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Dylan Cease is proving he can make an impact far beyond the baseball diamond.
The Blue Jays ace is teaming up with the Art Gallery of Ontario for a limited-edition collection inspired by his painting, Eve of Toronto . The AGO sparked plenty of speculation Thursday after teasing a pile of black shirts with an “AGO x” logo . Turns out, fans weren’t getting a new exhibit — but they were getting some very collectible Cease merchandise.
The AGO x Cease collection launches at the AGO shop and online at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, with totes, sweatshirts, T-shirts, prints and postcards up for grabs.
And yes, Cease himself will be there.
Bring a camera
The gallery says fans can see his painting and take photos with the pitcher during a first-come, first-served photo opportunity in Walker Court.
Cease has been known for his interest in art since joining the Jays as a free agent this past off-season. Earlier this season, he gave manager John Schneider one of his paintings, which now hangs in Schneider’s office at Rogers Centre.
Schneider returned the favour, sort of.
He gave Cease a custom large whiteboard painting — a playful take on the pitcher’s hobby. It certainly wasn’t headed for the Louvre , but it made for a memorable backdrop when the Jays announced Cease as the American League’s starting pitcher for the MLB All-Star Game on July 12.
The artwork was also part of a promise Cease made when he signed his seven-year, $210-million US contract with Toronto: He agreed to give Schneider one of his paintings.
Art is only part of Cease’s story in T.O.
On the mound, he has been a major reason for the Jays’ success.
On July 25, he threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout as Toronto defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-0 at Fenway Park.
Then, despite the Jays’ 4-3 extra-inning loss to the New York Yankees last Sunday, Cease still managed to reach another milestone, recording his 200th strikeout of the season .