Marlins adopt strict no facial hair policy

February 21st, 2016
Then and now: A bearded Mike Dunn from last August; the reliever clean-shaven on Friday. (AP)

JUPITER, Fla. -- Razors are in and beards are out at Marlins camp.
Part of the organizational makeover, which included hiring Don Mattingly as manager, is adopting a complete no facial hair policy. It's a total clean-cut look -- no mustaches, goatees or trimmed beards allowed.
The Marlins want to keep the focus on the field, and one of the most noticeable steps taken is to have uniformity when it comes to facial hair. The last time the club had a strict facial hair policy was in 2006, when Joe Girardi was managing.

Since then, it's been more relaxed. There have been years where goatees, but not beards, were allowed. The past two seasons, the team allowed beards and longer hair.
Rather than switch gears from year-to-year, Mattingly said Sunday the organization came up with its strict policy.
"What do we want?" Mattingly said. "Whatever we want, let's do it and leave it. We can't have a guy we bring in do this, and then we're like, 'We'll do it now.' Then you go back the next year. Let's get what we want and set it."
The players were given advance notice about the change.
Toward the end of last season, some of the players had beards grown out a bit, like reliever Mike Dunn, who now sports a clean face.
"No facial hair is what it is," Dunn said. "I came up with the Yankees. Just happens to be that was the last time I took a razor to the face.
"We're trying to establish a new beginning and just go with it. You come in every year knowing what it's going to be."
Naturally, there were some rumblings.
"Initially, not too many guys were happy about it," Dunn said. "Obviously, I shaved. It grows back."
Dunn came up with the Yankees, who have a clean-look policy, although they allow mustaches.
In 2012, the Marlins were allowed to have beards. In '13, no beards but goatees were acceptable. The past two seasons, players could pretty much do what they wanted, as long as they kept it neat.
"My wife isn't going to like it, because when the season is over, I'm not going to shave for a long time," Dunn quipped.
From a manager standpoint, Mattingly doesn't have too many hard-and-fast rules. He has no problem, for instance, with music playing in the clubhouse.
"I like music in the clubhouse," Miami's new skipper said. "I like it before games. I like it after games. I like it loose. As long as players can work it out. If players can work it out, I'm good with it. If there is a problem with it, everybody wears headphones."