Pete Peterson and his son, Stephen, sporting their mustaches this summer(Dean Marshall)

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes has taken Major League Baseball by storm this season, posting a 6-1 record and a remarkable 1.99 earned run average.

Skenes has made a big impression on Pirate fans, including our very own Pete Peterson.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete describes how Skenes inspired him to grow a mustache for the first time in his life.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.