How the New York Yankees Indirectly Forced ‘The Captain’ Derek Jeter’s Unusual Ritual to Last 27 Years

Published 01/16/2023, 12:37 PM EST

New York Yankees were the epitome of success during the time Derek Jeter era. Was it the iconic performances of the players that led the Yankees to win multiple World Series? Or was it something deeper, ingrained in the team’s disciplined approach to even the smallest of things that lead to the team’s success?

Derek Jeter’s ‘pandemic beard’ serves as a reminder of the strict grooming rules that the team upheld, but it also hints at the unwavering motivation and drive that propelled them to succeed on so many platforms.

How did Derek Jeter’s pandemic beard come to be?

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Derek Jeter went from a baseball legend to a style icon. It’s been nearly a decade since he retired from the game, but Jeter’s legacy lives on. He has been inducted into the Sports Style Hall of Fame, a new club created by GQ magazine. During the interview with GQ Sports, about his iconic looks throughout the years, the Yankees legend revealed the story about his pandemic beard and how it came to be.

He was shown a photograph of his old self during his time on the team and his hair was cropped and his face clean-shaven. This is what he said, “Yankees are big on rules man. I mean you can’t have facial hair, you can have a mustache, you can wear one chain. Hair’s gotta be a certain length”

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He continued, “The boss was big on rules, he would call down sometimes and have guys shave between innings, you know if their beards got a little bit long. So he really paid attention, so yeah I didn’t grow facial hair til the pandemic. Pretty much from the time I was 18 till 45, I mean pretty much shaved every single day.”

Why were the strict rules necessary?

In another interview that cropped up on Twitter, Jeter was asked, “When did the beard come about?” To which he replied, “Lockdown, covid yeah I got a little bit lazy. You know you think about it. Man because of the rules we had in New York. I’d never gone more than a day without shaving.” He also narrated his thoughts about why the strict rules were necessary, “Rules, gotta have rules, teaches us discipline.”

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Notably, the New York Yankees are a dynasty built on discipline and dedication. Even now the current players look pretty neat when on the ballpark.

WATCH THIS STORY: Derek Jeter Net Worth : How rich is the MLB legend compared to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry

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Written by:

Garima is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. She has recently graduated as a Master's student in Media and Communications. She is an avid reader and an ardent cinema fan.

Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar

How the New York Yankees Indirectly Forced ‘The Captain’ Derek Jeter’s Unusual Ritual to Last 27 Years

How did Derek Jeter’s pandemic beard come to be?

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Why were the strict rules necessary?