Dylan Cease has found a second home in Toronto, and it isn’t another clubhouse seat or bullpen corner. It’s a painting setup tucked inside the Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays right-hander has been spending his home days turning baseball downtime into art time.
Cease said he only paints when Toronto is at home, and once his throwing work is done, he heads to his spot in the team laundry room.
"I have a great setup at the Rogers Centre, actually in the team laundry room," Cease told reporters.
"Once I've thrown my side and done all my work, I'll head in there to kill a couple of hours."
That routine has already produced more than eight pieces, and it’s also sent him shopping at a Toronto art store often enough to become a familiar customer. On Tuesday, the hobby got a bigger stage when Cease teamed up with the Art Gallery of Ontario for a special event showcasing his collection inside Canada’s biggest art gallery.
The partnership started during one of the Blue Jays’ off days earlier this season. Cease said he usually uses those days to visit museums around Toronto, and about three months ago, an AGO staff member noticed him.
"I think someone here recognized me, and I said, 'Oh, by the way, look at these eight paintings I did.' The project went from there," Cease recalled.
From there, the idea grew into a full event that drew a crowd before the AGO even opened. Hundreds of Blue Jays fans lined up hours early on Tuesday to see Cease’s work, and some even made the trip from Niagara Falls to meet the MLB All-Star.
Cease said the response caught him off guard.
"It's mind-blowing to see the turnout today. I never thought I would be doing anything remotely close to this," Cease said.
All proceeds from the AGO x Cease event will support the gallery’s mission to enrich lives through art and learning.
Cease also drew a clear line between his two worlds. To him, painting and pitching may both demand touch and control, but the similarities stop there.
"Art has a lot more freedom to it, as there are limitless possibilities," Cease said.
"Unlike on the mound, I don't have to be perfect on the canvas. I'm just having fun and enjoying it."
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