Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes's abilities on the mound are electric enough—but it's his straightforward public persona that has endeared him even more to long-suffering Pirates fans.
Case in point: Skenes's reaction to the Thursday firing of manager Derek Shelton. When asked about the dismissal, the pitcher refused to mince words.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't shocked," Skenes said via KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh. "At the end of the day, we're (12-26), whatever it is. Someone's gotta be held accountable. Unfortunately, right now, it's him."
Skenes has remained a top hurler this year, starting 3-4 with a 2.77 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. However, Pittsburgh is far from contention—and a fanbase that has seen three playoff trips in the past 33 years is running out of patience.
"I don't know if it fixes the root of the issue, which is that we need to play better," Skenes told reporters. "That's been the messaging today. That's been the messaging for a little bit now."
