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Johnny Damon Relays Surprising Opinion on Yankees Rescinding Facial Hair Policy

The center fielder had to part ways with his beard and luscious locks upon signing with New York in 2006.

Mike Kadlick

Damon played with the Yankees from 2006 to '09.
Damon played with the Yankees from 2006 to '09. / Howard Smith-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees amended one of their long-standing team policies last week, as managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner announced on Friday that they'll now allow both players and uniformed personnel to "grow well-groomed" beards moving forward.

While some current Yankees will likely be thrilled by the amended policy, there were plenty of past greats who were forced to abide by it. One in particular is former center fielder Johnny Damon, who despite having to cut his long-flowing hair and filled-in beard before signing with New York in 2005, is not a fan of the rule change.

"I just heard that the Yankees are not requiring people to cut their hair and trim their beards..." the two-time All-Star said in a video he posted to Instagram. "I think we need to keep it how it was, with respect to Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter and Mariano [Rivera]..."

"The Yankees are a tradition," Damon continued. "Let's keep it. I cut these lovely locks off many years ago because George Steinbrenner is such a great human being, such a great boss, that I wasn't even going to question it. Let's keep the policies the same. Listen to your bosses, always bring your A-game, and let's go!"

Damon was a fan favorite during his time with the Boston Red Sox, becoming one of the faces of the team dubbed "The Idiots" while playing an integral part in their 2004 World Series win. He broke those same fans' hearts just over a year later when he signed a four-year, $52 million with their rival Yankees—shaving his famous hair and beard in the process.

He's since regrown both, as you can see in the above video.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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