Bill Skiff

{{Short description|American baseball player (1895–1976)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Bill Skiff

|position=Catcher

|image=Bill Skiff 1945.jpg

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1895|10|16|mf=y}}

|birth_place=New Rochelle, New York, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1976|12|25|1895|10|16}}

|death_place=Bronxville, New York, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=May 17

|debutyear=1921

|debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 26

|finalyear=1926

|finalteam=New York Yankees

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.250

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=11

|teams=

• Pittsburgh Pirates (1921)
• New York Yankees (1926)

}}

William Franklin Skiff (October 16, 1895 – December 25, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, manager and scout. Although he appeared only briefly in Major League Baseball in 22 total games as a catcher and pinch hitter for the {{Baseball year|1921}} Pittsburgh Pirates and the {{Baseball year|1926}} New York Yankees, he had a long career in the minor leagues: 19 seasons as a player or player-manager, and another 14 as a manager.

Born in New Rochelle, New York, the {{convert|5|ft|10|in|abbr=on}}, {{convert|170|lb|abbr=on}} Skiff batted and threw right-handed. During his two big-league stints, he hit .250 in 56 at bats. His 14 hits included two doubles. His minor league career extended from 1916 to 1931 and 1933–51. As a manager he piloted the top-level Seattle Rainiers, Newark Bears and Kansas City Blues. He served the Yankees' organization for many years as a minor league skipper and scout.

On July 8, 1924, Bill Skiff, along with Pete Scott, was questioned during a coroner's inquest about a young woman who fell down a freight elevator shaft after visiting his room. At the time, both were players for the Kansas City Blues, a minor league team.Kansas City Star, July 8, 1924[

Skiff died at age 81 in Bronxville, New York.