A National Championship. No. 1 Draft Pick. Dating Livvy Dunne. Now Throwing Cheddar in His Pro Debut. Paul Skenes' Assault on the World Continues.
Long before "The World is Not Enough" became a 007 movie where Denise Richards played a nuclear scientist named Dr. Christmas Jones (the '90s were a magical time), that sentiment was expressed by a 15th century Baronet named Sir Thomas Bond, whom Ian Fleming loosely based his character on. In fact, the Latin translation Orbis non-sufficit was revealed to be on 007's family coat of arms in the first novel.
I mention this because for some people, those words are more than just an inspirational quote. They're a frigging lifestyle. Some are just hardwired with that inner drive that says they will never be satisfied. No accomplishment will do. No accolades will suffice. No laurels are big enough to rest upon. They want it all and won't stop until they get it.
And it seems no one personifies Orbis non-sufficit like Paul Skenes. Because not only has he pulled off the No. 1 Pick/Livvy Dunne Daily Double that most of us thought was unachievable by any mortal man:
... the 6-foot-6 cannon-armed righty made this professional debut with the Pirates Single-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders:
- Innings: 1
- Strikeouts: 2
- Pitches: 16
- Strikes: 10
- Social media superstars hearts made a-flutter: 1. The only one that counts:
How's that for planting your flag in the world of professional baseball? Most of Skenes' teammates will never rise above the level of bouncing around the southern states on busses for shit pay. That's just the cruel math of Minor League ball. But they'll be telling their grandkids about the time they witnessed the birth of this legend. And how he made the most celebrated female athlete of the NIL Era swoon from on high.
How good were Skenes' pitches? This bloody good:
Just pure filth. Enough to make hitters' knees buckle and turn all the Baseball Annies into Slip & Slides. But there'll be no Bull Durham scenarios as he makes his inexorable rise toward the Majors. No one can compete with what he already has. And at last, our Queen has her King.
All hail.