I assume the silence is over concern that the conversation could move into a truly hairy area like, is your team planning to play without a shortstop this year? [1]:568569 Before 1970, the last player known to have sported a mustache during the regular MLB season was Frenchy Bordagaray in 1936, whose manager, Casey Stengel of the Brooklyn Dodgers, subsequently ordered him to shave. They wanted to avoid an entire ordeal over the unenforceable policy even if that meant passing up on a potential asset. The Yankees want it neat and trim. Mattingly was furious. Im a Christian. "first off, these uniforms are soooo sick!" Frazier's tweet reads. No long stirrups. and support from black students and athletes at other campuses. He shaved, thats enough. NEW YORK Chicago White Sox star shortstop Tim Anderson accused Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson of making a racist remark by calling him Jackie Robinson during . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 12:39 pm ET. They certainly would have a case. If the argument to keep Yankee players in uniform clean-shaven is tradition based, then I would ask about that uniform. George Steinbrenner has a policy and Im going to stick to it, he noted. We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned, he insisted. Often, they werent aimed at restricting an opposing athlete from competition, as Hodges experienced. Long sideburns and "mutton chops" are not specifically banned. Yankees prospects: At least the Renegades won 15-2. The teams players often rock beards in the offseason, suggesting that theyd actually prefer to have facial hair. The policy itself states thusly: "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. The Yankees needed some help in the bullpen and Wilson was on the radar for New York. The Yanks appearance policy was established in 1973 by traditionalist and conservative George Steinbrenner, supposedly after witnessing several players hair covering their numbers during the performance of the Star Spangled Banner. Yankee management ordered Don Mattingly to get a hair cut, who was sporting a mullet-like hair style. If this was an inspirational sports movie, wed be at the beginning, when the tough-but-fair leader instills strict measures on his players, turning them into champions. Weve seen that realization play out preemptively in the free-agent market. Long sideburns and mutton chops are not specifically banned.. Is it Flowers Day? That was volunteered to me during our conversations, that the beard stays on.. The most recent instance came earlier this month, when the club announced they were trading for New York Mets relief pitcher Miguel Castro. Without a doubt, George Steinbrenner has a policy and Im going to stick to it, Damon said. ), 1. He also had been a member of the United States Air Force, which similar to other military branches also has an appearance policy. If a star player like Judge truly wanted to take the policy down or had teammates join him the Yankees know theres not much they could do to stop them. The year prior, the NCAA had added a new rule declaring that wrestlers must be clean shaven, which they later specified to mean no hair below the earlobes. The rule was never enforced until Hodges, a black man, threatened to run through his largely white competition at the NCAA championships. Most players over time, however, have succumbed to the clubs edict and have agreed to cut their hair. Milton refused to back down and was suspended for a full year and had his athletic scholarship revoked. 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.. Given that times do change and are changing, it won't be surprising if this policy is amended or done away with entirely. General manager Brian Cashman even admitted he ruled out out Wilson because he wouldnt shave. The Yankees' "appearance policy" has been in force since not long after George Steinbrenner purchased the team in the early 1970s. The Yanks are the only club in MLB that has an appearance policy. Archived post. Don Mattingly Refuses Hair Cut, Gets Ovation After Benching! Lets not forget about the Stache Squad in 2015. 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. But what of drafted players and, especially, what of a traded player who is part of the MLB Players Association? Lou Piniella challenged the rule by pointing out that Jesus had long hair. "i'm so excited to join the @Cubs one of the biggest reasons i chose to come here was the fan base . Eligibility restrictions apply. , 18 of whom were athletes and six of whom were on the football team. Maybe he wanted to stay with the club beyond 2018, and perhaps he felt that by speaking up then he might hurt his chances of being re-signed by the club. Will anything come of it? "[11]:100101 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. