TAMPA, Fla. — Legacy and tradition are two words that carry a ton of weight around the New York Yankees organization. Whether it’s the absence of names on the backs of player jerseys, or the roll call from fans in the bleachers at the start of home games, there are certain decades-long rules and rituals associated with the Yankees’ culture that are believed to be unbendable.
That’s part of why it was shocking when Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced on Friday morning that the team had changed its no-facial hair policy that had been upheld for nearly 50 years. Hours before the Yankees took the field for their Grapefruit League opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, players were surprised to learn that from now on they are allowed to grow facial hair beyond a mustache. But there is a limit. Beards must be “well groomed,” according to Steinbrenner’s new facial-hair policy.
“The only information we were offered, from [Yankees general manager Brian] Cashman, was that we’re not trying to look like Duck Dynasty,” Gerrit Cole said, referring to the reality show. “No diss against Duck Dynasty. You’re grinding in the woods all the time, you don’t really have another option. But that was the only clarification we got.”
George Steinbrenner, Hal’s father and the Yankees owner from 1973-2010, introduced the previous facial-hair policy — no long hair or beards — in 1976. The policy was inspired by his military background, as Steinbrenner believed it was important for Yankees players to look clean and disciplined.
So why was now the right time for Hal Steinbrenner to change the rule?
It was a decision that came down to winning, Steinbrenner said, which is why he believes his father, who died in 2010, would respect his choice. Ultimately, the Yankees do not want to be put in a position where they fail to acquire a player because of the club’s antiquated facial-hair policy.
“I don’t like addressing hypotheticals, but I’m going to break my own rule today because this was a part of my thought process and a part of the decision that I made,” Steinbrenner said in a press conference Friday. “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. I’m fairly convinced that that’s a real concern.”
Added Yankees manager Aaron Boone: “If we miss out on one player because of that, that’s too many.”
Steinbrenner said, to his knowledge, there are no actual instances of players refusing to join the Yankees due to their facial-hair policy, but it’s been a topic of conversation. Cashman said CC Sabathia hesitated to sign with the Yankees as a free agent back in 2008 because he wanted to keep his facial hair. There have been players that preferred not to get drafted by the Yankees because of the policy, and even this spring, Cashman talked to a non-roster invitee about whether he had to shave to be included in camp.
Steinbrenner said, for the past several years, the previous facial-hair policy came up “on a frequent and regular basis.” But this past offseason, he took an extra step by talking to various individuals, ranging from Yankees staffers to people in other organizations, to people he knows in the industry. Steinbrenner was trying to understand why facial hair was such an important topic to the current generation of players.
That research continued this week at the Yankees spring training complex, where Steinbrenner sat down and had a face-to-face, one-on-one conversation about the hair policy with a variety of players, including Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, and Giancarlo Stanton. Cole said he was surprised that Steinbrenner wanted to talk about the policy. Yankees catcher Austin Wells said, although it’s always a conversation point with his teammates, he thought the rule would never change. After speaking to what Steinbrenner termed “a diverse group in that all of them have been here for a different period of time,” he decided the policy was “outdated and somewhat unreasonable” for his employees to maintain.
“It still embodies our look and our neatness,” Cole said. “But it allows for some individual freedom and a few less razor burns.”
Yankees players are interested in seeing which of their teammates will actually start growing beards. Wells, for one, is happy to spend less time with his razor; the catcher shaves around 5–6 times per week. Anthony Volpe said he struggles to grow facial hair so he’ll stick to the old rule. New closer Devin Williams, whom the Yankees acquired via trade this winter, showed up to spring training with his usual beard, but it was shaved off the next day. Cole, who sported a full beard with the Astros in 2019 right before he signed with the Yankees, is undecided about whether he’ll let his facial hair grow again, in part because he doesn’t want his gray hair to show.
Though there are mixed feelings in the clubhouse about whether to utilize their newfound facial-hair freedom, players are at least happy to have the option. Steinbrenner’s surprising rule change has paved the way for the Yankees to begin a new legacy, and it highlights the healthy modernization of a franchise that is steeped in tradition. Still, the core value of the Yankees organization is winning, and if getting rid of an outdated policy opens up more pathways to acquire the game’s most talented players, then Steinbrenner is all-in.
“He’s looking for any edge he can get,” Cole said of Steinbrenner. “He certainly doesn’t want to turn anybody away that could be impactful for us, but at the same time, maintaining our team look. Shaving can get a little bit mundane through the whole year and uncomfortable at times. But by and large, every year that I’ve been here, we all generally like the idea that we look good, we look clean, and we look, you know, neat and tidy. So I think that those aspects are not going to go away, but just a little bit of individual freedom in terms of being more comfortable is a nice balance.”
Ready or not, here come the Bearded Bronx Bombers.
Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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