This is New York Yankees outfield prospect Clint Frazier.
MLB.com has him listed as baseball’s No. 24 overall prospect, and he’s No. 2 in the Yankees’ system behind shortstop Gleyber Torres. New York acquired Frazier at the non-waiver trade deadline last season when it sent reliever Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians. And as you can see, Frazier also has a rather glorious red mane.
Well, he did. Until it became such a “distraction” — in the words of Yankees manager Joe Girardi — in spring training that the organization made him buzz it off.
Clint Frazier had his hair buzzed this morning. He said that he talked to Joe Girardi and they agreed it had become a distraction.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 10, 2017
Joe Girardi said that Clint Frazier's hair did not violate the Yankees' policy, but that "it had become a distraction" in camp.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 10, 2017
Good morning, @Yankees fans. The Yankees barbershop is open for business…first customer, @clintfrazier. pic.twitter.com/9dM8r5bVwa
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) March 10, 2017
It’s disappointing to see these policies continue when MLB is trying to gain more fans, as letting players have their own styles and personalities makes the game more fun. Not to mention, it’s a bad look for the Yankees, who are telling their fans a player’s hairstyle is “distracting” to his teammates. Plenty of players on other teams sport long hair and beards with no problem and — gasp! — even make it to the playoffs, something the Yankees have done only once in the last four seasons.
It’s kind of a public relations nightmare considering the Yankees have been drawing plenty of criticism for re-signing closer Aroldis Chapman, who served a 30-game suspension for domestic violence last season. Co-owner Hal Steinbrenner already rubbed people the wrong way when he said he expected everyone to just forget about the incident, and the optics of saying long hair is distracting, but that allegedly firing a gun while your girlfriend calls 911 from the bushes isn’t, are terrible.
But, hey, at least Frazier won’t be distracting anyone with his red locks anymore.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
