Pittsburgh Pirates Ace Paul Skenes Surprises Local Little League Team

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is known for his impressive skills on the mound, but his latest move has won over the hearts of local baseball fans. The 24-year-old pitcher made a surprise visit to a Little League team in Wexford, PA, a suburb north of Pittsburgh, where he spent over two hours signing autographs, posing for photos, and playing catch with the kids. Skenes, who is scheduled to pitch on Tuesday night against the defending World Series champion Dodgers, was driving on Perry Highway when he saw the lights on at the little baseball field and decided to stop and show his support. "He just said he loves baseball, he's a baseball nut, he loves everything about the game, and he remembers being that age, and how special Little League baseball was to him when he was that age," said Eddie Dubis, an Ingomar Little League coach and member of the board of directors. Skenes' girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, posted about the surprise visit on social media, saying "Remembering your MLB bf is just a boy bc wdym he saw a little league team practicing while driving home and pulled over to show me and play catch with them." The kids were "totally starstruck, in awe of what happened," according to Dubis, and several parents commented on Dunne's post, praising Skenes for making their kids' night. "He took a picture with my two boys there last night and they said it was the greatest night of their life," one person wrote. "This is my kids' league – this meant so much to so many people tonight," another wrote. "Can't even tell you how many of our friends are posting pics of their kids looking like it's Christmas morning. What a good human." Skenes' impromptu stop spread like wildfire, and his kindness has left a lasting impression on the local community.