Former Brewers closer Devin Williams may be reason Yankees changed antiquated policy

Every team in MLB including the Milwaukee Brewers has some sort of rule or tradition that is unique to their club even if it is short-lived. Whether it is a specific rallying cry or just a long running superstition, every club has something that is "their thing". However, the Yankees' policy of not allowing their players to have facial hair is one of the few such idiosyncracies.

For some traditionalists, the Yankees' policy has been desirable for those that prefer their players to conform to the team's whims and who like their guys to have a clean-cut look. For others, forcing guys to shave for the privilege of wearing the pinstripes is a relic of years past that doesn't have much of a place in today's game.

Well, the Yankees surprised the baseball world with word that they were relaxing their facial hair policy and allowing "well-groomed beards". As it turns out, former Brewers closer Devin Williams may be the reason why the rule ultimately changed.

Devin Williams' appeal to Yankees' ownership may have finally forced New York to change their facial hair policy

Unlike with the Brewers who do not have such a stringent policy, Williams now finds himself anchoring the Yankees' bullpen after a shocking offseason trade. According to reporting from The Athletic and elsewhere, Williams reached out to New York's higher ups about his concerns with the policy given how long he has worn a beard. He did shave it right before his first workout with the team, but clearly the message got through.

This isn't the first time that the Yankees' policy has made the news. While most players that end up in New York conform to the dress code without incident, it has been an open question as to whether or not the Yankees' adherence to their antiquated ideals may make it harder to attract enthusiasm from outside talent. Again, it is sort of neat that they have their "thing", but one does wonder how much the team actually got out of keeping the policy intact.

After discussions with Williams and other Yankees' alumni, the team clearly landed on the side of chilling out and allowing for beards. We'll find out if the concept of a "well-groomed beard" is going to be strictly enforced or if it is just to guard against guys showing up with beards that have wildlife living in them. However, it is pretty funny that of all the guys to actually force the Yankees to change, it was the Brewers former closer.

More Brewers News from Reviewing the Brew