Don Mattingly Enforcing Marlins No Facial Hair Policy

Don Mattingly famously rebelled against a New York Yankees directive that he cut his hair. Now he’s enforcing a similar rule as the manager of the Miami Marlins.

Yes, Mattingly – the same guy who was benched in 1991 for refusing to trim his hair while a first baseman with the Yankees – is now enforcing a no facial hair rule with the Marlins. He did not have any rules about facial hair during his five years as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Marlins changed their organizational policy about facial hair shortly after the 54-year-old Mattingly was hired, and it’s more than a little ironic that he is the guy being counted on to enforce it. Mattingly said he didn’t really care if the players were allowed to sport facial hair but that he will enforce the rule.

"“Guys will whine. Some guys like it, some guys won’t. As long as we’re consistent, I think it’s not a big deal.”"

Mattingly’s famous spat with Yankees management over the length of his hair was wonderfully spoofed in “Homer at the Bat,” a third-season episode of “The Simpsons.”

I’ll take any excuse I can to show clips from that episode, so kudos for enforcing the new rule Mattingly. And cut those sideburns!