George Steinbrenner adopted the New York Yankees facial hair policy in 1976, announcing that Yankees players were banned from having long hair, sideburns or beards. On Friday, Steinbrenner’s son announced the Yankees facial hair policy is over.
For decades, New York was rigid with its players about being clean-shaven in team photos and having a ‘presentable’ look that only allowed for short hair and mustaches. Nearly 15 years after George Steinbrenner passed away, his son announced on Friday that his father’s “outdated” rule would be a thing of the past.
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According to Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of the Athletic, the catalyst behind the Yankees’ decision to change the facial hair policy was reportedly All-Star reliever Devin Williams.
Williams, who the club acquired this offseason, requested a meeting with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner last week. During that sit-down, he expressed concerns about the policy and expressed some frustration over being forced to shave his beard.
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- Devin Williams stats (ESPN): 1.25 EA, 0.97 WHIP, .488 OPS allowed in 21.2 innings pitched last season
The 30-year-old showed “resistance” to the facial hair policy at the start of spring training. Williams reported to camp with a full beard and didn’t shave until the morning of the club’s first workout. He also technically broke the team policy for photos, displaying noticeable stubble on the team photos when players are instructed to be clean-shaven.
While Williams might’ve helped get the ball rolling, Steinbrenner also admitted the policy was “outdated” and that he spoke to Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton about making a change. With the Yankees leadership in favor of abandoning the rule, it was announced on Friday.
- Devin Williams contract (Spotrac): $8.6 million salary in 2025, MLB free agent in 2025-’26
It could help the Yankees long-term. Williams shared that he knows multiple players who weren’t ok with the previous rule and had at least some reservations about playing for the club because of it. While it certainly won’t have a significant impact on what players the Yankees land, it will increase the club’s odds of re-signing Williams next offseason.
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