The Boss’s ruling was final. When George Steinbrenner III bought the New York Yankees from CBS in 1973, he had promised to stay out of the management’s way. But things changed soon after as the Boss began to micromanage the club. He famously enforced his strict ‘no facial hair’ policy in 1976. Many players, including Derek Jeter, have commented on it before and not everyone was happy.

For a man who was supposed to stay away from day-to-day management, his grooming policy is still enforced. Players have refused to sign with the pinstripes simply because of their military-style haircut and facial hair rules. And while the former Yankee captain usually adhered to the regulations, he once opened up about how Steinbrenner never let anything escape his eagle eye.

Derek Jeter Reveals the True Lengths George Steinbrenner Would Go to For Rule Enforcement

Going for a clean-shaven, minimalistic hair look, Derek Jeter usually played with next to no hair on his face and head. But as soon as he retired, the former Captain started sporting a beard that has not left him since. The current Yankees too sport beards, however light, during the offseason, indicating maybe that is how they’d truly like to look during the season as well. George Steinbrenner passed away in 2010 but the aftereffects of his ruling still remain.

In an interview with GQ earlier this year, Jeter revealed the lengths the Boss would go to to ensure hair was kept cut short. “The Boss was big on rules. He would call down sometimes and have guys shave between innings, you know if their beards got a little bit long. He really paid attention,” the retired ballplayer said.

The idea was to keep it ‘professional’ and some blamed Steinbrenner’s military background as the reason for the look. Jeter never publicly spoke out against the rule enforcement but his true feelings showed when he became the co-CEO of the Miami Marlins.

Jeter Handled the Marlins Differently

Before Captain Clutch stepped in, another retired Yankee used to man the reins of the Marlins – Don Mattingly. Donnie Baseball famously clashed with Steinbrenner in 1991, when he was benched because he refused to shave his mullet. Nevertheless, when he joined the Marlins as coach and manager, he enforced Miami’s strict grooming policies too.

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But things changed once Derek Jeter joined the club. “You want people to look professional,” he said at the time. “I think if you look professional, you act professional…[Players are] individuals, they have their personalities. You want them to be able to represent themselves and their families and the organization. But you want them to do that in a professional manner.”

Individual representation is exactly the argument many bring forward when talking about policies from a bygone era. While the Yankees have tried to keep up with the times, this one rule still irks many.

Maybe it’s time to change things up and allow players more freedom. Baseball is a team sport and uniformity is important, but in a country that focuses on the individual, personal freedom is just as essential.

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