Changing stripes: Yankees to allow 'well-groomed beards'
In a statement announcing the decision, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said the organization will allow "well-groomed beards" effective immediately, changing a rule his father, George, established in 1976. The modification does not address the organization's policy on hair length, which stipulates that uniformed personnel are not allowed to grow hair below their collar.
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"If I ever found out that a player we wanted to acquire to make us better, to get us a championship, did not want to be here and, if he had the ability, would not come here because of that policy, as important as it is to that generation, that would be very, very concerning," Steinbrenner said. "And I'm fairly convinced that that's a real concern."