All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen joined New York in 2018, dutifully shaving off his beard, but he ripped the policy in 2020 after leaving the club. Steinbrenner, holding firm to his policies, reimbursed Gamble for the lost endorsement package. Guys will whine. At 14-years-old, he joined the Culver Military Academy in Indiana. [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. In contrast, Charlie Finley, owner of the Oakland A's at around that same time, actually paid his players bonuses for growing out their facial hair and locks. But one thing we can absolutely count on is seeing Yankee players clean-shaven and also complaints about why this is still a thing. And why didnt he complain once he was with the Bombers? [18] Lou Piniella, meanwhile, once challenged the rule during spring training in Fort Lauderdale, citing that Jesus had long hair. Most establishment types (like Wall Street bankers and businessmen, lawyers, those in the military, most parents, etc.) Instead, they were used as an attempt to emasculate rebellious black athletes, many of whom were beginning to get involved in black campus movements. Lou Pinella, who joined the club in 1974, playing for them for the next 10 years, supposedly told the owner, I dont understand, Mr. Steinbrenner, what long hair has to do with your ability to play baseball. It is an outdated policy. and support from black students and athletes at other campuses. The Yankees hair policy states that, All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar. Even then, the Yankees' facial grooming policy had become mainstream enough to be lampooned by an animated television sitcom. I really don't get this, why the 180 from the 70's to whenever it started in the 1990's? Gambling Problem? "I feel like maybe there should be some change there in the future who knows when but it's just one of the many things in this game that I feel that there just needs it needs to be talked about, and to be addressed," he said. 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. It was there where he had to be clean shaven and hair trimmed. After the Yankees signed Damon in 2006, he acknowledged that he would have to shave his long beard and cut his lengthy hair. [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. The Yankees return home from their road trip in last place. I guess I can dig into who will be the Mets bench coach, but once that is announced, it will be the last time I think about that position until Buck Showalter is ejected and I turn to the person next to me and ask, who is the bench coach again?. The Awful, Racist History Of The Sports Mascot. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Discussing the freedom that Rays manager Joe Maddon gave his players, Price said, Its a joke, to me, that I had less rules in college than I would on some major league teams. It aint athletic., That year, Andros policy faced its first opposition, from black middle linebacker Fred Milton. 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. I couldnt do it. But more symbolically, one of his rules continues to be upheld to this day: If youre a New York Yankee, you cant have long hair and you cant have a beard. David Price made headlines in 2013 when he said he wouldnt sign with the Yankees or any other team that maintained a no facial hair policy. When Vern Rapp took over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977, he insisted that players like Al Hrabosky shave their facial hair. Maybe this is a way of saying I dont fit in, The Marlins employ mostly young, cheap talent. leading to a policy that continues to this day, whopping 11 days without shaving his beard, Steinbrenner was (temporarily) banned from baseball, said goodbye to his lovable caveman appearance, banned employment discrimination on the basis of hair, Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, Real Italians Put Hot Dogs and French Fries on Their Pizza, The Other Drug War: Inside the World of Counterfeit Viagra, The $65 Million Art Heist That Put Oceans Eleven to Shame. McCutchen calls playing for the Yankees "an honor," but he also believes it's time for the policy to end. "[32] (McCutchen would cut his dreadlocks off on his own accord in 2015 for charity while still with the Pirates. It wasnt just that he was teaming up with Bostons arch nemesis it felt like he was selling out and losing part of himself in the process by going clean-shaven. Just back from a vacation and, well, look at that, still in a lockout. It backfiredthe As facial hair became an integral part of their look as they dominated baseball throughout the early 1970sbut Finley managed to make the most of it, as he turned it into a successful marketing ploy with Mustache Day on Fathers Day 1972. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. 