Placer Hall of Fame: Thor Skogan hammered opponents in the late 60s

Aptly named after the Norse god of thunder and lightning, Thor Skogan (Class of 1967) was a fire-balling left-handed pitcher for Placer High in the late 1960s. For his exploits on the mound in high school and beyond, he will be inducted posthumously into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame on April 26 in a ceremony at the school's iconic Earl Crabbe Gym. Born in Oslo, Norway, in 1949, Thor came to the United States in 1952, the son of Odd Gunnar and Inner (Larson) Skogan. He played basketball and baseball for Placer, and it was on the diamond that he stood out. A highlight for the the 5-foot-11, 170-pound southpaw came in 1966, when the junior out-dueled highly touted Gary Nolan of Oroville, who went on to be drafted out of high school that same year and became part of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series between 1970-76. There were numerous scouts in the stands that day in Oroville interested in Nolan, but Skogan stole the show, pitching a one-hitter and striking out 10 in a 2-0 shutout. He became the only high school hurler to beat Nolan. After high school, Skogan continued to play for Sierra College and the semi-pro Auburn Cubs in the Placer-Nevada Baseball League. In one game against Lodi, he pitched a no-hitter, striking out 18 at James Field in Auburn. Skogan was drafted in 1969 by the California Angels. Although he never played a major-league game, he pitched six seasons of professional ball for the Angels and Cincinnati Reds organizations from 1969-74. During the winters of 1970-72, the Angels sent him to Mexico for more work. He played for Guasave of the Mexican League of Pacifico. In his second winter there, he pitched a no-hitter and led his team to the Mexico League championship. His team then advanced to the Dominican Republic for the Caribbean World Series. There, Skogan pitched two complete games without allowing an earned run, made the all-star team and was named Most Valuable Player for the series. During his minor-league career, the blazing southpaw advanced as high as Triple A for parts of two seasons with the Salt Lake City Angels in the Pacific Coast League. His best year in the minors came with the Shreveport Captains of the Texas League in 1972, when he led the team with 12 wins and a 1.98 ERA. Former major leaguer Norm Sherry was the manager. Skogan was traded to Cincinnati in 1973. A highlight for the Placer grad was playing with Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Dave Concepcion during spring training in Tampa, Florida. His pitching career came to an end in 1974 when he tore a muscle in his left elbow and lost his velocity, forcing him to eventually give up baseball. During his career, Skogan established an impressive 43-30 won-loss record. He continued to throw a lightning fastball, striking out 432 batters in 585 innings, compiling a 2.71 earned-run average and tossing 30 complete games. After baseball, Skogan worked in telecommunications in Foresthill, Alturas and Elk Grove. He retired to Mesa, Arizona, and passed away in April 2024. The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in the Earl Crabbe Gym on April 26. A reception will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 7. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 15 and $35 after, and are available online at placerathletichalloffame.org. The ceremony is free of charge to the public.