TAMPA — Devin Williams spoke with Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman last week to express his preference for maintaining his beard, but he didn't think anything would come.
By Friday, the Yankees New Cross was delighted when the organization announced it was easing its facial hair policy, which had been intact for nearly 50 years.
“It's been a long tradition, but I respect that,” Williams said Saturday morning inside the Yankees Clubhouse in Stein Brenner Field. “I'm happy with this decision [Steinbrenner] I made it. “
“Personally, it's the look I like. That's how I feel most comfortable with myself.”
Williams, who was traded with the Yankees by the brewer in December, still had a beard when he reported on his body last week, but shaved it and kept his mustache on the first day of training. Although he wasn't excited about it.
However, the right-hander became a free agent at the end of the season and said it was part of his decision on whether he wanted to re-sign if his policy had not changed.
“That's certainly something I'll consider,” Williams said. “When it comes to it when you're talking about coming here, it's definitely a conversation. It's something everyone knows well, and some people aren't OK with that.”
Williams was in a tough place because he was swapped with an organization rather than making a decision to sign here.
However, he noted that while he was still intact last week, he shaved his beard to maintain his policy, but he had a notable stubble on Tuesday's Yankees photo day.
“I obviously shaved my beard so I followed the policy,” he said. “But now, I'm happy that it changed.”
Meanwhile, Aaron's judge said he was “undetectedly shocked” by the decision, but he understood why Stein Brenner made it – so that the Yankees would not lose to players who don't want to come there. I wanted to do it.
Still, the judge spoke to Steinbrenner that he hoped to maintain the other rules.
“It was one of my big things. The rules are all about discipline, especially playing with the Yankees,” the judge said Saturday. “It's a disciplined group, especially playing with the Yankees. That's one of the things I've learned all the time from minor leagues. You have certain rules to teach you discipline and teach you a certain way. You can. That was my big concern. A lot of these rules didn't want to start a change. Many of these make us separate and the New York Yankees the standard.”
