Sal Fasano has counted to infinity — twice.

OK, that line was originally about Chuck Norris. But in many ways Fasano has become baseball’s answer to Norris, with a popularity ­— bordering on a cult following — that has risen to a level vastly out of proportion to what his body of work would normally garner.

“It might be the hair and mustache,” said Fasano, the Sky Sox journeyman catcher who is the subject of more than 30 fan groups on the social networking site Facebook. By comparison, a search on the site for Paul Phillips — a similar 30-something catcher — produced nothing. “I don’t know why they like it so much, but some people like it.”

They like it and they’re not subtle about it. A sampling of the online clubs devoted to Fasano includes: “Sal Fasano… A Man’s Man,” “Sal Fasano: A True American Hero,” “Sal Fasano is god,” and “Sal Fasano has a sexy mustache.”

Six of Fasano’s groups attracted at least 100 members.

“I get ragged on a lot because of it, so it’s a double-edged sword,” he added.

Maybe that’s why he showed up in the Security Service Field clubhouse this week with a shaved head.

“I was tired of it,” Fasano said. “That was about 10 months of growth I had there. But it grows back fast. I shave it every year or so.”

Fasano can pull off his famous look in part because he wears it ironically, a wink to the comic-book persona that masks one of the sharper, articulate characters in the game.

It’s that mind that keeps Fasano, 38, in a sport that puts his arthritic knees and hands through nightly agony.

“For the most part I think if you have knowledge you should stay in the game, because baseball is one of the few games where history is more important than the present,” said Fasano, who has played for nine major-league teams over 11 seasons. “That’s what history is all about, learning from your mistakes and learning from your success.”

He plans to put that knowledge to use as a manager — he said he turned down offers this year — but he can’t walk away knowing there was something left in the tank. And he doesn’t want to leave potential big-league money on the table.

“You’re never going to get a raise like we get,” he said.

For now, Fasano is part of a rare three-catcher system in Colorado Springs with Phillips and Edwin Bellorin, both of whom saw action with the Rockies this year instead of Fasano.

“You try to keep them sharp and keep them from sitting too long,” said Sky Sox manager Stu Cole, who has never handled a team with three catchers. “It’s kind of an odd situation but you’ve got to deal with it.”

In 46 games Fasano is hitting .237 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. He leads the catching trio with a 38.7 success rate against potential base stealers.

He figures a minor knee surgery in the offseason might buy him just a little more time.

“You always question whether this is it or not,” he said. “You go up there as long as you can, and your body usually tells you when you’re ready to go. I know I still feel some life in there, so it’s not too bad yet. If I got a scope this winter, I think I could go another two years.”

Two years — that’s plenty of time to grow that hair back.

Sal Fasano has shaved since this picture was taken. Photo by