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. "[32] (McCutchen would cut his dreadlocks off on his own accord in 2015 for charity while still with the Pirates. Maybe they want an organization that is full of guys who are puppets, Mattingly said, Maybe I dont fit into the organization anymore. 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? Why Was A Gay Writer Denied Cat Adoption? He was fined and punished for disobeying their orders. I think if you look professional, you act professional. But he refused to ban facial hair, noting, [Athletes are] individuals, they have their personalities. Facial hair. As owner Charlie Finley knew Jackson wouldnt respond to a direct confrontation, and instead he went so far as to. [11]:48 Although Houk did not tell the players that the order came from Steinbrenner, Jerry Moses later recalled that he "read it in a manner that let us know it didn't come from him and that he didn't agree with it". Johnny Damon, the dude had the sickest flow and beard with the Red Sox. He said well talk at the end of the year. I have nothing against long hair per se, he said. What a concept! Were starting it in our minor league system. Mattingly was benched by the Yankees in August of 1991 over his refusal to get a haircut; his brown hair, according to the AP, "drops over the collar and is cropped closely at the sides. Instead, they were used as an attempt to emasculate rebellious black athletes, many of whom were beginning to get involved in black campus movements. Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees with "long haired" Bat Boy pictured just to the left. In any event, you can argue that players who sign with the Yankees know what they're getting into with this policy, but the majority of players at any given juncture have no choice as to which team they play for. Thats a man who should commit to a beard. , Oregon State University head coach Dee Andros considered sideburns and beards and sandals without socks to be dirty, smelly, unappetizing. Andros, known as The Great Pumpkin for the combination of his roly-poly 250-pound frame and Oregon States orange colors, said of facial hair, It aint neat. 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. Gambling Problem? Agent tells Brian Cashman that Wilson won't shave his beard. Now with the Philadelphia Phillies, he recently called on MLB to question the Yanks appearance policy, arguing that we must be more open as a society and permit players to express themselves in their way. The moustache and beard are historical and valid external signs of black manhood and black culture, a writer for UCLAs black student newspaper, Nommo, wrote in support of Miltons cause. NYY News: Judges hip may send him to IL; Franchy demoted, Yankees 2, Rangers 5: No deGrom, no problem for Texas. I was born in 1985. The court threw out the complaint relying on the premise that, No such right[s] exist for private-sector workers.. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Rafael Stone, a basketball player for the University of Washington, told a student newspaper, Coaches are trying to mold black athletes into thinking white., TFW someone asks you to get rid of your facial hair. Next. Upon his arrival to New York, McCutchen (like all other New York Yankees organization members), was required to shave his face outside of a mustache. Privacy Policy. to his players if they grew mustaches, hoping the non-conformist Jackson would be driven to shave. 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. The Marlins have actually tried this tactic beforethey had a no facial hair policy in 2011 that was swiftly overturned once they hired the goateed Ozzie Guillen as their manager. Because that was who I was. I couldnt do it. Supreme Court Says Yeah, Booking.com Deserves A Trademark Registration, Hello I Am Elliot: The Startups IP Nightmare. I want to develop pride in the players as Yankees. "[12] 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. I havent shaved in like 10 years, but you know what? 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. Steinbrenner has been dead now for 12 years, but his fingerprints remain all over baseballs most storied team. [6][7] The 1972 World Series, in which the Athletics faced the clean-cut Cincinnati Reds, was deemed a match between "the Hairs and the Squares". Milton was one of 47 black students at Oregon State, 18 of whom were athletes and six of whom were on the football team. Furthermore, no team in the NBA, NHL, or NFL has such a rule. [21] The incident was parodied in the Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat", which aired February 1992, in which Mattingly clashes with Mr. Burns over the length of his sideburns, which only Mr. Burns could see. The official policy by the New York Yankees states: "All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches and scalp hair may not be grown. New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians: Series Preview. This also is true for any player traded by the Yankees. As a well respected and veteran ballplayer, American society is dramatically