Not everyone is throwing away their razors in the New York Yankees clubhouse. A day after owner Hal Steinbrenner shocked baseball by announcing that he had rescinded the Yankees’ total ban on beards, captain Aaron Judge expressed his surprise at the decision.
“That was one of my big things – rules are all about discipline, especially playing with the Yankees,” Judge told the New York Post. “It’s a disciplined group. That’s one thing I learned all the way from the minor leagues up. You have those certain rules that teach you discipline, teach you a certain way.”
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge
Dave Nelson-Imagn Images
Judge is concerned that lifting the beard ban could lead to more changes. He doesn’t want to see the standards lowered.
“That was my big concern. I didn’t want a lot of these rules to start changing,” Judge added. “A lot of these separate us and make the New York Yankees the standard.”
Judge said he understands why the Yankees allowed uniformed personnel to wear a “well-groomed” beard, though. He doesn’t have to look far to see one of the reasons.
Closer Devin Williams admitted he felt uncomfortable shaving a beard he had worn for six years after being traded to New York. He pointed out that he did comply with the rules, though he did have the shadow of a beard coming in when the rule change was announced.
Williams told the Post that the beard ban would have factored into his decision on where to sign next offseason, with free agency looming next season.
“It’s something that I would consider, for sure,” Williams said. “It’s definitely a conversation when that comes up when you’re talking about coming here. It’s something everyone’s well aware of, and some guys aren’t OK with it.”
Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged that his father, “The Boss,” would not have wanted the Yankees to lose a free agent over the ban.
“If it was costing us players, I think my dad would have been upset about that,” Steinbrenner said.
Former Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain and former MLB outfielder Cameron Maybin, who played with the Yankees among his many teams, have both spoken out about the rule on social media and advocated for change.
With the ban lifted, the Yankees will determine whether this decision impacts the clubhouse, team culture and future signings.