From Bryan Hoch:
This Yankees team is about to look different than any other in a generation.
Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner announced on Friday that the organization has amended its long-standing facial grooming policy, which had dated to the 1970s. Yankees players, coaches and other uniformed personnel are now permitted to sport “well-groomed beards” moving forward.
No longer must new acquisitions shave facial hair upon arrival. Devin Williams was one recent example; after being acquired from the Brewers in December, the right-handed closer said he hadn’t been clean-shaven for about six years and hoped to keep his beard “as long as I can.”
I think Devin Williams really did make this happen. He had such a normal beard, and he’s such a nice guy, it seemed so pointless to tell him that he couldn’t have it anymore.
The team barber is happy
https://x.com/brendankutynj/status/1893059412924751987?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
For some reason, people are bizarrely tying this into Soto not re-signing. SOTO DOESN’T HAVE A FUCKING BEARD. As I noted, Williams makes sense, but not Soto.
I’m perfectly happy with this.
Yes, I want the Yankees to be and feel different.
But more blandly but dictatorially corporate isn’t the difference I want to root for.
well put
for example I do NOT want names on the unis
Yes! Exactly.
Aaron Judge with Redd Foxx’s beard from Sanford and Sons would look amazing.
concur
Aaron Judge will concur LA this year.
Rodon in form
Spencer with a home run.
https://x.com/snyyankees/status/1893387107231559828
Clearly, the HOPE with Soto was that if they lost him, they could “replace” him with Martian and Jones. That didn’t seem like it would happen with Jones last year, as he was AWFUL, but it is important to note that Judge looked like absolute shit…right until he looked amazing.
Jones’s swing looks like he is trying to follow “Teacherman” Schenck’s method, like Judge before him. It just might work.
Also, that homer followed an automated ball/strike challenge. If a robotic strike zone is ever actually put into place in the big leagues, it will be a tremendous benefit to big-and-tall players like Jones and Judge.
Hadn’t realize that Jones himself hadn’t called the challenge – it was Pereira before him. But still suspect that the big guys like Judge and Jones will enjoy fewer shin-level strikeouts just because umps have trouble adjusting their zone for players of different heights.
Zips had Spencer at #77 which was quite the outlier. He has some chance of being very good and a much greater chance of stinking.
Who’s going to be the Yankees who’s alway asking for a review and is almost always wrong? Donaldson would’ve been.
All the Red Sox, with Pedroia as patron saint of the practice?
Lorenz “Bellinger’s dad had a huge impact.” He did?
A nine-year curse is nothing to sneeze at. Though by that metric, Jerry Hairston, Jr. has had a much larger impact.
Volpe with a couple of misplays but maybe concerning “Jasson Domínguez lost a Colt Keith flyball in the sun in the third, but Domínguez wasn’t so fortunate in the fourth, taking a strange route to an Andy Ibañez flyball that found the grass.
I don’t really have much of an opinion but asking why The Martian isn’t playing center?
I think they think Bellinger is better. The Martian is still learning left, so it’s good he’s getting the growing pains out of the way now.
Is Bellinger someone they’re looking at with long-term major upside?
If not, develop maximum upside in Dominguez, not Bellinger.
If he can figure out left field this season, he’ll easily be able to play center next season when Tucker is in left.
I mean, when you’re good, you’re good.
https://www.mlb.com/news/alex-rodriguez-half-court-shot-bucknell
It is WEIRD how devoted he is to the Yankees when they continually treat him like shit.