The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced the passing of former outfielder and longtime baseball figure Bob Skinner at the age of 94.
His career in the sport stretched over more than a decade as a player and included additional years as a manager with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres.
The Pirates shared their condolences on May 5, highlighting Skinner’s role on their 1960 World Series-winning team and later as a coach for the 1979 World Series champions.
He debuted in the majors with Pittsburgh in 1954 and spent nine of his 12 seasons with the club.
During his playing days, Skinner earned three MLB All-Star Game selections while with the Pirates from 1954 to 1963. He later finished his career with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals before retiring.
After transitioning into coaching, Skinner managed in the minors and eventually took over the Phillies on an interim basis in 1968 following the dismissal of Gene Mauch.
He returned in 1969 but was let go after posting a 44–64 record.
He had one more stint as an MLB manager in 1977, stepping in briefly for the Padres after Alvin Dark was fired, winning his only game in charge.
Skinner also held coaching roles with several teams, including the Padres, Pirates, California Angels, and Atlanta Braves.
His son, Joel Skinner, played nine seasons in the majors as a catcher. When Joel became interim manager of the Cleveland Indians in 2002, the two became just the second father-son managerial pair in MLB history.
Born in La Jolla, Skinner also served in the Korean War before beginning his professional career. He finished with a .277 batting average, 103 home runs, and 531 RBIs over his time in the major leagues.
