Paul Skenes backup plan to serve in the Air Force

When asked if there was anything that he regretted in his life, Nelson Mandela said that his only regret was that he never became heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The quip was only half-joking and drew a chuckle from most of the world. Here was a man who dedicated his life to fighting the injustice of apartheid, spent decades in prison for his convictions, and saw the regime fall under its own weight before triumphantly coming out of prison to become the first democratically elected president of the Republic of South Africa. He guided the nation through the most difficult moment in its history, choosing the path of peace and progress rather than succumbing to the desire for vengeance, as their neighbors Zimbabwe had done. In the process, Mandela became a blend of George Washington and Gandhi for the modern world. And after all of that, all of his accomplishments, the idea that his one regret could be something so… forgive the phrasing, but small… was shocking.

It is a similar story for Pittsburgh Pirates ace rookie Paul Skenes. While Skenes is currently in the midst of living the American dream, there remains some unfinished business in the basement as far as he is concerned.

Skenes was a standout hitter in high school and the first two years of college at Air Force, tying the second-highest season average with his .410 as a sophomore. Despite being one of the best hitters in the Mountain West, Skenes transferred to LSU and reinvented himself as a pitcher. On the way to a national title, Skenes was named SEC Pitcher of the Year and the CWS Most Outstanding Player award.

Going first overall in the MLB draft, he ripped through Triple-A ball and has just made his debut in the Show, setting the world on fire as he does. His one walk prevented his last opening being a perfect one, throwing seven complete and sitting 21 of 22 batters down.

He is living at the pinnacle of every young red-blooded American boy’s dream. But there is something missing as far as he is concerned.

Skenes chose to attend the Air Force Academy, despite offers from several high-profile colleges. His family are in the military, and Paul dreamed of being a pilot. After the second year of college, Skenes would have had to enlist, meaning he would need to delay any potential MLB career until after he completed his military service. This was the reason for his transfer to LSU.

But it would appear that, for Skenes, this transfer was not the end of his military dream. His former coach at Air Force Mike Kazlausky told USA Today, “He will serve his country in some manner moving forward. It’s just going to be a matter of when. Paul and I have spoken about that. We’ll get him back in the military once his professional playing days are over. It’s a big deal for Paul to be able to serve our country.”

It is never certain how long an MLB career will last. The average career for a starting pitcher in the Show is just under 11 years, meaning that there is a strong possibility that Skenes will still be in his early 30s at retirement. Far too young to just spend his days fishing in Florida. Many former players struggle to readjust to normal life, buying restaurants and bars, often running through their fortunes in record time. They are quite literally rudderless.

For Paul Skenes, this would appear to be a minor issue. His guiding concept has been to serve his country and baseball is in many ways his backup plan. Retirement will very likely find him in uniform and happy to do it.