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Jorge Castillo
TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees‘ facial hair and grooming policy, an infamous edict in place for nearly 50 years, was formally amended for the first time Friday.
In a statement announcing the decision, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the organization will allow “well-groomed beards” effective immediately, changing a rule his father, George, established in 1976. The modification does not address the organization’s policy on hair length, which stipulates that uniformed personnel are not allowed to grow hair below their collar.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Steinbrenner said adjusting the mandate had been on his mind over the years. He emphasized the possibility of losing out on acquiring players because of the facial hair restrictions as a significant reason to make a change that registers as seismic for the franchise.
“If I ever found out that a player we wanted to acquire to make us better, to get us a championship, did not want to be here and, if he had the ability, would not come here because of that policy, as important as it is to that generation, that would be very, very concerning,” Steinbrenner said. “And I’m fairly convinced that that’s a real concern.”
Steinbrenner said he spoke with several players, past and present, including Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton individually Monday to hear their opinions on the matter. He noted that not all of them were for the change.
“I did make the decision that the policy that was in place was outdated and given how important it is to that generation, and given that it is a norm in this world today, that it was somewhat unreasonable,” Steinbrenner said. “So I made the change.”
Sitting next to Steinbrenner, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who has worked for the organization since 1986, said he supported the accommodation.
“It’s time. It’s not an easy decision for Hal Steinbrenner to make,” Cashman said. “Like every decision he makes, he makes it with a lot of information before he ultimately gets there. We’re like a gigantic naval battle cruiser. It takes a little while to turn.”
Steinbrenner informed the team of the change during a team meeting Friday morning. He said a policy defining what is considered “well-groomed” would be announced as early as the end of the day.
“The only information we were offered, from Cash, was that we’re not trying to look like ‘Duck Dynasty,'” said Cole, who often wore a beard pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros before signing with the Yankees. “No diss against ‘Duck Dynasty.’ They’re grinding in the woods all the time. You don’t really have another option. But that was the only clarification we got so far.”
George Steinbrenner, who had a military background as lieutenant in the Air Force, implemented the grooming policy because he thought regulating players’ appearance would instill discipline. The rules were codified before the 1976 season, leaving players with a choice of being clean-shaven or wearing a mustache, and not allowing them to grow hair past their collars. Hal Steinbrenner kept the codes in place after becoming chairman and controlling owner of the franchise in November 2008. George Steinbrenner died less than three years later.
“Winning was the most important thing to my father,” Hal Steinbrenner said. “All we’re trying to do every offseason, right, is put ourselves in the best position to get a player that we’re trying to get. And if something like this would detract from that, lessen our chances, I don’t know, I think he might be a little more apt to do the change that I did than people think because it was about winning.”
Players, even those known for their facial hair in previous stops, overwhelmingly obliged with the grooming order over the next five decades, from spring training through October, often before letting themselves go during the offseason. But a few pushed the limits, and others have flatly declined to join the organization because of the policies in place.
In the 1990s, for example, star first baseman Don Mattingly was fined and benched by manager Stump Merrill for refusing to trim his mullet. Four years later, Mattingly wore a goatee for part of his final season in 1995.
In 2013, coming off winning the American League Cy Young Award, David Price, then with the Tampa Bay Rays, declared he would not consider signing with the Yankees when he hit free agency as long as the edict remained in place. Later that year, All-Star closer Brian Wilson, then the best reliever on the free agent market, refused to engage in talks with the Yankees because he didn’t want to shave his trademark jet black beard.
Cashman on Friday remembered that CC Sabathia, a Hall of Fame inductee this year, was initially hesitant about joining the Yankees before the 2009 season because he didn’t want to shave before the team convinced him with a seven-year, $161 million contract. The general manager noted there have been instances where draft prospects communicate they’d rather not go to the Yankees because of the mandate. This offseason, he said, the policy was an issue for a player the team pursued as a non-roster invitee for spring training.
Earlier this month, All-Star closer Devin Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in December, reported to spring training despondent about having to shave his beard. He kept the beard when he reported to George M. Steinbrenner Field for his spring training physical before showing up with a mustache for the team’s first workout the next day. A week later, however, Williams sported a light beard for the team’s photo day.
On the other end of the spectrum, former Yankees Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes reported to camp this spring with their new teams sporting full beards. Their old teammates now have the option to grow one in pinstripes.
“I think it’s appropriate,” Cole said. “Makes sense. It still embodies our look and our neatness but allows for some individual freedom and a few less razor burns.”