The son of former major leaguer Bob Skinner is excited about returning to Triple-A baseball.
By CRAIG POTTER
Joel Skinner is no stranger to Rochester Red Wings Chief Operating Office Naomi Silver, who could not have been more pleased to learn that the Minnesota Twins selected the 56-year-old to be the 45th Red Wings manager.
The two met in 1984 when Silver was in her early 20s and married to ballplayer Cliff Speck.
Skinner was a catcher and a teammate of Speck’s on the Denver Bears. Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason was at the winter meetings when the Twins called and told him they had hired Skinner. Mason joked that Silver was the “happiest person in Rochester” that day when he phoned her with the news.
Skinner was introduced to the Rochester media on Wednesday afternoon at a Frontier Field press conference.
He replaces Mike Quade, 60, who took another job in the Twins organization that would allow him to spend more time at home.
“When the Twins asked me if I were interested in the Rochester job, I said, ‘Absolutely.’ I’m really looking forward to this level of baseball,” Skinner said. “It’s something that I’ve been a part of…There’s no more joy than I get than calling a young player in and telling him that he’s going to Minnesota.”
Skinner has some major playing, managing, and coaching experience. However, he received honors for his minor league managing career. Twice he received the Minor League Manager of the Year award.
Skinner spent six seasons managing in the Indians minor league system from 1995–2000. Overall, he compiled a record of 448–333 (.574) and took his teams to the playoffs in five of six seasons. In 1995 Skinner managed the Watertown Indians to a record of 46- 27 and a New York–Penn League title, and received Manager of the Year honors.[citation needed] With the Columbus Redstixx (South Atlantic League) in 1996, he managed them to a second half title and a regular season record of 79–63.
In 1997 Skinner managed the Class A Kinston Indians (Carolina League) as they won titles in both the first and second halves with an 87–53 record overall, earning him Carolina League Manager of the Year honors. From 1998 through 1999 Skinner managed the Akron Aeros and was named USA Today Baseball Weekly’s Minor League Manager of the Year in 1998, after guiding the Aeros to an 81–60 record and an Eastern League regular season title.
Skinner then managed the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons to the best record in the International League in 2000, including an IL North Division title with a record of 86–59 (.593). His leadership of the Bisons in earned him Minor League Manager of the Year honors from Baseball America and The Sporting News in addition to being given International League Manager of the Year honors.
That same season Skinner was a coach for Team USA in the 2000 All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta. In 2011 Skinner was hired as the manager of the Charlotte Knights, the White Sox Triple-A affiliate, for the 2012 season. In 2016, Skinner was the manager of the Winston-Salem Dash of the Carolina League.
“The only constant in minor-league baseball is change … (as a manager) you’re dealing with a constant flux in your lineup,” said Mason. “So to have a winning record (860-777) after 12 seasons managing minor-league baseball is a tremendous accomplishment.”
Among the managers Skinner played for were Tony LaRussa, Lou Pinella, John McNamara, Jim Fregosi, and Mike Hargrove, and Billy Martin.
Skinner was asked what was it like to play for Martin, which he did in 1988 with the New York Yankees.
“I liked it,” said Skinner. “In 1987 I had pretty much forgotten how to hit (.137 batting average). In Spring of ’88, he pulled me aside in Fort Lauderdale and pretty much put his arm around my shoulder and said, ‘Hey, listen, I believe in you.’ And that really went a long way. He was a fiery guy.”
Martin relied on his catchers, which Skinner was, to be leaders.
“He might yell at you, but Billy’s way of yelling at the catcher, he’d rather yell at one guy than 10 pitchers,” said Skinner.”He just yelled at me and that made it easier. I just took it for the pitchers.”
Spring training opens for the Twins on Feb. 19 in Fort Myers, FL. Their first game is Feb. 22. Skinner will face one of his old teams, Buffalo, in the season/home opener on April 6.