Frank Skaff
Encyclopedia
Francis Michael Skaff was an infielder
, coach
, manager
and scout in American
Major League Baseball
. Skaff's half-season as acting manager of the Detroit Tigers
is one of the most unusual, and tragic, happenstances in baseball annals.
Skaff began 1966
as a Detroit coach. After 26 games, skipper Chuck Dressen
suffered his second heart attack
in two seasons. As in 1965, third base coach Bob Swift
took over the Tigers on an interim basis May 16 as Dressen recovered. But Swift was not a well man, either. After 57 games, he was hospitalized for what appeared to be a stomach ailment; however, his malady proved to be lung cancer
and he was forced to give up the reins.
Skaff, who had begun the season as Detroit's bench coach, then moved to third base under Swift, became the team's second acting manager of the season on July 14 and finished the campaign. Unfortunately, both of Skaff's predecessors died later in the year. Dressen appeared to be making a recovery in early August when he was stricken by a kidney infection; he died August 10. Swift succumbed on October 17, 1966.
Meanwhile, the Tigers won only 40 of the 79 games Skaff managed, and finished third in the American League
, nine games in arrears of the eventual world champion
Baltimore Orioles
.
In October, Mayo Smith
was named manager for 1967, and Skaff moved into a scouting role. He never managed again in the majors (his 40-39 career record produced a winning percentage of .506), but he returned to Detroit as a coach under Billy Martin
in 1971.
A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin
, who batted and threw right-handed, Skaff was a 1935 graduate of Villanova University
, where he received a degree in economics. He spent the most productive years of his playing career with the International League
Baltimore Orioles
during World War II
. He appeared in six games for the 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers and in 32 contests for the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics
, hitting
.320 in 75 at bats. He managed in the A's farm system and was a coach for the 1954 Orioles during their first AL season as the reborn St. Louis Browns, before joining the Tiger organization as a minor league skipper.
He died in Towson, Maryland
in 1988 at the age of 77 while on a scouting trip for the Tigers. (His date of birth is disputed. Baseball Reference lists his birth as occurring in 1910, while MacMillan's Baseball Encyclopedia, the Baseball Register
and Baseball Library list his birth year as 1913.)
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and scout in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Skaff's half-season as acting manager of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
is one of the most unusual, and tragic, happenstances in baseball annals.
Skaff began 1966
1966 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was the 66th consecutive season for the Detroit franchise in the American League. The Tigers, who had finished fourth in the ten-team AL in 1965 with an 89-73 record, won one fewer game in 1966, going 88-74, but moved up to third in the league, ten full games behind the...
as a Detroit coach. After 26 games, skipper Chuck Dressen
Chuck Dressen
Charles Walter Dressen , known as both "Chuck" and "Charlie," was an American third baseman, manager and coach in professional baseball during a career that lasted almost fifty years, and was best known as the manager of the powerful Brooklyn Dodgers of 1951–1953...
suffered his second heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in two seasons. As in 1965, third base coach Bob Swift
Bob Swift
Robert Virgil Swift was an American catcher, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball.Swift is pictured in one of the most famous photographs in American sporting history. He was the catcher for the Detroit Tigers on August 19, 1951, when St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck sent midget...
took over the Tigers on an interim basis May 16 as Dressen recovered. But Swift was not a well man, either. After 57 games, he was hospitalized for what appeared to be a stomach ailment; however, his malady proved to be lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
and he was forced to give up the reins.
Skaff, who had begun the season as Detroit's bench coach, then moved to third base under Swift, became the team's second acting manager of the season on July 14 and finished the campaign. Unfortunately, both of Skaff's predecessors died later in the year. Dressen appeared to be making a recovery in early August when he was stricken by a kidney infection; he died August 10. Swift succumbed on October 17, 1966.
Meanwhile, the Tigers won only 40 of the 79 games Skaff managed, and finished third in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, nine games in arrears of the eventual world champion
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
In October, Mayo Smith
Mayo Smith
Edward Mayo Smith was an American player, manager, and scout in Major League Baseball.Smith was born in New London, Missouri, but grew up in Florida. A left-handed batter who threw right-handed, Smith was a career minor league outfielder who spent many seasons in the International League with the...
was named manager for 1967, and Skaff moved into a scouting role. He never managed again in the majors (his 40-39 career record produced a winning percentage of .506), but he returned to Detroit as a coach under Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
in 1971.
A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, who batted and threw right-handed, Skaff was a 1935 graduate of Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, where he received a degree in economics. He spent the most productive years of his playing career with the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (minor league)
The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been home to two minor league baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles.-Name history:"Orioles" is a traditional name for baseball clubs in Baltimore . It was used by major league teams from 1882 through 1899 in the American Association/National League and by...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He appeared in six games for the 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers and in 32 contests for the 1943 Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.320 in 75 at bats. He managed in the A's farm system and was a coach for the 1954 Orioles during their first AL season as the reborn St. Louis Browns, before joining the Tiger organization as a minor league skipper.
He died in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
in 1988 at the age of 77 while on a scouting trip for the Tigers. (His date of birth is disputed. Baseball Reference lists his birth as occurring in 1910, while MacMillan's Baseball Encyclopedia, the Baseball Register
Baseball Register
The Baseball Register, also known as the Official Baseball Register, was an annual almanac of baseball player statistics, published by The Sporting News. It was published in May after player changes had been made, at the start of the season. It ceased publication with its 2007 edition...
and Baseball Library list his birth year as 1913.)