also won the World Series championship five times!
After his playing career, Skowron worked for the Chicago White Sox. He was a community relations representative until he passed away in 2012.
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Early Life and His Nickname
Bill Skowron was born in Chicago, Illinois. His family came from Poland. When he was seven, his grandfather gave him a haircut. It looked like the haircut of an Italian leader named Benito Mussolini.
His friends started calling him "Mussolini" as a joke. Soon, his family shortened it to "Moose." This nickname stuck with him for his entire life and baseball career.
Skowron went to Weber High School in Chicago. Then, he attended Purdue University in Indiana. He went to Purdue on a scholarship for football. However, he soon found that he was even better at baseball. In 1950, as a sophomore, he hit for a .500 average. This was a record in the Big Ten Conference that lasted for ten years!
Playing Professional Baseball
After his second year at Purdue, Bill Skowron signed to play baseball. He joined the Austin Packers in a league called the Southern Minny League. He played very well, hitting .343 in 23 games. He even hit three home runs in one game! Because he did so well, the New York Yankees offered him a contract.
Starting in the Major Leagues
The New York Yankees signed Skowron in September 1950. He played his first game for the Yankees on April 13, 1954. At first, he shared the first base position with another player, Joe Collins. But by 1958, he became the Yankees' main first baseman.
As a Yankee, he was picked for the All-Star Game seven times. This included 1957, 1958, twice in 1959, twice in 1960, and 1961. (From 1959 to 1962, they played two All-Star Games each year!)
In 1962, Skowron was hitting .270 with 23 home runs. The Yankees had a new player, Joe Pepitone, ready to play first base. So, the Yankees traded Skowron to the Los Angeles Dodgers in November 1962.
Even though he struggled a bit with his hitting in the National League the next season, he surprised everyone in the 1963 World Series. He led the Dodgers with a .385 batting average and hit a home run. The Dodgers swept the New York Yankees in four games! This made Skowron one of the few players to win World Series championships in a row with different teams.
Later Career and World Series Wins
In December 1963, Skowron returned to the American League. The Washington Senators bought him from the Dodgers. In July 1964, the Senators traded him to the Chicago White Sox. In 1965, he played in his eighth and final All-Star Game.
In May 1967, the White Sox traded him to the California Angels. He finished his playing career with the Angels in October 1967.
Overall, Bill Skowron played in 1,478 major-league games. Most of these games were as a first baseman. He also played a few games at third baseman and second baseman.
Skowron played in eight World Series during his career. He was on the winning team five times. He won four World Series with the Yankees (1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962). He then won with the Dodgers in 1963 against his old team, the Yankees.
In the 1958 World Series, Skowron helped the Yankees win. He hit the winning run in Game 6. He also hit a three-run home run in Game 7. This helped the Yankees come back from being down 3-1 in the series. In the 1962 World Series, he scored the only run in Game 7. This helped the Yankees win against the San Francisco Giants.
Skowron was a very good hitter in the World Series. He had a .293 batting average, with 8 home runs and 29 RBIs in his World Series games.
Life After Baseball
Bill Skowron met and married Virginia Hulquist when he was playing baseball in Austin, Minnesota. During his time with the Yankees, he lived in Hillsdale, New Jersey. In 1963, he even appeared as himself in an episode of the TV show Mister Ed.
In 1980, he was honored by being inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame. He lived in Schaumburg, Illinois at that time. In 1999, he started working for the Chicago White Sox as a community relations representative. He held this job until he passed away.
Bill Skowron died on April 27, 2012, at the age of 81. He passed away in Arlington Heights, Illinois, after battling some health issues.
