Josh Reddick Trims His Beard

Guys, Josh Reddick cut his beard! #Athletics twitter.com/Alleycat17/sta…

— April Whitzman (@Alleycat17) April 21, 2013

When Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick stepped to the plate for the first time against the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday, he stood in his normal stance, held his bat the normal way and swung as he normally would. But something was different - Reddick had trimmed his hair and his beard.

The change came as a shock to many as Reddick had been proudly boasting about his wonderful beard. In fact, in March, he accepted a challenge from another proud beard owner, WWE performer Daniel Bryan. The terms of the ‘beard-off’ challenge stated that the winner with the best beard would be awarded at the end of the year and the loser must shave immediately.

As such, Saturday’s new look sent fans using social media into a panic, suggesting Reddick had abandoned the challenge. Reddick, however, wasted no time responding to his critics. "How dare you say I forfeit,” he tweeted. “I have until the end of the year. Once the season is over. It's Beardoff time."

If you could offer Reddick any tips for speeding up or improving his beard by year's end, what would you suggest? Comment below.