Nice swing kid. Now get a haircut.

As baseball begins again, all teams have hope. At least for the day.

What caught my eye this year was this NY Times story about a kid named Frazier.  Since George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973, players on the team have been prohibited from wearing beards and long sideburns, and have been required to keep their hair above the collar. In recent years, the policy has been adhered to largely at the insistence of Jennifer Steinbrenner, one of the four Steinbrenner children who now share in the ownership of the team.

Call it the Yankee code. Call it old fashion. Call it out of touch with today’s society. But, if you do, keep on eye on the scoreboard: the Yankees’ clean cut locks have been as much a part of their pedigree as their 27 World Series titles. I don’t think society needs more rules, and I don’t think we need less rules; I think we need the courage to stick to rules we think serve our values, family and community. I applaud the Steinbrenners for having values and rules, and for keeping them. Look, if you can play for the Yankees, you could probably play for any other team in the Majors, and grow your hair out.

So if you choose to play for the Yankees, you’re going to look like a ball player. In pinstripes. For every home game.