If you were a Pittsburgh Pirates fan that happened to run into superstar pitcher Paul Skenes and wanted an autograph, how would you adapt to the situation?
Following a flight from Chicago to Pittsburgh, one such fan faced that very dilemma.
An X user by the name of “Bacon Burt” shared text messages between he and a friend where the friend jokingly admits to “accosting” Skenes after the pitcher exited the bathroom. He requested a photo and an autograph, and the NL Rookie of the Year happily obliged.
The issue that arose is that the friend had nothing for Skenes to sign.
Well, expect for one thing…
A friend of mine met Paul Skenes on a flight and didn’t have anything for him to sign so he signed his copy of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment pic.twitter.com/AUORwiOWhx
— Bacon Burt (@BaconBurt) January 16, 2025
“He signed by copy of crime and punishment (because) it’s the only thing I had on me,” the friend wrote to Bacon Burt’s amusement.
Skenes has become one of the most sought-after autographs in sports and he’s signed plenty of baseballs and baseball cards, but it’s fair to assume he’s never signed Crime and Punishment before. That has got to be a first.
Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the 527-page book about an impoverished man who resorts to murder only to suffer from regret and paranoia after the deed was completed is widely considered a Russian masterpiece. And now, for at least one fan, it comes complete with Skenes’ John Hancock.
What’s unclear is whether or not this fan made his pitch for Skenes to read Crime and Punishment.
