For nearly 50 years, every New York Yankees player was barred from having facial hair. On Friday, the Major League Baseball team’s owner, Hal Steinbrenner—son of George Steinbrenner, who implemented the ban 49 years ago—announced that the rule has been lifted ahead of the team’s spring training opener, the Associated Press reported.
“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,” Steinbrenner said in a statement.
He continued, “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.”
Over the years, Yankees players known for their facial hair, including Randy Johnson, Nick Swisher, Johnny Damon, Alex Verdugo, and Gerrit Cole, have been forced to comply with the ban, Athlon reported. Yankees fans have pushed back on the rule, viewing it as archaic and restrictive. In 1991, former Yankee Don Mattingly was benched and fined by the team for refusing to cut his hair, the BBC reported.
Most recently, newcomer Devin Williams—who was traded from the Brewers to the Yankees over the winter and has had a beard for six years—had to shave, Athlon reported. Outfielder Alex Verdugo also had to trim his long hair after being traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season, the BBC reported.
Williams was seen rocking a mustache, which was allowed under the previous policy, earlier during spring training, NBC New York reported. The now-defunct policy barred players from having facial hair that touched their collars, the BBC reported.
According to Athlon Sports, the new policy allows players to keep “well-groomed beards.”
Taking a cue from the Yankees, Wrexham Football Club has announced that it will also be amending its facial hair policies. The Welsh football club is owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
