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It's a debate that always comes up when the Yankees add, or are on the verge of adding, a player of the shaggy variety: Should the team's appearance policy barring long hair and facial hair be retired?
Don Mattingly was benched and fined for not cutting his hair. Johnny Damon received a night-and-day makeover when he came over from the Red Sox. Clint Frazier had his long, red locks sheered. And just last year, Andrew McCutchen shaved his beard.
Now with the Yanks in hot pursuit of free agent pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who sports a signature bushy beard, WFAN's Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti renewed the debate over the Yankees' decadeslong policy.
Keuchel, for the record, has said he's willing to shave for the Yankees, WFAN baseball insider Jon Heyman reported.
"They've had it ever since George Steinbrenner put it into place, and I think it's due in large part to his military background," Esiason said on Tuesday's "Boomer and Gio" show. "Plus he wanted guys to look clean shaven, he wanted them to represent the Yankee brand in a certain way, in a military way, if you will.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with having a policy like that, and if you want to play, you want to wear that uniform and you want to be a part of history and be a part of something that's bigger than you as an individual, then follow the rules."
Added Giannotti: "It does seem a little bit archaic. I think we've gotten used to it by now. But those are the rules. I don't think they go overboard with it. It's not like they've got 50 things that you can't be or can't look like."
But the conversation did lead to some hypotheticals, including one from producer Al Dukes, which was relayed by Giannotti.
"What Al saying was earlier, which was interesting, is you can have a bunch of neck tattoos but no facial hair," Gio said. "What if someone tattooed a beard on his face? How would they go with that?"
Giannotti also wondered if the Yankees' policy would ever have a breaking point.
"Let's say Dallas Keuchel was No. 1, top of their wish list, they had to get him, they felt like they were in a battle -- which they're not going to be -- with the Red Sox on Dallas Keuchel," he said. "Let's say that was the case just for argument's sake, and Dallas Keuchel said, 'Nope, can't shave the beard for you guys.' Is that going to be the thing that they decide 'this guy, who we think can help us win a championship because he won't shave the beard we're going to let him go somewhere else'?"
To listen to the open from Tuesday's show, click on the audio player above.