Bob Skinner, a three-time All-Star outfielder who won three World Series rings over a baseball career spanning more than four decades as a player and coach, has died at the age of 94. The Pittsburgh Pirates, where Skinner began his major league career, announced his death on Tuesday after being informed by his wife, Joan. He died in San Diego, though no cause was provided.
Skinner, known for his laid-back demeanour and nicknamed 'Sleepy', played 12 seasons in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals. A career .277 hitter, he was named to the National League All-Star team in 1958 and twice in 1960, when Major League Baseball held two All-Star games in a single season.
Skinner helped the Pirates stun the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series, driving in a career-high 86 runs that season. He started Game 1 but injured his thumb sliding into a base, sitting out until Game 7, where he scored on a second-inning homer and laid down a sacrifice bunt during an eighth-inning rally that put Pittsburgh ahead. He later won a second World Series with the Cardinals in 1964.
After retiring as a player in 1966, Skinner moved into coaching and managing. He had a brief managerial stint with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1968-69, going 93–123, and a one-game interim role with his hometown San Diego Padres in 1977. He returned to the Pirates as hitting coach in 1979, earning a third ring as part of the 'We Are Family' team that beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting paid tribute, saying: 'Bob was an important part of one of the most beloved teams in our storied history and helped deliver a moment that will forever be woven into the fabric of our city.' Skinner is survived by his wife Joan, sons Mark, Craig, Drew and Joel, and eight grandchildren.