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. This policy largely came into being because Steinbrenner. Often, they werent aimed at restricting an opposing athlete from competition, as Hodges experienced. Weve seen players like Jason Giambi, Randy Johnson, and Johnny Damon all shave their facial hair and get clean haircuts when joining the Yankees. The Yankees are the lone big-league team to have a policy that bans beards. Thats the way it is. On Thursday, newly acquired Billy Butler made his Yankees. The most infamous incident involving the Yankees and facial hair happened in 1991. Long sideburns and mutton chops are not specifically banned.. Subscribe to join the community for game reactions, prospect news and. The following year, Cincinnati mascot Mr. Red appeared sans mustache in accordance with the new policy. , 18 of whom were athletes and six of whom were on the football team. Some guys like it, some guys wont, new manager Don Mattingly told reporters. Perhaps influenced by the As brilliance in the 1970sthey won five straight American League West championships from 1971-1975 and three straight World Series from 1972-1974most teams relaxed their facial hair policies when confronted with the prospect of losing a star or a free agent target. 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. The Yankees hair policy states that, "All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar. "[19] One of the strongest moments of dissent came during the 1991 New York Yankees season, when Don Mattingly was fined and removed from the starting lineup for refusing to cut his hair. section: | slug: andrew-mccutchen-criticizes-yankees-hair-policy-it-takes-away-from-our-individualism | sport: baseball | route: article_single.us | [38] The terms of Steinbrenner's appearance policy, meanwhile, were inspired by that of the Cincinnati Reds, who forbid their players from growing their hair past their collar or sporting any form of facial hair besides short sideburns. While facial hair was common in the early era of Major League Baseball (MLB), it had fallen out of fashion by the early 20th century, and instances of players growing beards and mustaches during the baseball season became rare. Yankee management ordered Don Mattingly to get a hair cut, who was sporting a mullet-like hair style. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. The next year, seven of Oregon States 18 black athletes transferred, including four of the six football players. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). It wasnt until 1968, the, first year over 15 percent of Major League Baseballs players were black, and over 25 percent were men of color, that the leagues executives considered a league-wide ban on mustaches, beards, and extreme sideburns.. Employers, school officials, and prison administrators have given a number of reasons for regulations determining hair length and hair styles; among them are identification, safety, hygiene, and appropriateness., However, Major League Baseball franchises, such as the New York Yankees would not fall under a governmental objective or legitimate business. He was fined and punished for disobeying their orders. [46] Mattingly softened the Marlins' grooming policy before the 2017 season,[47] and when Derek Jeter, another former Yankee, became CEO of the franchise in 2018, he promised that players could keep their facial hair as long as it was "well groomed". But when Hodges took to the mat for his first match of the NCAA Championship tournament, the referee stopped him. The world has changed, and the Yanks are ironically hurting their image rather than protecting their image by continuing to obstinately insist that the rule should continue to remain in place. Were not going to pretend were something we arent. He seems to be one of the first "star" players to call out the Yankees antiquated facial hair policy. pic.twitter.com/k8xhPuPnYS. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Is this something the Yankees really want to defend in 2022? Agent tells Brian Cashman that Wilson won't shave his beard. Chances are it wont last long this time either. Ironically, though, Mattinglys clash with management over his hair actually occurred when Steinbrenner was (temporarily) banned from baseball. dark. 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! Maybe that wont matter for the Marlins, a team too cheap to make waves in the free agent market anyway. [48], Logos and uniforms of the New York Yankees, "A History With Hair as Old as Baseball Itself", "Today in Baseball History: Oakland's Mustache Gang is born", "TBT: '72 A's hold memorable 'Mustache Day', "Andrew McCutchen Is Right to Question the Yankees' Outdated Grooming Policy", "First Look at Rougned Odor's Clean-Shaven Face With Yankees", "Cole's 1st side effect in pinstripes? David Price. 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. And why not? What would happen if say, I dont know Aaron Judge showed up to spring training and said he was keeping the beard? Believe it or not, the Yankees have actually passed up on players who would not shave. In 2016 the Miami Marlins banned facial hair but abolished the policy one year later. Andrew McCutchen, who played for the New York Yankees in 2018, believes the Yankees should change their famous hair policy. Furthermore, the rights of uniformed governmental officers, such as the police or those in the military, differ significantly from other public employees (or, for that matter,the average citizen)., Nonetheless, private organizations or companies, like the New York Yankees, can set limits on grooming, dress attire and even facial hair. I woke up this morning, got a shave and came here. Plus, if he felt that strongly about the policy, why did he agree to play for the Yanks? You can rule out Brian Wilson to the Yankees. As a well respected and veteran ballplayer, American society is dramatically different. In fact, many believe that is one of the main reasons behind Steinbrenners action. Is it Secretarys Day? Steinbrenner later recalled.