The New York Yankees are altering their strict facial hair policy heading into the 2025 MLB season.
"In recent weeks, I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees—spanning several eras—to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback," managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement Friday. "These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward.
"It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy."
The legend of the Yankees' facial hair policy dates back to 1973 shortly after George M. Steinbrenner bought the franchise from CBS. As the story goes, Steinbrenner gazed at the Yankees' lineup on Opening Day and couldn't identify the players by their faces yet and instead focused on their unkempt facial hair. Steinbrenner ordered manager Ralph Houk to tell his players to get a haircut.
"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 Yankees' player manual stated. "Long sideburns and mutton chops are not specifically banned."
New York's facial hair policy remained in effect for decades despite multiple protests from employed players. In 1991, Don Mattingly was benched and fined for refusing to trim his mullet. Any player who previously sported facial hair and joined the Yankees—famously the shaggy Johnny Damon in 2006—had to clean up their hair and facial hair before donning the pinstripes.
But now, the Yankees' outdated policy is behind them. Hopefully, this year's roster packed plenty of beard oil for their spring training tenure in Tampa, Fla.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hal Steinbrenner Announces Yankees to Change Longstanding Facial Hair Policy.
