No, your eyes haven't deceived you, Jay fans. Colonel Sanders stood behind the plate.
A man who closely resembles the KFC founder, right down to the white suit, Van Dyke's hair, mustache and beard, was spotted sitting behind home plate during Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Colonel became a viral sensation during the game as fans took to social media with theories about who this mystery man was.
“I can't say whether last night was a fever dream or not, but apparently the biggest X-factors in Game 2 of the World Series were Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Colonel Sanders and the Jonas Brothers,” @BlueJayHunter wrote on X.
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Some X users suggested that it could be a publicity stunt, while others believed that the colonel was a fake.
“Hey hey hey Colonel Temu Sanders doesn’t count,” @2oldtorocknroll wrote.
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Still others blamed his appearance for Jay's loss, citing “The Colonel's Curse,” a Japanese urban legend that suggests the colonel's ghost placed a curse on the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.
“Forget the Jonas Brothers, we all know it was Colonel Sanders' curse,” @GerryBrown20 wrote.
The Jonas Brothers performed the song after the fifth inning during another celebrity appearance during Saturday's game, which caught some by surprise. The performance was announced the day before.
So who was the man in white behind the plate?
KFC confirmed that the company had indeed sent him to promote its newly renamed sandwich.
The fast food chain is changing the name of its “fan favorite” Zinger Sandwich to Dinger Sandwich to support the Jays.
“When baseball fever in the country reached new heights, we knew we had to do something equally bold,” said Azim Akhtar, interim chief marketing officer for KFC Canada. “We decided to rename our iconic Zinger sandwich to the Dinger to feed Canadian baseball fans while celebrating the hits, the hype and the moments that bring fans together.”
While the spotlight shone brightly on the Blue Jays, other companies also tried to get involved, to which Wendy responded with a cheeky, “Sorry, Colonel, you're out of luck.”
The Dodgers beat the Blue Jays 5–1 in the second game of the best-of-seven championship series. The series now moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
