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| Moose Skowron at 2011 Old Timers Day / N. Diunte |
When the legendary Bill "Moose" Skowron passed away in April 2012 at the age of 80, the baseball world lost more than just a five-time World Series champion and a six-time All-Star. It lost one of the game's great storytellers, a man who anchored the powerhouse New York Yankees infield of the 1950s and early 60s with a rare blend of brute strength and unexpected agility.
For Skowron, making it to the Bronx wasn't a straight line. It required climbing the rigorous ladder of the minor leagues, surviving winter ball under the watchful eye of a baseball legend, and taking some unforgettable advice from his iconic manager, Casey Stengel.
Learning First Base and Casey Stengel's "Dancing School"
When Johnny Mize retired after the 1953 season, first base was wide open for the next crop of Yankees prospects to fill. There was one problem, Skowron only had one full season under his belt at first base in the minor leagues.
"They told me, 'Moose, the only way you could make the majors is to learn to play first base,'" Skowron said during a 2009 phone interview from his Illinois home.
Legendary Yankees manager Casey Stengel had a creative idea to get Skowron familiar with the necessary footwork to play the position.
"Casey Stengel said, 'Moose, you’ve gotta go to dancing school to learn how to play first base to move your legs,'" he recalled.
"I originally came up as a shortstop, but I was lousy. I tried playing third base, and I almost got killed there. Then they put me in the outfield, and I couldn't catch a fly ball! So Casey said, 'Moose, the best place for you is first base.'"
There was an additional hurdle Skowron had to clear before he could claim first base: the Yankees also had future Gold Glove first baseman Vic Power as Skowron’s minor league teammate. A massive offseason trade involving 11 players sent Power to the Kansas City Athletics, opening a path for Skowron to compete for the major league job.
"Vic Power was a hell of a ballplayer, too," he said. "He was the best defensive player I played against in my time. The Yankees trading him to Philadelphia is really what opened up first base to me."
Playing Winter Ball in Puerto Rico
Skowron played during the 1950-51 Winter League season for Puerto Rico’s team in Ponce. He acknowledged one Hall of Famer’s guidance for his early development.
"I played winter ball in Puerto Rico for Ponce in 1950," he said. "I remember Jim Rivera and Vic Power played there. It helped me because Rogers Hornsby was my manager. I was named Rookie of the Year, but then I hurt my ankle and the Yankees sent me back home to Chicago. That was it for my winter ball career, but it was a break for me. It turned out good."
Purdue and Hank Stram
Prior to signing with the Yankees, he was a three-sport star at Purdue University, lettering in basketball, football and baseball, with the latter two coached by the legendary Hank Stram. Skowron noted how the Hall of Fame football coach was leaning towards baseball at the time.
"At Purdue, I played football and baseball for Hank Stram," he said. "He was actually more of a baseball coach than a football coach back then!"
The New Yankee Stadium vs. "Death Valley"
Given the chance to reminisce about the old Yankee Stadium, Skowron was quick to point out the vast difference in dimensions. He wondered how he would have fared in a smaller ballpark.
"What can I say about the new stadium?" he asked. "It’s the name of the game: money. It’s so different now."
"I wish they had made the current park as big as it was when I was playing. It was 461 feet to center, 457 to left-center, and 407 to right-center. It was a long way to hit a ball. If you didn’t hook the ball directly down the lines, you were screwed."
Hustle to the Big Leagues
Skowron built a 14-year major league career on a relatively short minor league quest. In three seasons, he made the major leagues from Purdue University and never looked back.
"Those two years in AAA really helped me get to the big leagues quicker," he said. "Once I became a first baseman, I went to spring training the following year and platooned with Joe Collins. I hit .340 in about 90 games."
"I went to the World Series from 1955 through 1958, got hurt in '59, and then we won again from 1960 to 1962. Then I won it in 1963 with the Dodgers against the Yankees."
"If I would have been a Cub, I would have been a loser—they haven't won anything! They never even offered me a contract, even though I grew up right in their backyard."