Pirates offering season tickets and more for a one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card

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Pirates offering season tickets and more for a one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card

2024-11-17 02:22 Last Updated At：02:30

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Turns out baseballs aren't the only thing Paul Skenes can get to move fast.

A Topps trading card featuring a patch from the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher's jersey and his autograph is so hot the Pirates are making a splashy offer in hopes of landing it in trade.

The team has put together a package that includes season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park for 30 years, a softball game on the field, and a meet and greet with Skenes for whoever lands the one-of-a-kind item and gives it to the team.

Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, also got in on the act, saying whoever produces the card and swaps it with the club can take in a Pirates game alongside her in a luxury suite.

The card could hold pretty high value in the open market considering the potentially bright future ahead for the 22-year-old Skenes, whose fastball hits triple digits with regularity. The first overall pick in the 2023 draft made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Skenes was named the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game after just 11 starts and finished the season 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 games for the Pirates.

Skenes was named a finalist for the NL Cy Young and NL Rookie of the Year on Monday. The honors will be given out next week.

A spokesperson for Fanatics, which owns Topps, said the collectibles company was surprised itself when the Pirates put out an all-call for the card. The company hadn’t experienced any treasure hunts such as this since the jersey-patched rookie cards were rolled out in 2023, public relations manager Ryan Stolz said.

Elly De La Cruz, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday cards are all still floating out there somewhere in addition to Skenes, he said.

Pittsburgh's offer generated significant buzz when it was announced Friday, not unlike the golden tickets in the classic children's book “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”

Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward wondered where he could buy the card and one Pittsburgh television station bought several packs of cards and considered opening them on-air.

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Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.