TAMPA, Fla. — Aaron Judge only needed one word to explain how he’ll approach the Yankees’ amended grooming policy.
“No,” the smiling captain said Saturday when asked if he’ll grow a beard now that the Yankees are allowing “well-groomed” ones. Judge sometimes sports facial hair in the offseason, but he doesn’t plan on doing so on the field.
That’s not to say Judge doesn’t support the Yankees’ rule change, which Hal Steinbrenner announced on Friday. However, the reigning MVP was “definitely shocked” by the announcement, and he shared some mixed thoughts on the removal of a policy that was implemented by Steinbrenner’s father, George, in the 1970s.
Steinbrenner reached that decision after years of thinking on the subject and more recent conversations with people inside and outside his organization. Players like Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton were part of those talks, which ultimately left Steinbrenner concerned that the Yankees’ policy could hinder their efforts to acquire and retain talent in a modern world where beards have become the norm.
Judge, who is close with Steinbrenner, didn’t feel as strongly about that.
“If that little rule is going to stop you from coming here, then you probably shouldn’t be here,” Judge said. “If a little rule like that’s going to stop you from doing your job, then — I don’t know. I haven’t heard too much about it stopping guys from coming here, but [Hal] dug in a little more than I did on that.”
Judge added he’s never really gotten the sense that players didn’t want to join the Yankees because of the old rule, though he added “it’s tough to say.”
Judge spoke minutes before Devin Williams talked with reporters.
Williams, acquired from the Brewers over the offseason without any say in the matter, said that the Yankees’ old policy would have factored into his long-term plans.
“It’s something that I would consider, for sure,” said Williams, an impending free agent.
Williams also shared his opinions with Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman after initially reporting to camp with the thick beard he wore in Milwaukee. Williams, clearly unhappy with the old rule, shaved for the Yankees’ first official workout, leaving a permissible mustache. The trim sparked conversation on social media before Williams then took team photos with a noticeable-but-light beard.
The pics were snapped before the Yankees changed their policy.
“That’s my preferred look,” Williams said of his beard. “That’s how I feel most comfortable for myself. I can’t really speak to other people, but I know that’s how I’m most comfortable.”
While Judge didn’t view the Yankees’ former beard ban as the obstacle that Steinbrenner feared it could be, he did understand the owner’s reasoning.
“If this is something that’s going to stop us from winning games, or stop us from getting a player, or stop a certain guy from not performing their best, why would we put that in the way of what our ultimate goal is?” Judge asked. “So that ultimately was the big decision maker right there.”
Still, Judge felt some attachment to the Yankees’ rules of yesteryear, as he’s been shaving since the club drafted him in 2013.
“This is what I know,” Judge said. “This is what I’m used to. When I look around the building and look at old photos of the past legends and people that played here, they all followed that rule. So I just tried to follow their path. But I didn’t really think it was that big of a deal until it really got brought up these past couple weeks.
“I think the rule will be good. I think it’ll help a lot of guys, and if it gets us a couple more players and will help us win games, I think everybody will be on board for that.”
Judge also made it known to Steinbrenner that he wanted the Yankees’ other appearance guidelines, such as outlawing hair below the collar, to remain in place. Steinbrenner didn’t make any other tweaks after announcing the beard change.
While some may find the Yankees’ past and present restrictions “outdated” — a word Steinbrenner used himself when discussing the beard ban — Judge believes the rules set a standard that’s been unique to the organization.
“That’s one thing I learned all the way from the minor leagues up: you have those certain rules that teach you discipline, teach you a certain way,” Judge said. “And that was my big concern. I didn’t want a lot of these rules to start changing. A lot of these separate us and make the New York Yankees a standard.
“I understand the facial hair policy, but let’s keep a lot of these other things in check.”