So, some dude was spotted in Dunedin, Florida wearing an Alex Anthopoulos jersey. I’m assuming it wasn’t Mr. Anthopoulos himself, because, well, that would be weird.

I’m curious: is this happening elsewhere? Any Duquette jerseys in Baltimore? Dipoto jerseys in Anaheim? What about Wren jerseys, in Atlanta? Anybody rocking a Mozeliak jersey in St. Louis? What about a shirsey? Any Alderson jerseys in Queens?

I fear this is a very slippery slope. The cult of the general manager, and all that.

H/T: My man Jerry, @NorthYorkJays.

The image above, found in a pub in Markham, north of Toronto, comes to us from one of our many intrepid correspondents in the field. Look at those uniforms. Let no one ever say Lyle Overbay didn’t leave his mark on Canada’s finest metropolis. We remember 2006. It inspires us.

NotGraphs’ Investigative Reporting Investigation Team has uncovered that in 2009, The Lyle Overbays led Markham’s 4-Pitch Hardball League with a .566 on-base percentage, and .577 batting average. They finished first in hits, runs, home runs, and RBI, and second in doubles, all while striking out only 12 times in 1,203 plate appearances. The Overbays’ 2009 championship was the first of three in a row, and came following their stunning defeat at the hands of Deez Nuts in the 2008 final, after winning their first title in 2007. All The Lyle Overbays ever wanted was to make Lyle Overbay proud.

And they did. The Investigative Reporting Investigation Team reached Mr. Overbay for comment, via text message, about the dynastic success of the team named in his honor. Mr. Overbay, never a man of many words, responded:

“Flags fly forever.”

Indeed, Mr. Overbay. Indeed.

H/T: My cubicle mate, and the hardest-working man in Canadian public broadcasting, @DanielKitts.

First, Brandon Morrow said he’d “rather look at the nerd stats.” Then he shows up to Ricky Romero’s first start of the spring with notes on Romero from Brooks Baseball, which he passed on to his teammate.

Witness, via John Lott in the National Post, a fine Canadian newspaper:

Brandon Morrow’s research startled Ricky Romero. It showed that Romero had almost given up on a key pitch during his disastrous 2012 season.

In 2011, when his ERA was 2.92, Romero threw sinking two-seam fastballs 22% of the time. Last year, his sinker rate fell to 11%. His ERA was 5.77, worst among big-league starters.

Morrow found those figures on the Brooksbaseball.net website, printed them out and gave them to Romero.

“I was a little bit amazed by it,” Romero said Tuesday, pulling the sheet from his locker.

Brandon Morrow is going to, hopefully, start a revolution.

Every now and then, usually on my walk to work in the morning, I whisper to myself: “Brandon League for Brandon Morrow.” I can’t let myself forget; I won’t. And I can’t wait for that no-hitter.

Image credit: David Lykes Keenan Photography.

As a Canadian, who at any given moment in time has at least one right-handed hockey stick and a pair of hockey gloves in my car, the above image — totally, 110 percent real — pleased me. Quite a bit, actually. More so than it probably should have.

My first thought was: “This might be the closest I get to seeing a professional athlete who plays for Toronto win the Stanley Cup.” My second thought: “R.A. Dickey is celebrating the Blue Jays winning the offseason.”

And, make no mistake: the Blue Jays won the offseason. Last year at this time, we in Toronto were worried about who would play left field, Travis Snider or Eric Thames. This year, Ricky Romero, the Blue Jays’ Opening Day starter in 2012, is at the back of the rotation. Everything’s changed. The offseason of my dreams is over. Now comes the hard part. I’m both very excited, and, frankly, worried. What if it all goes wrong?

Image credit: My man @james_in_to.

Do not stare at Joba Chamberlain’s mustache. And do not, no matter what you do, look directly into the eyes of Mr. Chamberlain, for he can see deep inside your soul. I did, and I’ll never be the same.

Frankly, I’m not sure where the hell you should look.

Image credit: Elsa/Getty Images. Elsa will never be the same, either.

H/T: The one, the only: @MikeAxisa.

