New York Yankees appearance policy
Since 1976, the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) have maintained a strict appearance policy, specifying that players' hair must not touch their collars and that they may have mustaches but no other facial hair. The policy came from then-franchise owner George Steinbrenner, who believed that regulating his players' appearance would instill a sense of discipline. Steinbrenner began noting which players he believed needed haircuts when he took over the Yankees in 1973, but the policy was not codified until three years later. 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. In 1991, Don Mattingly was taken out of the Yankees' lineup for a day when he refused to cut his hair.
Most teams did not formally adopt any grooming or personal appearance policies until the 1970s, as earlier social customs meant that players were generally clean-shaven. This changed in 1972, when members of the Oakland Athletics, led by Reggie Jackson, formed The Mustache Gang. After that point, individual managers began to tighten or relax their teams' grooming standards as they saw fit. Steinbrenner's policy was inspired by that of the Cincinnati Reds, who forbid their players from growing facial hair between 1967 and 1999, when Greg Vaughn petitioned Marge Schott to rescind the rule. 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.
The Yankees' policy has been criticized by sportswriters as outdated, and by marketing officials for limiting the self-expression of players, thus also limiting their personal brands. Players such as Andrew McCutchen and Clint Frazier have critiqued the policy after leaving the Yankees, while both Brian Wilson and David Price have voiced their refusal to join the team as long as the appearance policy remains in place.
Origin
While facial hair was common in the early era of
In 1972, Oakland Athletics player Reggie Jackson appeared at spring training sporting a full beard. Rather than asking him to shave outright, Athletics owner Charlie Finley, knowing that Jackson valued his individuality, encouraged four of his players to grow their own facial hair in the hopes that Jackson would voluntarily shave.[5] As more of his players grew them, Finley began to like the mustaches, and the 1972 Athletics were soon nicknamed "The Mustache Gang".[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".[8]
The terms of the Yankees' appearance policy were codified in 1976, when Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin introduced the "Neatness Counts" policy, which specified, "No beards. No beads. No mutton chops. No long hair. No long stirrups."[11]: 100–101 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. Long sideburns and 'mutton chops' are not specifically banned."[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.[13]
Impact
The policy remained in effect even after Steinbrenner's death at the request of his daughter Jennifer, a partner in the Yankees franchise.
The Yankees' appearance policy has also led to clashes between management and players who refuse to conform to Steinbrenner's standards. In April 1977,
As the appearance policy only applies during the MLB season, members of the Yankees often grow facial hair during the offseason.[23] The policy also leaves an exception for mustaches, and in 2015, a number of Yankees began growing mustaches out of a superstition that their facial hair growth was tied to their improved game performance.[24] Although the group mustache growth ended that May after the team went on a 1–10 losing streak, individual Yankees have carried on their own mustache traditions, growing them out or shaving them based on their perceived personal performance.[25]
Criticism
Sportswriters have criticized the Yankees' appearance policy in recent years as an outdated product of Steinbrenner's time,[26] as well as the limitations that it places on what players the Yankees are willing to take in trades and free agency.[27] In 2013, general manager Brian Cashman attempted to acquire relief pitcher Brian Wilson in free agency, but negotiations halted when Wilson refused to shave his signature beard.[28] Pitcher David Price, meanwhile, told reporters that he would not want to sign with the Yankees due to their appearance policy.[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.[30] Independent marketing executives have commented on the strong "Yankees brand" generated by the players' homogeneous appearance, but have criticized the negative impact that has on creating individual player brands.[31]
Former Yankees players have also voiced their opposition towards the policy after leaving the team. Andrew McCutchen, who was asked to shave when he was traded to the Yankees in 2018, criticized the Yankees' appearance policy for limiting the individualism of players. McCutchen, who had worn long dreadlocks as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, said that if he had been traded to the Yankees during that time, it would have been difficult to part with his hair, "Because that's who I was ... That's (what) made me Andrew McCutchen."[32] (McCutchen would cut his dreadlocks off on his own accord in 2015 for charity while still with the Pirates.)[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.[36] Despite admitting that some players preferred to keep their facial hair during the MLB season, then-manager Joe Girardi said in 2017 that "I haven't really had anyone come into my office and say, 'We need to change this.'"[37] Yankees management have even claimed the policy keeps the Yankees unique.[38]
Outside the Yankees
Around the time of Steinbrenner's edict, personal grooming policies among MLB teams greatly varied based on the personal preferences of managers. When
Girardi, who had previously caught for the New York Yankees, decided to implement Steinbrenner's policy when he became the manager of the
Outside of Major League Baseball, National Hockey League executive Lou Lamoriello also enforced a similar rule in his stints as general manager with the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, though he often allowed his players to grow a playoff beard whenever his teams made the Stanley Cup playoffs.[50][51]
See also
References
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