Along with the entire 40-man roster, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone can sport a beard this season for the first time while donning the iconic pinstripes.
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner announced Friday that the Yankees are lifting their strict facial hair policy that was in place for over 50 years. Boone joined YES Network's broadcast of the Yankees' spring training opener Friday to chat about the franchise's surprising move.
"I think it was not something done lightly. It's certainly something that Hal and the [Steinbrenner] family put a lot of thought and consideration into ... really over the last few years," Boone said. "And just turned it up even more over the last few weeks, talking to former Yankees, current Yankees, people in the industry and people out of the industry. It just felt like the right time for this to happen.
"I think overall it's going to be a really good thing. It'll probably be a little weird for a lot of us that have had this policy for a long, long time. I don't know how it's going to look for a lot of guys—here comes the beard? Not necesarily. I think it was time. I think the due diligence and the consideration that Hal put into this was significant, and I think today is the right time to do this."
During his mid-game talk Friday with @RealMichaelKay & @JackCurryYES, Aaron Boone was asked about the Yankees adjusting their facial hair policy. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/JIL0Yqt8eL
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) February 21, 2025
Steinbrenner admitted in a press conference that a big factor in his decision was to avoid losing out on acquiring a player down the road due to an outdated team policy.
"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 [past generations], that would be very, very concerning," Steinbrenner said. "And I am fairly convinced that's a real concern."
The Yankees' bats appeared to approve of Steinbrenner's decision Friday, as newcomer Paul Goldschmidt clubbed a two-run double in the first inning, and New York took a 4–0 lead into the sixth inning.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Boone Reacts to Yankees' Surprising Decision to Lift Facial Hair Policy.
