Ottawa Blue Jays fans keeping an eye on the team's playoff push got a lighter story out of Toronto this week: pitcher Dylan Cease has struck again with his side career as a painter, and this time the target was his own manager's office.
A gallery swap, no permission required
Cease's new painting, which spells out the name Tom Selleck in block letters surrounded by dozens of bright, multicoloured flowers, was hanging in John Schneider's office on Friday, September 11, ahead of Toronto's game against the Baltimore Orioles. A small card on the piece reads "On Loan from Cease Gallery."
Schneider didn't commission it, and he didn't see it go up. "He just replaced it, it was great. I didn't ask for it, but I showed up after a game and it was there," Schneider said. Cease's own reaction to the stunt was just as understated: "I never thought I'd have the name Tom Selleck in my office. Such is life in 2026."
Why Tom Selleck
Schneider asked Cease the obvious question, why Tom Selleck of all names, and got an answer rooted in clubhouse ribbing rather than any deep artistic statement. "I was like, why Tom Selleck?" Schneider said. "And he said something about his moustache, and people were saying it looks like Tom Selleck." In other words, teammates have been comparing Cease's moustache to the actor's for a while, and the painting is his way of leaning into the joke.
Not his first show
This isn't a one-off hobby. Cease began painting in 2022, and his earlier work, titled "Eve of Toronto," was displayed at the Art Gallery of Ontario's central atrium last month. A limited-edition retail collection tied to that piece, prints, postcards, shirts and totes, launched with proceeds going to charity. ottown covered that gallery debut when it happened.
What led here
The painting prank lands in the middle of a tense stretch for Toronto. ottown's earlier report covered how tight that race with Cleveland has become, and ottown's earlier report has more on the AGO show that started Cease's run as an unofficial team artist.
The Ottawa angle
The Blue Jays remain the only MLB team most Ottawa baseball fans have to root for, and with the club still chasing a playoff spot, small clubhouse moments like this one are getting extra attention locally. It's the kind of loose, good-natured story that tends to travel well among Ottawa sports bars and fan groups following the wild-card race night by night, a reminder that even with a postseason spot on the line, there's still room for a laugh in the manager's office.
No word yet on whether the Tom Selleck painting will stay up once the postseason arrives, or whether Cease has another piece already planned.
Sources: Global News, Yahoo Sports (Canadian Press)