different. pic.twitter.com/aAO5LPpZjL, Also, is the Yankee policy even legal? All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Gossage obliged by shaving the beard, but he left an exaggerated mustache extending down the upper lip to the jaw line, also known as a handlebar. Hey, theres nothing in the rulebook about that! However, as it pertains to government regulated fields and private sectors there is no protection. For someone who doesnt have a bit, not a damn bit of business to do with some part of my body to tell me to do something with itjust couldnt see doing it, Hodges told Dr. Jack Scott for the 1970 book The Athletic Revolution. In 1983, Steinbrenner ordered that Goose Gossage remove his facial hair. New York Yankees I loved him, but for what I wanted, he didnt fit with me. The rule was quickly adopted as a club policy. The Yankees are the lone big-league team to have a policy that bans beards. Dmitri Young, a black outfielder with the Reds when Vaughn signed, told CBS News, Ive even talked to some who said thats the only reason they wouldnt want to play for the Reds, referring to their former policy. The short answer is not much. There is no direct correlation between having a haircut that could pass Marine inspection and winning. Theyll joke about it, but sooner or later well get it ingrained in them. The most Yankees manager Aaron Boone could really do is bench a player and frame it as a managerial decision (and everyone would see through that). A player such as Guerrero has no control if his current team trades him. 1 Example as to why the Yankees old fart facial hair policy needs to end forever. He seems to be one of the first "star" players to call out the Yankees antiquated facial hair policy. We express ourselves in different ways. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Generally speaking, though, highly paid professional baseball stars had enough leverage to win the right to wear their facial hair as they pleased. It aint athletic.. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA (select parishes)/MA/MD/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. This isnt the military. NYY Recaps is the most-viewed Yankees podcast on YouTube according to SocialBlade.com. )[33] Clint Frazier, whose curly red hair was declared "a distraction",[34][35] joked on Twitter, "here's to leaving my razor at home" after joining the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees want it neat and trim., . Is any fan really saying, Good for the Yankees for differentiating themselves? Even if there were such fans, should that allow the organization to dictate what their employees do with their hair? pic.twitter.com/aAO5LPpZjL, Mike Dro (@MikeDro_) November 21, 2021. Former Yankees Mattingly and Joe Girardi have twice attempted to institute a similar policy on the Florida/Miami Marlins, but restrictions on that team have since loosened. Outside of that, the entire policy stands on peer pressure and tradition. I understand both sides of the arguments. [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. and our But perhaps the most memorable occurrence was Johnny Damon, the heart and soul of the scruffy Boston Red Sox team that came back to beat their hated rivals the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series, who joined New York soon after. And Loria, should he keep this policy, shouldnt be surprised when his young players choose not to be treated like puppets and tell him no when they finally get a chance to choose their employers. Long sideburns and 'mutton chops' are not specifically banned. Theres a different standard now for professional appearances, and ignoring that makes the rule a real relic of the past. Notably the absence of it on Yankees players. No beads. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. 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? First baseman Luke Voit said his teammates grow . https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/11/aaron-judge-yankees-beard-facial-hair-policy-rule-photos-mlb. Well, he wanted the team to be looked at as more professional and stand out almost as if they were the military. [10]:243244 The players, meanwhile, were primarily amused that Steinbrenner did not know their names. For now, though, it remains a curiosity in baseball. 