Exciting news for fans: After nearly five decades, the New York Yankees are lifting the ban on beards for their players.

In a recent announcement, team owner Hal Steinbrenner revealed that he consulted both current and former players regarding the previous rule that restricted facial hair. As a result, the Yankees will now allow “well-groomed beards.”

Steinbrenner stated, “These recent discussions are part of an ongoing internal dialogue that has been happening for years. It feels like the right moment to evolve beyond our previous policy.”

This announcement follows a team photo that featured pitcher Devin Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, who sported facial hair that had previously been prohibited. Williams maintained a beard during his time with the Brewers.

The Yankees’ grooming guidelines were originally established by George Steinbrenner, Hal’s father and previous team owner, in the 1970s. The policy disallowed any facial hair aside from mustaches (with exceptions for religious beliefs) and restricted players, coaches, and male executives from sporting scalp hair longer than collar length.

George Steinbrenner, who passed away in 2010, defended the policy, claiming it was a way to encourage discipline within the team. He famously mentioned to The New York Times in 1978 that he aimed to cultivate a sense of pride among players as members of the Yankees.

Over the years, many players have complied with this policy, although some faced backlash. Notably, Yankees captain Don Mattingly was benched in 1991 for refusing to cut his hair, a moment later parodied in a 1992 episode of “The Simpsons.” In 2020, former Yankee Andrew McCutchen expressed that joining the team would have been challenging due to his dreadlocks, which he wore earlier in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and urged the organization to reevaluate the policy.

The strict tradition has deterred certain players from joining the Yankees. In 2013, general manager Brian Cashman mentioned that he chose against trading for Brian Wilson because of his refusal to shave. Similarly, pitcher David Price declared in 2013 that he was unwilling to play for the Yankees due to the grooming guidelines.

Many players who transferred to the Yankees from other teams, such as Gerrit Cole, Johnny Damon, and recent offseason signings Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, chose to remove their beards upon joining the franchise.