NotGraphs’ Investigative Reporting Investigation Team has confirmed — through means most nefarious and, quite frankly, disturbing — that Mariano Rivera has but one move in the bedroom, and, much like his cutter, it is unmatched.

Remember: Safety first, kids. Unplanned pregnancies are the worst.

H/T: Mr. Nightengale.

December 25: A big deal. The day Rickey Henderson was born. Let us feast.

Life: Rickey Henderson, according to Rickey Henderson, was the greatest. He truly believed that. And he was one of them. His career 113.9 WAR ranks 17th all-time among position players. We remember Henderson for his prowess on the basepaths, but it’s important to remember how often he got there, and how often he ran once he arrived. Henderson finished with an on-base percentage higher than Pete Rose, Joe DiMaggio, Cal Ripken, Joe Morgan, Honus Wagner, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays. He could do a little bit of it all, but one thing better than any man before him, or since.

Spiritual Exercise: A couple of weeks ago, on Twitter, I read a quote from Rickey Henderson, from April 28, 1987, about Texas Rangers pitcher Ed Correa, who threw 7.1 innings of no-hit baseball that afternoon, as Henderson’s New York Yankees fell 3-1 to the Rangers: “He didn’t have anything.” Henderson went 0-3, with a walk. He stole two bases. Rickey Henderson never, ever doubted himself. Ask yourself: Are you the greatest? Perhaps it’s time you started believing you are.

A Prayer for Rickey Henderson

Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson!
One thousand,
Four hundred
And six
Stolen bases.
“Thou shalt not steal”
Never applied to baseball.

H/T: @mighty_flynn. Image credit: USA Today.

Minor Leaguers don’t get Dental insurance therefore I just bought a Groupon for a $40 exam w/ x-ray & cleaning. Minor victory!

— Jeremy Barfield (@Baseclogger) December 22, 2012

Jeremy Barfield isn’t so different from you and I. At one point or another, no matter your walk of life, Groupon touches us all.

H/T: The Answer Man: @AnswerDave.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – The Toronto Blue Jays have found their next manager, and it’s a man few expected: Philip Seymour Hoffman, who’ll make the unprecedented jump from Hollywood to the big leagues.

NotGraphs’ Investigative Reporting Investigation Team, making the most of their time at the hotel bar at the general manager meetings in Indian Wells, California, is working on confirming that it’s a three-year deal Hoffman has signed with Toronto. Financial details haven’t been disclosed.

The surprising news comes only days after former Oakland A’s manager Art Howe, who Hoffman portrayed in the Oscar-nominated “Moneyball,” expressed an interest in managing the Blue Jays.

Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos, normally tight-lipped on matters of, well, anything and everything, was noticeably pleased about his most recent acquisition.

“Philip really impressed us in his interview. His scope of knowledge really blew us away. He has a vision. And that’s not to say we weren’t impressed by Art Howe, who we of course interviewed, as well. It’s just that Philip was more Art Howe than Art Howe was Art Howe. It was a remarkable performance on Philip’s behalf, and we’re really excited to see it continue over the next three years.”

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TORONTO — Another day, another Blue Jay headed to the Red Sox, as the exodus from Toronto to Boston continues. Ace, the Blue Jays’ mascot since 2000, will wear a Red Sox uniform next season, and dance atop the dugout at famed Fenway Park, joining what’s now a list of former Blue Jays personnel headed to its divisional rival: manager John Farrell, first-base coach Torey Lovullo (now Boston’s bench coach), and third-base coach Brian Butterfield, who’s agreed to the same position with Boston.

“Like Butter and Torey, my contract was up, too,” explained Ace. “In this economy, I can’t be sitting around waiting for the Blue Jays to call. I’ve got a kid to feed. I know the front office is busy, Alex [Anthopoulos] is looking for a new manager, but this was a business and professional decision, and one that made the most sense for me.”

Ace, the longest-serving member on the Toronto staff, spent 12 years with the Blue Jays, and is regarded as one of the best mascots in the game. According to our sources, he’s signed a three-year deal with the Red Sox, worth $3.5 million.

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