The stands at PNC Park in Pittsburgh were a sight not seen in years, as fans lined up for miles on Saturday to get a bobblehead courtesy of the Pirates.
The doll in question was none other than the new MLB pitching sensation and 2024 Rookie of the Year winner: Paul Skenes.
Long lines of fans made their way to the ballpark from Roberto Clemente Bridge to try to get a souvenir of someone who is becoming a Major League Baseball figure.
On social media, several videos showed the long lines of fans who even camped out for more than 12 hours before the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Guardians and with Skenes on the mound as the home team’s starting pitcher.
The Pirates’ star pitcher has been a breath of fresh air for baseball, and even Major League Baseball is doing its best to elevate him to the next level of stardom.
Despite everything, Skenes has shown himself to be a calm and authentic person.
The 22-year-old is also the boyfriend of former LSU gymnastics star Olivia Dunne, and is sure to receive a large amount of money when he negotiates his next contract.
But Skenes doesn’t get carried away with emotion. He’s the kind of guy you just want to have a couple of beers with.
Too much pitcher for such a small team
Unfortunately for him and his legacy, the team around him is far from being up to the standard of their pitcher, and unfortunately the franchise’s owner, Bob Nutting, is wasting the great moment Skenes is going through and the affection he has earned from the loyal and long-suffering Pirates fans.
Skenes has already shown that he is capable of paralyzing the whole town with just a bobblehead, but he differs totally from the rest of his teammates who have the team mired in last place in the Central Division in the National League with a poor record of 8-14.
The criticism and indignation of the fans is increasing, aware that if the team does not get organized, Skenes will end up leaving, especially if the Pirates can make economic profits.
With a crowd like Saturday’s for Skenes’ bobblehead, there’s no doubt that many MLB teams will be keeping a close eye on signing the new pitching figure.
On Saturday, Skenes (2-2, 2.87) lost the game despite pitching seven solid innings with just six hits against and two earned runs, with four strikeouts and one walk.
But offensively, the Pirates managed just six hits and failed to score any runs and had seven strikeouts. In the young season, they are the penultimate offense with a poor .202 average, and are the third team with the most strikeouts against with exactly 202 as well, for what will possibly be another long and heavy year for Pirates fans.
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