Johnny Damon is not happy with the changes. The New York Yankees have long stood for tradition, enforcing stricter rules than any other MLB team followed by legends such as Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Damon himself. The former Yankees and Red Sox star voiced his displeasure after hearing that owner Hal Steinbrenner amended the team’s long-standing beard ban for the upcoming season.
Damon took time out of his vacation to share his thoughts on Instagram.
“I think we need to keep it how it was with respect to Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, and Mariano. Jorge Posada should be a Hall of Famer in my book, and the Yankees are a tradition. Let’s keep it,” Damon said from the deck of a Virgin cruise ship. “I cut these lovely locks off many years ago, and because George Steinbrenner is such a great human being, such a great boss, that I wasn’t even going to question it.”
Damon was once part of the Red Sox’s famed big-beard brigade, known for his long, flowing hair, before signing with the Yankees in January 2006. Upon joining the team, he complied with the Yankees’ grooming policy, arriving with a clean-shaven face and a haircut that met the rule that hair could not reach the collar.
Damon was a key contributor to the Yankees’ last World Series championship in 2009, his final season in pinstripes.
He is not alone in opposing the rule change. Yankees captain Aaron Judge told reporters that he spoke with Steinbrenner before the decision and advocated for keeping the no-long-hair rule, believing it instills discipline among players.
Pitcher Jake Cousins said the Yankees’ rules seemed intimidating when he was traded to New York, but he ultimately grew to appreciate their tradition.
Reactions to the change across Major League Baseball have been mixed. Some players praised the Yankees for modernizing their policies, while others valued the tradition.
Whether the Yankees have a clean-shaven roster or a squad full of bearded Bronx Bombers, all that really matters is if they can snap their World Series drought in October.