Major League Baseball Player. For fourteen seasons (1954 to 1967), he played at the first base position with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. Born William Joseph Skowron, he attended Weber High School in Chicago and earned a football scholarship to Purdue University where he excelled at baseball as well. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Yankees and marked his Major League debut with them on April 13th, 1954. He appeared in 87 games that year, recording 73 hits with a .340 batting average. Skowron became a member of the Yankees in the midst of what is perhaps their greatest dynasty run in the franchise's history. He was a contributor to seven American League pennant-winning teams (1955 to 1958, 1960 to 1962), including four World Champion squads (1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962 Yankees). Following the 1962 season, he moved onto the Dodgers and experiences a World Championship in 1963, as Los Angeles defeated his former team the Yankees. He posted a .385 batting average during the 1963 Fall Classic. He concluded his career as a member of the California Angels in 1967, after appearing in 1,658 regular season games with 1,566 hits, 211 home runs, 888 RBIs and a .282 lifetime batting average. He appeared in 39 total World Series contests, recording 39 hits with 8 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .293 batting average. He earned All-Star status six times (1957 to 1961, 1965). He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. At the time of his death, he was serving with the White Sox within their community relations department speakers bureau. In 2011, his health began to decline after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died of complications from congestive heart failure.
Major League Baseball Player. For fourteen seasons (1954 to 1967), he played at the first base position with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. Born William Joseph Skowron, he attended Weber High School in Chicago and earned a football scholarship to Purdue University where he excelled at baseball as well. He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Yankees and marked his Major League debut with them on April 13th, 1954. He appeared in 87 games that year, recording 73 hits with a .340 batting average. Skowron became a member of the Yankees in the midst of what is perhaps their greatest dynasty run in the franchise's history. He was a contributor to seven American League pennant-winning teams (1955 to 1958, 1960 to 1962), including four World Champion squads (1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962 Yankees). Following the 1962 season, he moved onto the Dodgers and experiences a World Championship in 1963, as Los Angeles defeated his former team the Yankees. He posted a .385 batting average during the 1963 Fall Classic. He concluded his career as a member of the California Angels in 1967, after appearing in 1,658 regular season games with 1,566 hits, 211 home runs, 888 RBIs and a .282 lifetime batting average. He appeared in 39 total World Series contests, recording 39 hits with 8 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .293 batting average. He earned All-Star status six times (1957 to 1961, 1965). He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. At the time of his death, he was serving with the White Sox within their community relations department speakers bureau. In 2011, his health began to decline after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died of complications from congestive heart failure.
Bio by: C.S.
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