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Don Mattingly will enforce no facial hair policy with Marlins

The Miami Marlins will enforce a no facial hair policy this season, manager Don Mattingly said on Sunday.
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The Miami Marlins will enforce a no facial hair policy this season, manager Don Mattingly said on Sunday.

Miami last banned facial hair in 2011, but had been allowing its players to grow beards under manager Ozzie Guillen. Now Mattingly, who spent the first five years of his managerial career with the Dodgers, will be in charge of making sure his players are clean-shaven.

“Guys will whine,” Mattingly said Sunday. “Some guys like it, some guys won’t. As long as we’re consistent, I think it’s not that big of a deal.”

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The Yankees own the league’s most famous facial hair policy, which Mattingly broke in 1991 when was benched for refusing to cut his mustache. 

Pitcher Jose Fernandez and infielder Dee Gordon are two notable players who will be affected by the change. Fernandez had a beard last season, Gordon a goatee.

“I’m afraid I’m going to look 16,” Fernandez said. “But it’s not a big deal. Whatever the rules are, we’re going to follow them.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

– Kenny Ducey