For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Yankees will allow their players and uniformed staff to grow beards — so long as they are “well-groomed” — as Hal Steinbrenner announced on Friday that the organization was relaxing its facial hair policy that had been instituted by his father, George, in 1976.

The big news from the New York Yankees' spring training as the team opened camp this week was the change in the organization's long-standing facial hair policy. For the past 49 years, beards were not allowed among Yankees players.