Players who dramatically changed their look for the New York Yankees

Playing for the New York Yankees comes with its own set of expectations. Not only do players have to produce on the field; they also have to look a certain way while doing so. There are no exceptions, either.

We'll take a look at the longstanding team rule that forced one player to adjust his signature look, for what ended up being a very brief time on the team.

Sporting News and others trace the policy against long hair and beards back to the 1970s, when the Yankees were owned by George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was a military man himself, having served in the United States Air Force. The armed forces are historically known for implementing certain appearance rules for their soldiers.

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The Yankees decided to make this policy permanent in 1976, by unveiling it as part of their baseline rules. “No beards. No beads. No mutton chops. No long hair. No stirrups,” it said. Steinbrenner and then-manager Billy Martin called it the “Neatness Counts” policy.

While the specificity of the original word ruling may be more entertaining, the Yankees have since edited the policy to read, “All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches (except for religious reasons), and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar. Long sideburns and ‘mutton chops’ are not specifically banned.”

With that context in mind, we can now delve into the situation involving relief pitcher Phil Bickford. He’s been in the major leagues since 2020, and started his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. Bickford would go on to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets through 2023.

After posting a combined 4.95 ERA with the Dodgers and Mets in 2023, Bickford was seeking a new team ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal in April 2024, and he performed well in the minors. With New York needing a boost out of their bullpen in June 2024, they called Bickford up.

Of course, Bickford had to adhere to the Yankees appearance rules. Throughout his major league career prior to that point, the reliever had been known for his long blond hair that would reach shoulder-length at certain points. But he would soon have to change his look drastically.

New York’s regulations on this topic are strict, so Bickford had no choice but to cut the flowing locks. There was only one problem, though: Bickford didn’t have a particularly strong performance for the Yankees. He appeared in five games, and pitched to a 14.40 ERA. The Yankees then chose to designate him for assignment, which cut him from the roster, pun intended.

Some on social media realized the irony of this, as Bickford had to cut off his trademark hair for what ended up being less than a week’s worth of games. According to NJ’s website, leaving the Yankees might be the best thing for Bickford, who can re-grow his hair and find a team that is more suited for his style of pitching.

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According to the New York Times, Yankees team barber David Castillo charges $100 per haircut, which made some of the team's minor league players a little nervous due to its high price. At spring training, they didn't have much of a choice but to get in line with the policy.

MLB veteran Alex Verdugo joined the Yankees in 2024, and heard some of his younger teammates worrying about the cost of the haircut. According to the New York Times, he agreed to pay for the haircut of any player who had less than two years of MLB service time.

Phil Bickford joins a long list of players who have had to make some adjustments to their traditional look. We’ll take a look at some others who have had to part ways with their long hair or facial fur. Some examples are players who are Hall of Fame caliber, but still had to follow the rule.

Johnny Damon was a longstanding rival of the Yankees as a member of the Boston Red Sox. As Boston’s leadoff hitter, Damon had long hair and a very bushy beard. However, that all changed when he joined the Yankees ahead of the 2006 season.

The Yankees signed Damon to a four-year, $52 million deal, which is a price the Red Sox were not willing to meet as he entered his age-32 campaign. ESPN wrote about the makeover he had to get before setting foot in a Yankee uniform for spring training. Steinbrenner said at the time, “He looks like a Yankee, he sounds like a Yankee and he is a Yankee.”

Damon had some company when it came to switching up appearances. Randy Johnson also had to go through a bit of a facelift when he joined the team in 2005. His 6’10” frame, long hair and wicked fastball made him one of the most intimidating pitchers of his era. The Score’s website believes that he looked “weird” during his tenure with New York with his haircut.

During his heyday with the Oakland Athletics, Jason Giambi sported a goatee and long hair. He also knew the deal when it came to being a Yankee, though, as he gave up the facial hair and hairstyle to fit in with his new teammates. Giambi did have a notable mustache as a Yankee, which ESPN took a closer look at.

Nick Swisher’s tenure with the New York Yankees was entertaining to say the least. Pinstripe Alley calls him one of the most popular players on the 2009 title team, alongside the likes of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. He had a much more unique look when he was with the Athletics and Chicago White Sox, before joining the Yankees in 2009.

The most recent prominent example of the haircut rule coming into play with a star involves ace starter Gerrit Cole. The New York Post wrote that he knew his beard has to disappear before his opening press conference with the team in 2019. Manager Aaron Boone remarked, “cleans up pretty well, doesn’t he” after Cole arrived at the team function.

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