Bishop Moore
Catholic High School’s renovated baseball field will honor the memory of player Joe Skinner, who died recently.
Bishop Moore Catholic High School baseball player Joe Skinner died 10 months ago.
But his name will live on at his alma mater, which Thursday night dedicated its renovated baseball field in memory of the third baseman.
“I know Joe’s here, and I know he’ll be here every game,” said his father, Scott Skinner. “If Joe had to describe heaven, I think this would be his vision of it.”
Skinner, his wife, Judy, their daughter, Molly, 21, and Bishop John Noonan of the Diocese of Orlando threw out the first pitch before the Hornets’ game with the Eagles of Deltona Trinity Christian Academy.
Molly Skinner read a passage from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, and the Rev. Benjamin Lehnertz of Holy Family Catholic Church Orlando asked God to help the players exemplify “Joe Skinner baseball — a game that is played with heart, focus and fun.”
Then the bishop, wearing a black and gold Bishop Moore ball cap and jacket, blessed the field with holy water, and the players on both teams hugged Joe’s family.
“He left this huge, huge impact on the school and the kids,” said Tony Mehlich, head baseball coach at the Orlando school.
The renovation had been discussed before Joe was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in December 2015, two weeks after he agreed to accept a baseball scholarship to the University of Central Florida.
But the project developed more urgency after Joe’s death at 17. Gold letters spell out “Joe Skinner Field” atop a black aluminum archway at the entrance to what previously was known as Hornet Field.
“We wanted to make sure his family knew he wasn’t forgotten,” Mehlich said.
Family, friends, baseball supporters and alumni contributed to a campaign that raised $250,000 for artificial turf in the infield, refurbishment of the 1975 concession stand and broadcast booth, and netting to replace chain-link fencing across the backstop, he said.
Coaches and administrators remembered Joe as a player who faced his illness with grace and hope, relying on his strong faith to guide him.
Before he got sick, he was a leader on and off the field, mentoring other students and earning MVP honors.
After his diagnosis, Joe gave his wish from Make-A-Wish, which serves kids with lifethreatening illnesses, to another child.
“He was a great baseball player,” Mehlich said. “He was an even better person.”
The Skinners have started the SkinnerStrong Foundation, which supports childhood leukemia research and Bishop Moore. They’re also creating a scholarship for the student who receives the school’s religion award, as Joe did.
To honor his memory, the school has retired Joe’s number, 24, at the varsity level. At UCF, where he would have been a freshman now, his friends display Joe’s initials on the backs of their helmets and a SkinnerStrong banner in the outfield.
Support from the community has been a big help for his family.
“Our faith is a large part of this,” Judy Skinner said. “It would be hard to face each day without it. We know someday we’ll see him again.”
By Susan Jacobson Staff writer