Logos and Uniforms of The New York Yankees - Personal Appearance

Personal Appearance

Under George Steinbrenner, long hair and facial hair below the lip are prohibited; the practice has been continued under Hal Steinbrenner when control of the Yankees was transferred to him after the 2008 season. Players who do not fit these criteria must shave the excess hair. In the past, visible tattoos were also prohibited and players wore navy blue arm bands to cover them, although this practice has since been ceased.

Although this is a policy that all baseball teams once had, the Yankees are currently the only team with such a policy and have gotten notoriety enforcing it. Many players, most notably Reggie Jackson, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Johnny Damon, and Randy Johnson either had long hair, significant facial hair, or both before playing for the Yankees, but were clean-cut by the time they had their press conferences unveiling them as members of the Yankees.

There have been some defiances of the dress code, however. Most notable incident involved pitcher Goose Gossage, who had a horseshoe mustache in deliberate defiance of George Steinbrenner. Jackson, though he currently sports only a mustache as a "special assistant" with the organization, did have a full beard during parts of his stay with the Yankees. Don Mattingly, the face of the franchise for the 1980s and the first half the 1990s, was briefly benched in 1991 for letting his hair grow too long, and the team did not let him play until it was cut.

Several players, including Clemens, Giambi, Sheffield, Johnson, Damon, and David Wells, all grew significant facial hair after their departures from the organization. Journeyman outfielder Darnell McDonald had long dreadlocks throughout his career and had to cut them when joining the Yankees despite only being on their roster for three days when the Yankees released him.

The Yankees are so well known with the dress code that players for other teams have been rumored to be signing for the Yankees if they adopt a clean-cut look before actually signing with them. In December 2012, San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum, known for his long locks, cut his hair short. Although his hair was short during his rookie season with the Giants in 2007, one Twitter comment joked that he may be preparing to play for the Yankees in 2014, since he is entering a contract year with the Giants in 2013.