One of the players most dramatically affected by the Yankees’ long-standing policy on beards and long hair believes they should keep the “tradition.”
Johnny Damon, who cut his locks and shaved his facial hair after leaving the Red Sox for the Yankees in 2006, said he learned about Hal Steinbrenner’s Friday announcement about the reversal while on a Virgin cruise.
“I just heard that the Yankees are not requiring people to cut the hair, trim their beards- — you could always have your [mustache] — but I think we need to keep it how it was with respect to Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter and Mariano [Rivera],” Damon said in an Instagram video. “…The Yankees are a tradition. Let’s keep it.
“I cut these lovely locks off many years ago because George Steinbrenner is such a great human being, such a great boss, that I wasn’t even going to question it.
“Everyone, let’s keep the policies the same, listen to your bosses, always bring your A-game, and let’s go.”
While he was listing those franchise legends, Damon also noted that former teammate Jorge Posada “should be a Hall of Famer in my book.”
Hal Steinbrenner announced in a press conference alongside general manager Brian Cashman on Friday that the team would be amending the organization’s time-honored policy instituted nearly five decades earlier by his late father.
The younger Steinbrenner acknowledged the tradition was “outdated” and “somewhat unreasonable.”
The team now will allow players and uniformed personnel to grow “well-groomed” facial hair, although the rule concerning no hair below the collar remains unchanged.
“Winning was the most important thing to my father,” Steinbrenner said. “If somebody came and told him that they were very sure this could affect us getting the players we want to get … If something like this would detract from that or lessen our chances, I don’t know, I think he might be a little more apt to do the change that I did than people think because it was about winning.”
