At a visit to the doctor's office yesterday, I read a recent Sports Illustrated and learned that Bill "Moose" Skowron, the first basemen for the New York Yankees in the late fifties and early sixties, has passed away.
As I remember him well, I decided to post here, even though his name will probably not mean much to younger folks.
Back in those days I was a Yankee hater, and Mickey, Yogi, Whitey, Enos, and the Moose were to this youngster the evil villains keeping my teams from winning, with the even more evil Casey Stengal their big boss. Time has softened my opinion and I now think it was good that there was a team good enough to hate in those days.
Moose was the first basemen, and I hate to admit it, but the victories of the Dodgers in 1955 and the Braves in 1957 in the World Series might have had something to do with Skowron being hurt for the seventh games. He hit a grand slam to help sink the Dodgers in game 7 in 1956, and a three-run shot to finish off the Braves in 1958. He was in the middle of a big Yankee rally in game 7 of the 1960 series which almost pulled that one out. There was no doubt the Moose was a tough one in the clutch.
His stats were good but not outstanding, but playing in monster parks such as Yankee Stadium (457 to the power allay in left), Dodger Stadium, and Comiskey Park with their huge outfields probably robbed him of quite a few homers over the years.
RIP.
As I remember him well, I decided to post here, even though his name will probably not mean much to younger folks.
Back in those days I was a Yankee hater, and Mickey, Yogi, Whitey, Enos, and the Moose were to this youngster the evil villains keeping my teams from winning, with the even more evil Casey Stengal their big boss. Time has softened my opinion and I now think it was good that there was a team good enough to hate in those days.
Moose was the first basemen, and I hate to admit it, but the victories of the Dodgers in 1955 and the Braves in 1957 in the World Series might have had something to do with Skowron being hurt for the seventh games. He hit a grand slam to help sink the Dodgers in game 7 in 1956, and a three-run shot to finish off the Braves in 1958. He was in the middle of a big Yankee rally in game 7 of the 1960 series which almost pulled that one out. There was no doubt the Moose was a tough one in the clutch.
His stats were good but not outstanding, but playing in monster parks such as Yankee Stadium (457 to the power allay in left), Dodger Stadium, and Comiskey Park with their huge outfields probably robbed him of quite a few homers over the years.
RIP.
