* 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). But back to the beards. George Steinbrenner wanted his players to look neat. Fifty years later, the team still fears the beard, a silly policy endemic of an antiquated ethos that baseball is trying to get away from, In January 1973, George Steinbrenner, along with 11 other business partners, bought the New York Yankees. It takes up a lot of time apparently not to negotiate. But back to the original question: What could the Yankees really do if a player refused the shave? Were starting it in our minor league system. Indeed, the team attempted to sign the Great Bambino following his release from the Yankees in 1934. No Major League franchise boasts a richer and more storied history than the Yankees. What Do the Abbreviations Mean in Baseball? Why don t the Yankees allow beards? He writes about film and pop culture for Screen International, Rolling Stone and Vulture. The Yankees have always been seen as a very professional and polished organization, and part of that image is due to the fact that most of the players are clean-shaven. "Maybe I don't belong in the organization anymore," Mattingly said after his benching. The Yankees needed some help in the bullpen and Wilson was on the radar for New York. I can tell you the batting average for any player, the ERA for any pitcher, and the records for any team. Why do Yankees have pinstripes? Theres no real clear answer anywhere, but the best guess is that its just tradition. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. [11]:48, 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. [17] Six years later, when Goose Gossage was reminded that mustaches were the only facial hair allowed, he shaved only the chin of his beard, thus creating the exaggerated mustache that became synonymous with the pitcher. I know its something that theyre into and theyre doing for themselves, but I dont think it really helps our image., Some opponents have given the hairy Yankees players nicknames. Why can't Yankees have beards? After that point, individual managers began to tighten or relax their teams' grooming standards as they saw fit. Beards eventually made a comeback years later when they were sported by hippies and the Beatles. In 1973, the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner, had a realization sitting in the stands that led to the appearance policy that Yankees follow to date. Here are some of the best tweets about the Yankees players new facial hair: While some teammates have reacted with good-natured ribbing, others have taken more of a negative view, with some even going so far as to say that the facial hair makes the players look unprofessional. That's because, for close to five decades, the Yankees have had a strict policy that prohibits players from sporting beards and wearing their hair long. Probably not, but its funny that even former Yankees who have been put in positions of authority at other clubs dont force their players to adhere to a similar rule. The Yankees, of course, have long barred their employees from growing facial hair. Question: How much are new york yankee tickets? In the mid-1990s, the Yankees began to resemble the championship clubs of yesteryear, appearing in the playoffs on an annual basis, winning four World Series in the span of five seasons. They have won one AL East title in the last nine years: in 2019 when Aaron Boone called his group savages, albeit the cleanest-cut savages in history. To what end? Some even called for a return to the no beard policy. Why Do Ball Players Chew Sunflower Seeds? pic.twitter.com/aAO5LPpZjL, Also, is the Yankee policy even legal? The Yankees are the lone big-league team to have a policy that bans beards. One of the most vocal critics has been former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, who has argued that it is time for the team to embrace facial hair. [8], George Steinbrenner became the owner of the New York Yankees MLB franchise the year after the Mustache Gang debuted. All he has to do is keep the beard. 2. Trends. Im the kind of fan that knows all the stats and trivia. Steinbrenner has been dead now for 12 years, but his fingerprints remain all over baseballs most storied team. The Yankees have a long-standing reputation as a clean-cut, professional team, and players may feel that they need to live up to that image. [4], In 1972, Oakland Athletics player Reggie Jackson appeared at spring training sporting a full beard. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. The rule was that no male player, coach, or executive may wear any facial hair except for a mustache. No long stirrups. They wouldnt improve their roster over this policy? Post #165 by Wiltside Yesterday 2:03 am. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Tune in tomorrow for Chapter 13 of As the World Turns., Dirt Dogs: Charlie Hustle and Thurman Munson#Yankees #TheBronxZoo pic.twitter.com/3bW680IBUd, But future sagas with other players were inevitable. 15, Thurman Munson; No. The list goes on and on. Who Will the Yankees Play in the Playoffs? Steinbrenner had made his name in the shipping industry, dabbling in Broadway as well. 1, Bobby Murcer; No. For now, the team seems content to keep the policy in place, although some fans and players have argued that it is time for the team to embrace facial hair. The . Discussing the freedom that Rays manager Joe Maddon gave his players, Price said, Its a joke, to me, that I had less rules in college than I would on some major league teams. Here's a look at why don't Yankees players have . Why do the Yankees players not have names on their jerseys? The CBA, which is expiring, would protect players from fines or suspensions over beards. Finally, its worth noting that some Yankees players do have facial hair just not beards. In an effort to make the Yankees stand out, they decided to outlaw facial hair. Thats not something I want to be a part of., Even some recent former Yankees have been dismissive of the teams stringent attitude toward personal grooming. The future is bright and bearded. Heres a look at why dont Yankees players have beards. That was how I expressed myself. Now we have the language of the rule, but Im still not satisfied with why the rule was put into place. It specified that players' hair is not allowed to make contact with their shirt collars as well as that they are not permitted to have any facial hair besides mustaches. The debate around the Yankees no-beard policy continues to this day, with fans and players weighing in on both sides. Many of the players on the team have said that they simply dont like the way that facial hair looks on them or feels. And in this age, doesnt it now feel like the crisis you can see heading toward town, so if you can avoid it, why not? But really, its 2021. General manager Brian Cashman even admitted he ruled out out Wilson because he wouldnt shave. Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado calls Judge Bambi. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter refers to Sabathia as Caveman., Carpenter, who has been playing against the Yankees since 2012, told MLB.com, Its different. Who Got Third Place in the Sports Festival? Skip to content. Clean cut is the way a team needs to be. Are the Yankees the only team with pinstripes? . When we called him back up and he had the mustache, I made fun of him a little bit for it, but I think its perfect. Cortes grew it just for a change. Facial hair is not only a sign of personal expression, but a way to engage fans. The short answer is not much. Even the great Babe Ruth once posed in a fake beard after meeting some House of David players. Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 13, 2013. A player such as Guerrero has no control if his current team trades him. Maybe this is their way of saying we dont need you anymore. Mattingly relented and got his haircut the next day, but the incident was infamous enough to be mentioned in the great 1992 episode of The Simpsons, Homer at the Bat.. [42], Girardi, who had previously caught for the New York Yankees, decided to implement Steinbrenner's policy when he became the manager of the Florida Marlins in 2006. He was a real heartthrob type of guy. Subsequently, can Yankee players have facial hair? But you want them to do that in a professional manner., Rougned Odor on having to shave his beard when joining the Yankees:"I feel weird. In other words, S4037 requires an employer to accept facial hair except where that facial hair is a hazard or interferes with the job. But Judge can make it happen himself. While still in the minor leagues, he was nicknamed Whitey for his light blond hair. The New York Yankees have no intention of reversing their rule prohibiting players from wearing facial hair beyond mustaches. In 2021, the White Sox, Cubs, Yankees, Rockies, Mets, Phillies and Padres are all rocking pinstripes on their base home uniforms. Past practices and precedent matter and so, perhaps, an arbitrator would accept that a baseball organization has the right to control the hair length of an adult under its employ. Steinbrenner wanted the Yankees to adopt a corporate attitude. What does that mean? Appropriately, the 21 numbers that have been removed from circulation to honor 22 of their finest players and managers stand as the most in Major League Baseball. So be it, Cole said shortly after joining the club. A Whitey Ford signed Photo is worth about $50. Most Surprising NYY Seasons: 2019 Mike Tauchman. How about the august stadium? The Yankees have a long-standing tradition of being clean-shaven, but some players are bucking the trend. Could the Yankees successfully defend keeping their policy? In 2019 when the Yankees acquired highly-prized ace Gerrit Cole, he had to say goodbye to his beard and long hair. 1. Growing up, Ive always had a love for the sport. The global beard grooming market was valued at $24.1 billion in 2018, according to statistics on beard care. On the other hand, the study also found that beards might contain a type of bacteria-killing-bacteria which could potentially be developed into powerful new antibiotics. If you have social media accounts and follow any Yankee, you will learn that their favorite offseason hobby is not golfing or fishing. pic.twitter.com/k8xhPuPnYS. Were not going to pretend were something we arent. In late summer 1977, there was a brewing controversy when catcher Thurman Munson went a whopping 11 days without shaving his beard normally, he just had a mustache sparking rumors that he was trying to get traded. In 1983, Steinbrenner ordered that Goose Gossage remove his facial hair. Allow the players to develop their own . . Personal grooming policy instituted by the New York Yankees, Logos and uniforms of the New York Yankees, "A History With Hair as Old as Baseball Itself", "Today in Baseball History: Oakland's Mustache Gang is born", "TBT: '72 A's hold memorable 'Mustache Day', "Andrew McCutchen Is Right to Question the Yankees' Outdated Grooming Policy", "First Look at Rougned Odor's Clean-Shaven Face With Yankees", "Cole's 1st side effect in pinstripes? Between the demands of practices, games, and other team obligations, theres not a lot of time left in the day for things like personal grooming. Long sideburns and mutton chops are not specifically banned.. George Steinbrenner's military experience inspired his decision to ban beards and long hair Stephen Dunn/Getty Images He was forced to cut his hair and shave his beard when the Giants traded him to the Yankees during the 2018 season. I guess I can dig into who will be the Mets bench coach, but once that is announced, it will be the last time I think about that position until Buck Showalter is ejected and I turn to the person next to me and ask, who is the bench coach again?. Please check your email for a confirmation. While some have voiced their support for the policy, arguing that it helps to maintain the traditional look of the team, others have been more critical. (In fact, he ended his career in 1986 rather than agreeing to shave it off to be a member of the Cincinnati Reds, which didnt allow facial hair.) With the Yankees again the sports dominant club, high-profile free agents came clamoring, resulting in a series of lucrative contracts and the repeated weirdness of, say, seeing Randy Johnson shaving to comply with the teams policy. So without free agency or trades to focus on, I have decided to tackle a really big issue. Tim Grierson is a contributing editor at MEL. "I find men with beards and men without . Does Hal Steinbrenner want to be the guy who gives the order if, say, Aaron Judge or any Yankee decides to carry his offseason beard into spring training? [14][15] One of the most drastic changes caused by this policy was to Oscar Gamble, who was known for his distinctive Afro hairstyle, and even had an endorsement deal with Afro Sheen that would be lost if he were to cut his hair.