PSA BatFacts™

Bill "Moose" Skowron has always been a New York Yankee favorite and his professional model bats can often exhibit great character. Skowron clearly preferred H&B bats (signature contract) during his career. Skowron was known for applying a heavy layer of pine tar along the handles of his bats in order to enhance his grip. Well-used Skowron gamers will often showcase this usage characteristic because the caked-on tar will frequently remain present. Most of his bats can be found with his primary uniform number (14), which he wore with four different teams, noted on the knob in black marker. Skowron did wear number "53" with the Yankees during his rookie season, "5" (Chicago White Sox) and "3" (Washington Senators) as well.

William Joseph “Moose” Skowron, Jr. (1930-2012) played 1,478 games in the Majors and, all but 15, he spent at first base. He was a successful kicker at Purdue University, but baseball appeared to be his calling after he hit .500 in his sophomore season. Bill was given his nickname after a haircut in his youth resembled him to Italian dictator Mussolini, but his family cut down to “Moose” and it stuck for the remainder of his career. Moose joined the New York Yankees in 1954 and was platooned with first baseman Joe Collins until in 1958; he was made the everyday first bagger. Skowron played 14 seasons with the Yankees (1954-1962), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1963), the Washington Senators (1964), the Chicago White Sox (1964-1967) and the California Angels (1967). Moose appeared in seven World Series with the New York Yankees, winning four (156, 1958, 1961, 1962), and was the spoiler for his former Yankees team in the 1963 Fall Classic, now playing as a Dodgers, as he hit .385 and one home runs in Los Angeles’ four-game sweep of the Bombers. Moose was an excellent first baseman and finished his career with a .992 fielding percentage with 903 assist and 12,043 putouts in 13,048 chances. Bill Skowron retired after the 1967 season having batted .282 with 1,566 hits, 211 home runs and 888 RBI over 14 years. Moose was named to eight MLB All-Star Games. He currently serves as a Community Relations Representative for his hometown Chicago White Sox