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. , Our concern was to keep the proper image of major league players before young fans especially. Although MLB never instituted such a policy, there was concern baseballs conservative white fanbase would react poorly to facial hair, whether it was worn as an expression of black power, anti-war sentiments, or general disobedience. [29] Bill Baer of NBC Sports also critiqued the Yankees' policy for its difficulties in marketing players, citing Justin Turner and Charlie Blackmon as two players known for their beards. I like to see a player look neat, Steinbrenner said in the same interview. After the aforementioned trade to the Giants, McCutchen kept his same facial hair. The Yankees' policy has been criticized by sportswriters as outdated, and by marketing officials for limiting the self-expression of players, thus also limiting their personal brands. But when the rule was enacted, Steinbrenner said he wanted to adopt the corporate attitude. If we can get them to feel that way and think that way, fine. As many as 45 percent of black men are affected by PFB, and roughly half of these cases, like Bradleys, are so severe that they must abstain from shaving. [8], George Steinbrenner became the owner of the New York Yankees MLB franchise the year after the Mustache Gang debuted. But Judge can make it happen himself. To illustrate, in 2013 a security guard brought suit when a new CEO required all security guards to shave their facial hair. Of course, the Yankees dim attitude toward facial hair and flowing locks can be seen as symptomatic of baseballs play the game the right way ethos, which can often feel racist and inflexible an ethos that Major League Baseball is doing its best to move away from. Now the beard issue is dead. Even my daughter, she doesn't want to look at me" pic.twitter.com/V6SvOcsNuC. Thats the way it is. Its something theyve done since the late George Steinbrenner instituted the policy in 1973, and the rule persisted as some long-held tribute to Steinbrenner despite changes throughout the organization. But really, its 2021. It is growing a beard. Steinbrenner quipped that if Piniella could walk on walk on water, he could wear his hair any way he wanted. $324 million dollar man Gerrit Cole is the newest member to join the they look so different without a beard club. Reds owner Marge Schott ultimately reversed the policy on February 16, 1999, in a bid to retain outfielder Greg Vaughn, who lobbied to retain the goatee he had grown with the San Diego Padres. 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. Steinbrenner had made his name in the shipping industry, dabbling in Broadway as well. I got involved., Steinbrenner was just as proactive when it came to personal grooming. Should he really have no control over his face? PFB is a genetic disorder, almost exclusively affecting black men. Maybe Im wrong, but well see. "We express ourselves in different ways.". He looked noticeably different when he reported to the Yankees: how it started how its going pic.twitter.com/uVL2OhbI5A, Its taken as a given that if the Yankees pick you up, whether through a trade, the draft or in free agency, youre trimming your facial hair. He was a real heartthrob type of guy. The most infamous incident involving the Yankees and facial hair happened in 1991. In 1991, Don Mattingly was taken off of the Yankees' lineup for a day when he refused to cut his hair. The First Amendment, guarantees freedom of expression to individuals in the United States. Yankees players use the mustache exception to their restrictive facial-hair policy to break out of slumps, slugger Luke Voit reveals. [16], The Yankees' appearance policy has also led to clashes between management and players who refuse to conform to Steinbrenner's standards. How about the august stadium? Yankees: Here's How NY Newspapers Covered George Steinbrenner's Death 10 Years Ago. In 1991, Don Mattingly, one of the most beloved of the Yankees during the 1980s who was by then in the twilight of his career, was benched because his hair was too long, provoking his ire. Reply . Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen thinks the Yankees should phase out their policy regarding how players must wear their hair. Those policies shaving and letting the jersey speak for itself I definitely do think it takes away from our individualism as players and as people, he said. To what end? He was highly productive for the Yankees in 25 regular season games -- 145 OPS+ with 10 home runs -- and his Yankee tenure was also notable because McCutchen was forced to cut his hair and remain clean-shaven. Hodges, I cant let you wrestle, the referee told him. Mustaches, however, are permitted as an exception. All he has to do is keep the beard. Soon, the mandate came down, leading to a policy that continues to this day: 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. The decision reads in part: This evidence clearly permits the inference that some black males would be eligible for positions [with Dominos] if they did not suffer from PFB, and proportionately fewer blacks than whites were eligible for [these] positions because of Dominos no-beard policy.. McCutchen questioned the New York Yankees ' policy Sunday, saying it "takes away from . Over the weekend, news broke that the MiamiMarlins will be instituting a no facial hair policy. Steinbrenner's policy remains in place after his death, and has led to a number of dramatic appearance changes for players who come to the Yankees from other teams, such as Oscar Gamble, as well as pushback from players who prefer long hair and beards.