Death to the Yankees hair policy

This post specifically brought to you by seeing this picture of catcher Austin Wells cross my Instagram explore page and realising how hot he is with a beard, as nature intended.

https://i.postimg.cc/NFCXNdCG/IMG-4113.jpg

This is how the Yankees forced him to look due to their fascist hair policy:
https://i.postimg.cc/D0wsd9gY/IMG-4112.jpg

The Verdugo downgrade has been discussed:

https://i.postimg.cc/MGb44B7f/IMG-4114.jpg

Cole went from demonic
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/06/07/45/18381173/8/rawImage.jpg

to I Think You Should Leave:
https://ftw.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/2023/06/r1ST0s.jpg?w=1000&h=600&crop=1" class="noborder">

Why do they still have this stupid policy? Let the players have hair!

Disgraceful how in the after pics they’re allowed to keep their sideburns ffs

It's kinda hilarious to see these guys in their before and after pics sometimes, they look like shaved, embarrased cats.

omg Omar that’s exactly it

Johnny Damon :-(

When did it come to happen? They obviously did not have it in the 70s.

what’s weird is that mustaches have apparently always been fine eg ron guidry and goose gossage.. something specifically about the chin

i honestly think it’s a carryover from the “beatnik” goatee and its bad reputation

The terms of the Yankees' appearance policy were codified in 1976, when Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin introduced the "Neatness Counts" policy, which specified, "No beards. No beads. No mutton chops. No long hair. No long stirrups." The policy has since been amended to read, "All players, coaches, and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches (except for religious reasons), and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar. Long sideburns and 'mutton chops' are not specifically banned."Steinbrenner argued in 1978 that the policy was not specifically about a distaste for long hair and more about "trying to instill a certain sense of order and discipline" that he believed was important for athletes to maintain.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F4f7JSJbEAAREi9?format=jpg&name=900x900

Harper trying to be completely antithetical to the policy

don't forget they made cutch (a very Cool Man) cut his dreds

I had no recollection of that! That really sucks. Bob Marley must have been spinning in his grave.

I love Cutch but this isn’t true, his hair was already short that season.

I know this because I’ve watched this video a few times.

Andrew McCutchen's breakdown of Tuesday's Giants-Dodgers brawl is priceless 😂
(via @TheCUTCH22) pic.twitter.com/85qIpA7cdG

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 15, 2018

Retracted!

https://i.imgur.com/xiKcdKh.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/xdhf2JPR/IMG-5855.jpg

You cannot tell me this is right. Putting aside the fact that Dugie has perfect skin under that beard, you could also shrink his picture and tell me he was his own child and I’d believe you.

did they make him remove his dental ice too

Alex Verdugo is 100% the most Dodgers/Red-Sox/Yankees player of all time. The man was born with that top-team street smug; it is inconceivable he could play for any other team

Carlos Mendoza, a Yankee for the past 18 seasons and thus banned from growing most facial hair, is sporting a goatee for his first exhibition game as Mets manager.

“It feels great,” he said. “My wife likes it. That’s a good thing.”

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) February 24, 2024

No player would benefit from a trade to the yankees more than Brandon Marsh

Okay apparently he keeps it long in memory of his father who passed away. I would like to formally retract my previous post

They can have beards now!

Statement from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner

RE: Alteration of Yankees facial hair policy

In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees - spanning several eras - to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback. These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.

!!!

Can't believe it's finally happening.

selling my season tickets, this is outrageous

My monocle broke :(

fwiw 82yo lou lamoriello -- a personal friend of george steinbrenner who hasn't had a successful hockey team in 20 years -- currently prevents new york islanders players from even growing mustaches

which is kinda funny because it was the early-80s islanders dynasty that first popularized playoff beards

I mean someone gonna pay me six figures imma shave right wtf

of course

Possibly not if some other franchise pays me six figures

Seasons of Change

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6155176/2025/02/23/yankees-frank-sinatra-new-york-new-york/

I thought the issue with the Yankees was players who were traded there who had no choice in shaving- you know, like Devin Williams.

When Williams showed up to Yankees spring training in Tampa, Florida, last week for the first time after arriving in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, he finally came face-to-face with his longtime nemesis: a razor. Never had Williams thrown a pitch in the major leagues without at least a healthy layer of stubble. After shearing his beard, he looked in the mirror, didn't recognize who was looking back and eventually took his concerns to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

Williams later relayed the frustration to general manager Brian Cashman, who listened to his points -- about how players who feel their best will play their best, about the hypocrisy of a policy implemented to promote clean-cut players applying only to facial hair below the upper lip -- and agreed. Steinbrenner then sat down with Williams, and the moment to push for a facial-hair revolution had arrived.

Williams said having a beard is his preferred look, and it’s how he feels most comfortable as an individual. He added that he’ll grow a beard as quickly as he can. Steinbrenner said he learned in his conversations with different people how important having a beard is for men in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

“It is a part of who these younger men are,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s part of their character. It’s part of their persona. Do I totally relate to that? It’s difficult for me. I’m an older guy who’s never had a beard in his life. It’s a very important thing to them, and they feel it defines their character.”

“…never had one because dad beat me…”