RealGM

In an annual rite of winter, the Blue Jays' hard-pressed marketing department try to identify a new "face of the franchise," a person or personality on which to hang the hat of their tough-and-getting-tougher season ticket and sponsorship campaigns.

This winter it was general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

A decade ago it was new manager and former catcher Buck Martinez. Since then the ever-evolving face of the franchise has included Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells, J.P. Ricciardi, Paul Godfrey, Roy Halladay and Cito Gaston. Now it's Anthopoulos, but never has anyone accepted the role more reluctantly than the rookie general manager.

"I don't know that comfortable's the right word," said Anthopoulos, who will watch his team open their 2010 campaign Monday afternoon against the Rangers in Arlington, Tex. "I know I have responsibilities. I've heard people tell me that. It seems odd to hear (the suggestion). It's flattering, but at the same time the face of the franchise should be the players. And that's not false humility or false modesty, but people don't pay to come see me at the ballpark. People come to see the players. I don't know that necessarily I want that."

The fact is the one commodity the 2010 rebuilding Jays have to sell is hope, and the face of Jays' hope is the boyish-looking 32-year-old GM, whose major off-season move was trading former ace and former face, Roy Halladay, to the Philadelphia Phillies for three young hopefuls.

Ah, there's that H-word again.