Bill Skowron

William Joseph "Moose" Skowron (December 18, 1930 – April 27, 2012) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1967. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and of Polish descent, he was the son of a city garbage collector. His nickname originated when his grandfather gave the seven-year-old a haircut resembling that of Benito Mussolini; friends called him "Mussolini," which his family shortened to "Moose," and the name stuck throughout his career.

Skowron attended Weber High School in Chicago before enrolling at Purdue University in Indiana, where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Although he went to Purdue on a football scholarship, he proved better suited to baseball, hitting .500 as a sophomore in 1950 — a Big Ten Conference record.

Over his major league career he played for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels. He was an eight-time All-Star and a five-time World Series champion.

After his playing days, Skowron worked as a community relations representative for the Chicago White Sox for several years, a role he held until his death in 2012.