Bob Skinner, a three-time All-Star outfielder who spent more than six decades in professional baseball as a player, coach and scout, has died. He was 94.
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Skinner died Monday in the San Diego area, according to his family.
A member of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1960 World Series championship team, Skinner also played on the St. Louis Cardinals' 1964 title-winning club and later served as hitting coach for Pittsburgh's 1979 champions.
"He touched a lot of people in baseball," his son, Joel Skinner, said.
We are saddened to relay the news of the passing of former Pirates outfielder and coach Bob Skinner. Skinner was a member of the 1960 World Series Championship Pirates and a coach on the 1979 World Series Championship team. He made his Major League debut with the Bucs in 1954 and… pic.twitter.com/xOfl4ZYKTV
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 5, 2026
Born Oct. 3, 1931, in La Jolla, California, Skinner began his professional career in 1951 in the Pirates organization. His development was interrupted by two years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War before he returned to baseball and made his major league debut in 1954.
Skinner emerged as one of the National League's top hitters in the late 1950s, earning All-Star selections in 1957 and twice in 1960, when Major League Baseball held two All-Star Games. A left-handed hitter, he was often compared to Hall of Famer Stan Musial and once drew praise from Pirates general manager Branch Rickey as "the best natural hitter" he had seen in years.
During the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees, Skinner was limited by a thumb injury but contributed a key sacrifice bunt in Game 7, helping set up Pittsburgh's late rally in a game remembered for Bill Mazeroski's championship-winning home run.
Skinner was traded to Cincinnati in 1963 and then to St. Louis in 1964. He played a reserve role for the Cardinals during their World Series run that season before finishing his playing career in 1966.
He later managed in the minor leagues and served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1968-69. Skinner went on to spend nearly two decades as a major league coach with several teams, including the Padres, Angels, Pirates and Braves, and remained in baseball as a scout into his late 70s.
Skinner and his son, Joel, are among a small group of father-son pairs to both manage in the major leagues.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said Skinner "was an important part of one of the most beloved teams in our storied history" and extended condolences on behalf of the organization.
Skinner is survived by his wife, Joan, four sons, 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
