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Livvy Dunne Buys Rare Pirates' Paul Skenes Card
Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes walks the red carpet with LSU gymnast and girlfriend Livvy Dunne before the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — Livvy Dunne shows support for her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, when she's with him and also when she's away on business.

Dunne attended the Fanatics Fest at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City this weekend, June 20-22, where fans can find all kinds of collectibles and meet athletes, musicians and other popular people.

Fanatics Fest has representatives from all four major sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL), as well as the WNBA, UFC and WWE. Dunne is one of a number of high profile stars that made their apperances at the event, and did so last year as well, donning a full Skenes' Pirates outfit.

Dunne also purchased a valuable Skenes baseball card, a 2024 Bowman's best, which has the players stylized as anime characters, placed in a television, honoring the 1955 Bowman cards, which also placed players of the that era in a television.

She purchased the card from Steel City Collectibles, who had a booth at Fanatics Fest and completed the transaction with Dunne.

The card has gone for upwards of $500-600 on Ebay and Skenes is one of many players apart of the collection, along with Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto.

Skenes already had a 1/1 rookie patch autograph card that sold at an auction for $1.1 million, which a lucky 11-year old found and donated the funds for victims of the fires in the area late last year. Dick's Sporting Goods bought the card and displayed it around Pittsburgh.

Skenes and Dunne began dating back at LSU, and the two have been inseparable ever since. The duo also featured in a GQ magazine feature, with the couple wearing designer clothes and taking photos in a rare snowstorm in Baton Rouge.

Dunne was the most-followed NCAA athlete on social media, including 5.3 million followers on Instagram and eight million followers on TikTok. She just finished her fifth season with LSU gymnastics, where they finished third at the National Championships.

She helped LSU win their first National Title in the 2023-24 season, as well as setting a career-high of 9.900 on floor twice. She also spent time on the U.S. National Team back in 2017. That marked her final season of competitive gymnastics, as she chose to retire from the sport following the conclusion of the season.

Skenes starred at LSU in 2023, after transferring from Air Force. He had a 13-2 record in 19 starts, 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings, giving up just 23 earned runs and seven earned runs, while notching 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks, leading the program to a national title that season.

The couple recently supported LSU baseball at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., during a day off on June 16.

The Pirates took Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player at the time.

Skenes has pitched sensationally since coming up to the MLB on May 11, 2024, serving as one of the best players in baseball.

He finished his rookie season with an 11-3 record over 23 starts, allowing just 29 earned runs over 133.0 innings pitched for a 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts to 32 walks, a .198 opposing batting average, a 0.95 WHIP and a 11.50 K/9.

Skenes started for the National League in the All-Star game that season, becoming the first rookie to do so since Hideo Nomo did so in 1995 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He went on to win NL Rookie of the Year, earning 23 of the 30 first-place votes and becoming the first Pirates player since outfielder Jason Bay did so 20 years earlier in 2004.

Skenes also earned All-MLB First Team honors and finished third for the NL Cy Young Award.

He currently has a 4-6 record in 16 starts, but has a 1.85 ERA over 102.0 innings pitched, 106 strikeouts to 27 walks, a .175 opposing batting average and a 0.88 WHIP.

Skenes is one of the best pitchers in baseball, ranking first in ERA and opposing batting average, second in WHIP and innings pitched and eighth in strikeouts.

Dunne has had a busy post-gymnastics career, supporting Skenes for his starts, home and away, and also featuring on the cover of the new SI Swimsuit 2025 edition.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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