Baseball players usually fill their lockers with routine gear, energy drinks, and old bats. Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease prefers a canvas and a set of acrylic paints.
If you walk into manager John Schneider's office at the Rogers Centre right now, you won't just find typical baseball scouting reports or lineup cards. You will find a brand new, wildly colorful painting dedicated entirely to Tom Selleck. Cease, who signed a massive seven-year, $210-million contract with Toronto, has quietly built an entirely separate reputation as an expressive artist. His latest piece replaced his previous work, "Eve of Toronto," which famously spent time on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Schneider didn't ask for the Tom Selleck tribute. He just showed up after a game, and it was hanging proudly on his wall.
The piece features a bright collection of flowers surrounding the actor's name spelled out in bold, multicolored block letters. It also features a tongue-in-cheek card labeling the work as "On Loan from Cease Gallery". According to Cease, the inspiration struck after a late-night viewing marathon of Selleck's classic films like Mr. Baseball and Quigley Down Under, followed by deep dives into old interview archives.
"He just seemed like a nice guy," Cease told reporters. "So I don't know, I glorified him a little bit I suppose."
This artistic side hustle isn't just a fleeting joke. Cease picked up painting seriously around 2022, and it quickly escalated into legitimate fine-art territory. Last month, his "Eve of Toronto" piece earned a prestigious spot in the central atrium of the Art Gallery of Ontario, complete with a limited-edition retail drop of shirts, totes, and prints where all proceeds went to charity. While that piece was temporarily away at the gallery, Schneider's office wall didn't stay empty. It featured a humorous stand-in print bearing a classic line from the movie Wedding Crashers: "The painting was a gift, Todd."
Now that the gallery stint is over, Cease decided to go in a completely different, highly eccentric direction. Schneider admits he never expected to have the name Tom Selleck permanently anchored to his office decor.
"I never thought I'd have the name Tom Selleck in my office," Schneider said. "Such is life in 2026."
Beyond his work on the mound—where he boasts a stellar 10-5 record and a 2.40 ERA across 27 starts—Cease's eclectic personality keeps the Blue Jays clubhouse loose. Whether he is tracking down rare vintage graphic tees or spending three hours painting an 80s television icon, he proves that elite athletes can maintain rich, unexpected creative outlets outside of sports.
Check out the interview below to hear more about his artistic journey.
Dylan Cease talks baseball, art and an unexpected new project
This video provides an exclusive interview with Dylan Cease discussing his transition into the art world and the creation of his famous gallery pieces.
