Sal Fasano, the journeyman catcher whose facial hair promted the formation of one of the most passionate fan groups ever, Sal’s Pals, is back in the bigs.

The Indians acquired Fasano from the Atlanta Braves for a player to be named later. The Indians needed a catcher after the club lost starter Victor Martinez, who is out six to eighth weeks following right elbow surgery on June 13.

What can the Indians expect from Fasano? That depends entirely on which Fasano shows up.

Will the Indians get the fu manchu’d Fasano, the version that fans in Philadelphia and Toronto grew to love? If so, expect fireworks and rioting in the streets.

Will Fasano show up with a mustache similar to the one he donned as a member of the New York Yankees? There’s nothing wrong with a good mustache, as Jason Giambi has clearly demonstrated this season. But Fasano’s stache was just a toned down version of his fu manchu. It was like watching Sex and the City reruns on TBS. You still get the jokes and the plot, but even if you haven’t seen that particular episode before, you know you’re missing something (ie., the cursing and the sex).

Or, will Fasano arrive clean-shaven, like he did in Baltimore? I saw Sal during spring training last year. He was training with the Blue Jays and had shaved his face and nothing, and I mean nothing, is sadder than a clean-shaven Fasano.

Just like Sampson got his power from his hair and Papi gets his power from mango salsa, everyone knows Fasano’s strength lies in his whiskers. Hopefully, after 11 years in professional baseball, Fasano has learned that lesson. The fate of the Indians’ season lies in the balance.

Of the many unfortunate facial hair patterns out there (and as we’ve seen, they are legion) the Fu Manchu will always hold a special place in baseball’s UFH pantheon. The craze began in earnest in 1975, when seven members of the Brewers sported the look, and has never quite died out. Favored mostly by catchers and relief pitchers, the Fu Manchu has become a hardball classic, as much a part of the game as cracker jack, pine tar, and organ music. To salute this time-honored ’stache, UmpBump presents the top five Fu Manchus of all time:

5. Mike Piazza, Catcher and DH, 1992-present

Mike Piazza gets a nod for his daring interpretation, whittling the ends of the Fu into these sharp little points, not unlike the fangs of some venomous snake. Pairing it with a blow-dryed “Just for Men”-esque coiffure, Mike looks downright dapper.

4. Todd Jones, Reliever, 1993-present

Todd Jones gets a nod for his painstakingly parabolic Fu, which looks like he sculpted it with a protractor. Extra points for the russet coloring.

3. Sal Fasano, Catcher, 1996-present

Few have done as much for the Fu Manchu as Sal Fasano. But it could be argued that the Fu has done almost as much for Sal. Without it, he’d be just another aging backup catcher flirting with Triple A. But with it, he’s a cult hero with his own fan club (Sal’s Pals). Indeed, as this picture shows, Sal clearly views his Fu as more than just facial hair…it’s a calling.

2. Rod Beck, reliever, 1991-2004

Rod Beck, may he rest in peace, had a classic Fu: thick and lustrous, sloping evenly down from either nostril, flaring slightly at the base but not at all bulbous, like Fasano’s. What’s more, the fearless Beck paired this beaut with a brash cascade of mullet. But even this wasn’t quiiiite enough to win him the top spot, which goes to…

1. Al Hrabosky, reliever, 1970-1982

The best baseball Fu Manchu ever belongs to none other than Al Hrabosky, who pushed the form to new heights with this flourishing, asymmetrical endeavor. Indeed, one almost wonders if the asymmetry is caused by the moustache simply growing too fast for Hrabosky to contain. It’s as if Al were some sort of Fu Manchu prodigy—while others struggled to produce a Fu of even mediocre caliber, Hrabosky was naturally well-endowed. During the 1977 season, Hrabosky was forced to shave his glory as part of a new team dress code. It’s no coincidence that “the Mad Hungarian,” as he was known, went on to have a terrible season during which his ERA ballooned to 4.38.

A Fu Manchu with Samsonlike powers? No wonder it’s our Number One.

Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun is going on the DL with a hand injury. He sustained the injury when a foul tip hit his throwing hand. Zaun travelled to New York with the team last night but will head to Baltimore for an appointment with a hand specialist.

So what, you say? Who cares about Grez Zaun, anyways? Nobody, of course. But Zaun’s loss is our gain, because it means the Blue Jays had to dip into their farm system and recall…

the one…

the only…

The Mustache!

That’s right, Sal Fasano is back and ready to rumble. According to MLB.com, Fasano actually was driving the ball pretty well down in Syracuse, hitting .297 with four home runs in 11 games for the Chiefs this year. No doubt the veteran will handle himself just fine with the big club. Actually, he might be an upgrade over Zaun, who is hitting .186 with one home run and eight RBIs in 20 games.

The real question is, will we be treated to the fu-manchu’d Fasano or the shaven, pathetic looking shlub who showed up for spring training? Sal’s player info page on the Syracuse Chiefs website shows him rocking the face fuzz. What will he look like tonight? Tune in to find out.

Sal Fasano, he of glorious Fu Manchu mustache, has been traded. Fasano was placed on waivers earlier this week, after returning to the Phillies from a knee injury. Now he’s headed to the Yankees. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The Phillies have made a trade.

They shipped catcher Sal Fasano, whom they designated for assignment this weekend, to the New York Yankees for infield prospect Hector Made. Made, who is listed as a second baseman, will join single-A Clearwater.

Made, 21, hit 286 with three homers and 28 RBIs this season for Tampa. He has hit .459 (17 for 37) in his last 10 games. Born in the Dominican Republic, Made signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Yankees in 2001. He entered this season a career .272 hitter with a career .333 on-base percentage in four seasons in the Yankees farm system.

No word on whether Fasano will join the Yankees right away or whether he will toil in the minors for a while.

UPDATE: Fasano is with the Yanks. He started at catcher Wednesday night and went 1-3 with a single and a passed ball. As umpbumper Nick points out, the Yankees designated Kelly Stinnett for assignment to make room for Fasano.

This is a sad day for Phillies fans (all five of us). Sal Fasano, otherwise known as the guy with the best facial hair in all of sports, has been designated for assignment.

Fasano had become a fan favorite in Philly, due mostly to his Italian heritage and fu manchu mustache. But he went on the DL a few weeks ago with knee inflamation and since then his replacement, Chris Coste, has been swinging a hot bat. Fasano says he’s really upset.

“This one hurts a lot, actually,” he said yesterday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. “It hurts a lot because I thought I finally had a home.”

The Phillies designated Fasano for assignment, which ends his short Phillies career. The Phillies have 10 days to dispose of Fasano’s contract. If he isn’t traded, he will be released because he said he has rejected his option to join triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“We thought long and hard about it,” Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “It was not an easy decision. Sal worked hard, but he got caught up in a numbers game.”

The Phillies designated Fasano, who hit .243 (34 for 140) with four homers and 10 RBIs, because they felt that they had no room for him on their 25-man roster. Chris Coste has played well behind the plate, and they felt he deserved to stay. Coste is hitting .333 (18 for 54) with two home runs and 12 RBIs. The Phillies have 13 pitchers on their roster, but wanted to keep 13. Some of those pitchers could be traded before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

“Coste has really played well, and we feel we’d stay with him as the backup,” Amaro said. “His versatility helped.”