First, the beards. Now, the jerseys.
Multiple Yankees proposed to team decision makers to add an alternate jersey in what would be a seismic uniform shakeup, according to The Athletic.
The Yankees have only used their classic pinstripe white home uniform and their gray road jersey, making them the only team in the majors to not have at least a third uniform, and the reported proposal is to add to the collection navy jerseys with “New York” scripted on the front.
The Bronx Bombers have worn versions of this jersey during spring training, but a source told The Athletic they have not been approved yet for use during real games.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner would be the one to OK such a radical move for a team built on certain longstanding policies, but he bucked convention last year when he approved facial hair.
The team previously had a nearly 50-year policy preventing players from having beards, but Steinbrenner approved allowing “well-groomed” beards last year.
“Winning was the most important thing to my father,” Steinbrenner said last year. “If somebody came and told him that they were very sure this could affect us getting the players we want to get … If something like this would detract from that or lessen our chances, I don’t know, I think he might be a little more apt to do the change that I did than people think, because it was about winning.
“If I ever found out that a player we wanted to acquire, to make us better and get us a championship, did not want to be here and would not come here because of that policy — as important it is to that generation — that would be very, very concerning. I’m fairly convinced that’s a real concern.”
Steinbrenner previously OK’d slight changes to the team’s jerseys in recent years, including removing white piping and trim on the road jerseys and adding a Starr Insurance patch in 2023.
However, he has held off on approving City Connect jerseys, making the Yankees one of just two teams — the A’s — to not have the city-themed fits.
The Yankees have used jerseys with players’ names on the backs in a deviation from the standard during MLB’s Players Weekend.