Sal Fasano Shaves Moustache, Embraces Irrelevance

Some guys were just born to wear a moustache: Tom Selleck, Gene Shalit, Hulk Hogan... and Sal Fasano, whose dirtbag Fu Manchu became a symbol of hope and virility to the dozen or so folks who've been following his career for the past decade.

But now, perhaps embracing his role as a backup-backup catcher in the Toronto system who's slated for minor league duty come April, ol' Sal has gone and eliminated the one thing that helped him maintain his cult celebrity status.

Yes, that's right: in a move that will clearly impact membership numbers across the Canadian chapter of Sal's Pals, Fasano's gone and shaved away his famous facial hair. The High Cheese blog of Toronto's National Post was quick to run an obit:

Earlier in the spring, catcher Sal Fasano figured prominently in Jeremy Sandler's contest for the best facial hair in Blue Jays camp. Alas, Sal has shaved. "It was time for a change," he said. "Give it a week. It'll grow back." Here's hoping.

As you can see from the photo above, the end result... well, it just ain't pretty. The guy who once resembled a kind of Allman Brothers Band roadie/gun-slinging biker hybrid has been reduced to an alarmingly Jon Lovitz-esque schlemiel.

Note to Sal: If you wanna get that major league career rolling again, or at the very least reaffirm your position in the public consciousness, you gotta bring back the Fu.