On Friday afternoon, the New York Yankees made a surprising move that shook the Major League Baseball world by altering a long-standing clubhouse rule. The team announced that they would be revising their facial hair policy, which previously prohibited players from growing beards during the season.
“In recent weeks, I’ve had conversations with numerous former and current Yankees from different eras to gather their thoughts on our long-standing facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their honest and diverse feedback,” said Hal Steinbrenner in a statement. “These discussions are part of an ongoing internal dialogue that has taken place over several years.
Ultimately, the decision was mine, and after careful consideration, we’ve decided to change our policy to allow players and uniformed staff to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It’s time to move on from the familiarity of the old policy.” At a press conference on Friday, Steinbrenner mentioned that he had spoken with players like team captain Aaron Judge, right-hander Gerrit Cole, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, all of whom supported the change. “It’s a good change.
It still maintains our look and professionalism, but allows for more personal freedom and a bit less razor burn,” Cole said. Judge was also supportive of the change but has no intention of growing a beard now that it’s allowed. “I don’t plan on growing a beard,” Judge told Brendan Kuty, a Yankees beat writer for The Athletic. Additionally, the Yankees decided to rest Judge for the first week of Grapefruit League games. “I just do what I’m told,” Judge said. “I went into his office, and we were looking at dates.
He asked how I felt about the 28th or the 1st. I said, ‘Whatever you have planned,’ as long as we’re playing almost every day in the final week and getting three or four at-bats.” The Yankees’ regular season will begin on March 27 with a series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
