Yankees have new rule for outfielder Alex Verdugo
When you become a member of the New York Yankees, players are required to ditch their facial hair, particularly their beards. Alex Verdugo has gone clean shaven since joining the Bronx Bombers, but now there’s a new rule that has been put in place for the outfielder.
Verdugo must now scale back on the amount of jewelry he wears during the game.
According to Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone told Verdugo he is only permitted to wear one chain per game.
Verdugo has worn many chains during games while a member of the Red Sox in the past.
“It’s kind of been hard, man,” Verdugo told Rieken. “Because usually I’m used to wearing like three of four.”
Verdugo told the AP that he generally packs six chains with him per road trip and has been doing that for years. There’s one chain in particular that has special meaning to him, and he doesn’t wear it often.
"My favorite chain is actually a custom one that I got built for my mom, who was going through breast cancer," he told the AP. "I did breast cancer ribbons with hearts connecting all of them. So, that's actually my favorite chain. But I don't wear it a lot because I don't want to break it."
The Yankees continuing to force antiquated rules on their players around facial hair and chains is weird, but also part of the mystique of being able to wear pinstripes.
New York acquired Verdugo in the offseason in a four player trade that sent pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice back to Boston.
Since joining the Yankees, Verdugo is 4-for-25 (.160) with a .214 on-base percentage, .280 slugging percentage, one homer, three runs, three RBIs, two walks, and two strikeouts.
