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New York Yankees: Remembering Bill Skowron

By David Hill

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: A view of the Yankee Stadium at sunset prior to the start of the last game at Yankee Stadium between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees on September 21, 2008 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankee Stadium held it's inaugural game on April 18, 1923 against the Boston Red Sox and tonight's match will be the final game to be played at the historic stadium. During it's 85 years as 'The Home of Champions,' the stadium has also been known as 'The House that Ruth Built' and 'The Cathedral.' The stadium has been host to 33 World Series, three Papal visits and has been visited by legends such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Bera, Mickey Mantle and boxing great Muhummad Ali. In 2009 the Yankees will move across the street to a newly constructed stadium estimated to cost $1.3 billion. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: A view of the Yankee Stadium at sunset prior to the start of the last game at Yankee Stadium between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees on September 21, 2008 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankee Stadium held it's inaugural game on April 18, 1923 against the Boston Red Sox and tonight's match will be the final game to be played at the historic stadium. During it's 85 years as 'The Home of Champions,' the stadium has also been known as 'The House that Ruth Built' and 'The Cathedral.' The stadium has been host to 33 World Series, three Papal visits and has been visited by legends such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Bera, Mickey Mantle and boxing great Muhummad Ali. In 2009 the Yankees will move across the street to a newly constructed stadium estimated to cost $1.3 billion. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) /
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New York Yankees legend Bill Skowron was born on this day in 1930. Let us take this time to look back at his career.

The New York Yankees were in the midst of their second Golden Age when Bill Skowron came to the majors in 1954. With a foundation that included the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford, the Yankees were in excellent shape going forward, and hoped that Skowron would be another piece to their long term success.

An excellent minor league player who hit for power and average, Skowron was eased into the lineup, platooning with Joe Collins in 1954. After a solid rookie campaign, Skowron began receiving more playing time, eventually becoming the starting first baseman in 1956. He responded by hitting 23 homers, the first of four seasons that he would hit 20 or more home runs, with 90 RBI. He posted a .308/.382/.528 batting line, worth a 142 OPS+, tied with Berra for second on the team.

Entrenched as the Yankees first baseman at this point, Skowron made the first of his five consecutive All Star Games in 1957. He continued to be an above average player, combining solid power and batting skills as the Yankees rolled along. In 1961, he was one of six players on the team to hit over 20 homers, with a career best 28 homers. In the midst of a solid career with New York, and at 31 years old after the 1962 campaign, he appeared destined to be a fixture in the Bronx.

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However, after the season, Skowron was traded to the Dodgers, with Stan Williams going to the Yankees. While Williams was a roughly league average pitcher for the next two seasons, Skowron was no longer the same player he had been. Although the Dodgers won the World Series that year, he struggled to perform. In his 89 games, Skowron had his worst season in the majors, producing a .203/.252/.287 batting line with four homers as he pined for New York.

Sold to the Senators, he was traded to the White Sox half way through the 1964 season. He had a career rebirth, making his final All Star Game in Chicago in 1965. However, he struggled again over the next two seasons, ending his career with the Angels in 1967.

Overall, Skowron had a solid career, even if the majority of his counting stats came during his time in New York. He posted a lifetime .282/.322/.459 batting line, hitting 211 homers and 243 doubles, with 165 homers and 173 doubles coming with the Yankees. Had he remained in New York, one has to wonder what his career would have been like.

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Bill Skowron was a solid player for the New York Yankees, an excellent first baseman who flourished in the Bronx. Had he not been traded, one has to wonder what his career would have been like.

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