Former New York Yankees Boss Had Perfect Answer for Lou Piniella and His Facial Hair

The late owner told his manager to get a shave and to cut his hair before the remainder of the team reported for spring training one season.

Jun 17, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees former manager Lou Piniella at the Old Timer's Day ceremony at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees eradicated the no facial hair edict on Friday, which has been in place since the late George M. Steinbrenner took control of the team from CBS in 1973.

Steinbrenner's eldest son Hal, the managing partner of the Yankees, delivered the news which came a little late for new, New York free agent pitcher Devin Williams. The closer, formerly of the Milwaukee Brewers, cut his hair and shaved his trademark beard which he wore for the last six years before reporting to spring training.

The whole facial hair saga has reminds us of a story told by longtime Yankees' blogger A.J. Martelli. It involves former Yankees manager Lou Piniella and George M. Steinbrenner himself.

Statement from Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner on the alteration of Yankees facial hair policy: pic.twitter.com/UdEuAg3gZy

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 21, 2025

Piniella, who played for the Yankees prior to becoming the team's manager, showed up for spring training one year with long hair and mutton chops on his face. He was told to hit the showers and to shave before he walked back in the dugout.

As Martelli would tell the story, Piniella got into a theological discussion with the Boss about the history of a famous face who had long hair and a beard.

"Jesus Christ had long hair and a beard,” Piniella told Steinbrenner. “Why can’t we have beards and long hair?”

Steinbrenner thought about it long and hard. Steinbrenner, according to Martelli, took Piniella to a pond which was behind the old Fort Lauderdale Yankee Stadium where the team used to train before they moved to Tampa.

"You see that pond?” Steinbrenner asked Piniella. “Walk across that pond and you can have a beard and long hair.”

And with that Piniella shaved the mutton chops off his face and got a haircut. Steinbrenner was always affable and had the ability to tell a good story, as legend would have it.

That was the type of power The Boss evoked. The Yankees' no facial hair policy has been in existence since the family purchased the team. The edict was buried on Friday with a stroke of the pen.

The famed television show "Seinfeld" even had a Steinbrenner character whom they portrayed with wit and humor. He was the boss of co-star George Costanza who, on the show, worked for the Yankees.

According to Martelli, Steinbrenner once said about the character, "you have to laugh at yourself, sometimes."

No one was laughing at The Boss when he ran the Yankees. Under his direction, the Yankees won the American League Championship 11 times and won seven World Series.

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