Don Mattingly Bans Facial Hair For Marlins

On Sunday, incoming Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly banned facial hair for the entire team.

Don Mattingly Bans Facial Hair For Marlins

“Guys will whine,” former Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Mattingly said. “Some guys like it, some guys won’t. As long as we’re consistent, I think it’s not that big of a deal.”

This is a significant move for the coach, particularly because Mattingly has never imposed a rule banning facial hair in his entire coaching career. However, that rule was enforced during his time as a player for the New York Yankees, who banned their players from wearing facial hair beyond mustaches and from growing their hair long. Mattingly broke the rule in 1991, and was famously benched after he refused to cut his hair. Back then, he said he staged a protest because he said the rule wasn’t being enforced equitably among the players.

The Marlins players have thus far seemed receptive to the new rule. “I’m afraid I’m going to look 16,” said 23-year-old pitcher Jose Fernandez, who shaved after reporting to camp. “But it’s not a big deal. Whatever the rules are, we’re going to follow them.”

The Marlins have not had a winning season since 2009, so this could simply be a new experiment of sorts.

“Many felt the Marlins grossly underachieved last season, so perhaps Mattingly’s idea is to engage his players right away and channel the response into a greater focus on the task at hand,” wrote one journalist at Yahoo News. “That’s one possibility anyway. Another is that it’s just a silly, outdated line of thinking that will fall flat and make Mattingly look more like a dictator than a manager.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 15:  Manager Don Mattingly #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks with manager Terry Collins #10 of the New York Mets before game five of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 15, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)