Remembering forgotten Pirates of the past: Bob Skinner

Bob Skinner, a baseball lifer from La Jolla, California, spent 12 years in Major League Baseball as a player and many more as a coach. He was a mainstay in the outfield at Forbes Field, and returned to Pittsburgh once his playing days were over. His career on and off the diamond makes for an interesting story worth retelling.

Skinner signed with the Pirates in 1951, and spent two years away from baseball with the Marines at San Diego’s recruiting depot. He made the team out of spring training in 1954 as a highly regarded prospect. He played over 100 games at first base his rookie year, hitting .249 with eight home runs and 46 runs batted in. Skinner spent the next year in New Orleans, then the Pirates' Double-A affiliate. He impressed with his bat that season, sporting a .354 average, and made the big-league club again in 1956. He played in the field at first and at both corner outfield positions, struggling offensively. His breakthrough wouldn’t come until the next year.

1957 was a bad season for the Pirates, but a great one for Skinner. He spent most of his time in left field, with the support of new manager Danny Murtaugh, providing value to the struggling team and hitting .305 with an OPS of .838. He established himself as everyday player in the majors on a Pittsburgh roster that showed promise soon to come. Next season was even better. Skinner started in left for the National League in the 1958 All-Star Game, alongside Willie Mays in center and Hank Aaron in right. He joined teammates Bill Mazeroski and Frank Thomas as starters. That year, Skinner hit .321 with 13 home runs and 70 runs batted in, all career highs to that point. The team finished second in the National League in ‘58. Still, the best was yet to come from this Pirates core.

Next season was a disappointment, with the Buccos finishing just two games over .500. Skinner still performed well, posting similar production to the previous year. 1960, as we all know, was the year the Pirates put it all together. For Skinner, it was another career year. The Pirates would go on to win 95 games, the National League, and the World Series against the New York Yankees.

Mazeroski’s legendary blast won it all in one of the greatest moments in baseball history, a comeback victory that compares to none. Skinner enjoyed more success at the plate that season, and started both All-Star Games, again with Aaron and Mays. He was taken out of Game 1 of that year’s Fall Classic due to injury, missed the next five games, and returned for Game 7, where he provided a crucial sacrifice bunt.

Remembering Lost Pirates: Bob Skinner

‘61 mirrored ‘59 in a lot of ways, though Skinner remained a steady presence. ‘62 was another great year for him and the team, with a 93-68 record. This wouldn’t be enough, as they still finished fourth in the National League, in a season where the Giants and Dodgers both won 100 games. Skinner hit .302 while bopping a career high 20 home runs, receiving MVP votes for the second time. It would be his last full season in Pittsburgh as a player. Early on the next year, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Jerry Lynch. His playing time decreased and he eventually became a part-time bench bat with limited success. He was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 for minor league catcher Jim Saul where he occupied a similar role, standing in the shadow of future Hall of Famer Lou Brock. The Redbirds went on to win the World Series that year. Skinner was only used as a pinch hitter, getting two hits, a walk and an RBI in three at-bats. His playing days were almost over.

Under manager Red Schoendienst, Skinner found success mainly as a pinch hitter in 1965, another year in which he hit over .300. St. Louis finished in the middle of the pack the next year, and Skinner was cut after the season concluded. He retired as a player in 1967 and returned home to become the manager of the San Diego Padres, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Skinner led the Padres to the Pacific Coast League championship and was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. He began the next year in San Diego, but would eventually become the Phillies manager after Gene Mauch was let go that summer. Unfortunately, Skinner was not as successful as a major league manager as he was a player. The Phillies were a losing team under his tenure, which lasted until August of 1969. There was notable conflict with star player Dick Allen, which contributed to Skinner’s eventual resignation.

After Philadelphia, Skinner continued working in baseball as a hitting coach, toiling for the major league San Diego Padres, Pirates, California Angels and Atlanta Braves. He was there in the 'Burgh in 1979, the most recent year in which Pittsburgh won it all. His greatest success at that point came in working with Tim Foli, the team’s everyday shortstop, who ended up hitting .291 with the Bucs after coming over from the Mets. Skinner was originally with the Pirates as a coach from ‘74 to ‘76, then returned in ‘79 and stayed on through ‘85. The first half of the ‘80s was not a great sprint for a team that was so dominant the previous decade. Skinner went on to manage the Astros' Triple-A team, the Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League, in 1989 and 1990. He continued to work for Houston afterward as a scout for nearly 20 years, calling it quits in 2009.

Bob Skinner had a remarkable career in baseball. Underrated would be an understatement. He played with the best and reached highs not many ever have. He won championships as a player, minor league manager and hitting coach. When we think of Pittsburgh Pirates icons, Skinner isn’t typically thought of. His name deserves to be among the ranks of the best in franchise history, for his contributions on the field and in the dugout. His son Joel, a catcher who was drafted by the Pirates, played for the White Sox, Yankees and Indians. He would later become Cleveland's interim manager in 2002. Bob turned 93 this October, and deserves to be inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame. This article serves as a reminder of his greatness.