NY Yankees reverse decades-old facial hair policy

The New York Yankees have changed their players’ and staff’s “well-groomed beards,” a 49-year-old facial hair policy.

A player’s hair was prohibited from touching their collars in previous club rules, and beards were not.

After speaking with “a large number of former and current Yankees,” team chairman Hal Steinbrenner made the announcement on Friday prior to the team’s spring training opener.

He continued, “It is the right time to change from our previous policy’s familiar comfort.”

We will be changing our expectations so that our players and uniformed personnel can continue to sport well-groomed beards after careful consideration, according to the final decision.

The former rules dating back to 1976 were imposed by Steinbrenner’s father George, whose hands on approach to ownership of the franchise earned him the nickname, ‘ The Boss’.

The 27-time World Series winners have recently received a lot of negative feedback from both the media and the players who have appeared for them.

In 1991, former Yankees player Don Mattingly was infamous for refusing to cut his hair and received a suspension and a fine.

And as recently as Monday, the Yankees had reminders written on each player’s clubhouse chair that they had to arrive clean shaven the following morning for photo day.

Closer Devin Williams, acquired in an off-season trade from Milwaukee, had hair on his chin for his photo.