Splitting Hairs...

The answer is simple. Which is more important? Baseball or hair? Did he ask the college coach he spoke with how long his hair can be? I believe most coaches would be thinking to themselves, WTF. What if a college coach tells him to cut his hair?

@RJM I thought the same thing at first. I think we'd agree that pitchers, like many, if not most, athletes, have a "routine," the (potential) issue is that without the routine, it may throw him off a bit. Is it worth finding out? This is not a small thing. nor is it necessarily a big thing, but it could be. At 16, 2024 is thinking "WT*," too! Anything that change's one's routine merits a bit of consideration. For 2024, pulling on his hair a bit is the "reset" between pitches.

In this case, it has to pretty much be a buzz cut (anything under the cap can be longer).

I hear you regarding college coaches, we discussed that. Not really an issue in college if you look up the team pics first and check with players and coaches. Definitely a potential issue if the HC changes!

As an aside, the head of the club played in the Cape for one of my cousins many moons ago!

Our boys had to cut their hair to play in hs. They were told this year in college that they have to shave. If he’s going to have to adjust his routine, better now then later and he should adjust to utilizing permanent things. It probably won’t be as big of a deal as you are worried it could be.

@RJM posted:

The answer is simple. Which is more important? Baseball or hair? Did he ask the college coach he spoke with how long his hair can be? I believe most coaches would be thinking to themselves, WTF. What if a college coach tells him to cut his hair?

Clearly to the coaches hair is more important than baseball.  I get they run the team, it’s their rules and that’s fine but true team building doesn’t have rules on how you look.  However in this situation your son has to cut hair or go elsewhere.  Post Covid in the business setting a lot has changed. My CFO (guy) now has a ponytail. My fav sales guy is up from Texas today and he now has long hair and a crazy mustache and not one person cares, in fact it helps him.  This post has just made me self conscious as I train into NYC… I am the only fool in a suit but I can’t change who I am ..  

I see this as a good opportunity for a 16 year old to make a serious life decision (at least to them anyway). He will invite opinions and deliberate. It may sound absurd to some folks, but given how much aerial crane helicopter parenting I have observed, I think any steps in directing our kids to independent thought should be supported....I am not saying it the case here with Cub's kid sitch.  My kids went to a school with strict hair length rules. The summer breaks was interesting in seeing how much grew back. My recent grad kid went to extreme lengths to hide his quaff during the senior endpoint semester and the school was somewhat lax in enforcement likely due to pandemic exhaustion so he was able to sport a very 70's like do'.

if the club team feels this strongly about hair and it wasn't discussed in the presign up conversations there will probably be more surprises coming. it is a culture, that is not good or bad but it will run deeper then just hair i think.

I have college SR who is actively focusing on the company culture where he interns and has recruitment meetings with. He has zero interest in the button down, public, formal work place. I expect he is going to joining a small insurance group who described themselves as have a "barstool type office environment" LOL seriously the owner told him that. It actually concerned me until i did some checking around and found out that they are actually serious player in a couple specialty areas and there are crazy margins in the business. 

Weird thing to care about as an adult. What a 16 yr olds hair looks like.

Not only is it weird, it's even more bizarre they didn't mention it. I'd start looking for new clubs, there are going to be more surprises the longer you hang around.

While I think that having a hair policy is dumb as a player I would be embarrassed to say I performed poorly because I had to get my haircut.......but mother nature has made it necessary for me to shave my head so maybe my perspective is skewed

Son had long hair throughout HS, EXCEPT during summer and fall.  He played with the Kansas City Royals Scout Team at 15U and 16U and they had the rule that hair could not touch ears or collar.  Son got a haircut both years with no complaints.  He loved baseball and the experience more than he loved his hair.   He slowly let it grow out during the summer but the first year they told him to get it cut again before fall ball.  I figured when he got to UT they would make him cut his hair but they did not.  He now has a brand of his hair and mustache.  But if he had gotten drafted by Royals, I think both would have had to go.  Most coaches have a rule that sounds stupid from outsiders but it determines how bad you  want it.  At UT they have a running qualifier in January.  Don't pass don't practice or play.  Guys figure it out, most of the time.  Son's roommate his freshman year never figured it out and never really tried.  Gone at the end of spring.  Some of you have said that is stupid but it is their qualifier of how bad you want it.  Most have something.  If you don't like the something, find a new someone but they will still probably have something.  It may be dress, hair, fitness, grades or something.  I know guys who if you don't have 3.0 you don't play.  Most of you say that is great but the kid who is there for baseball only says as long as I pass who cares.  Someone/something.

It's funny because these days, there is every different kind of hairstyle on baseball players at all levels.  In fact, there's kind of a look for each position:  catcher:  short-hair, shortstop:  below ears curly hair, relief pitcher:  long hair, etc.

And boy were there a lot of mustaches being grown in summer ball!

@Gunner Mack Jr. posted:

Clearly to the coaches hair is more important than baseball.  I get they run the team, it’s their rules and that’s fine but true team building doesn’t have rules on how you look.  However in this situation your son has to cut hair or go elsewhere.  Post Covid in the business setting a lot has changed. My CFO (guy) now has a ponytail. My fav sales guy is up from Texas today and he now has long hair and a crazy mustache and not one person cares, in fact it helps him.  This post has just made me self conscious as I train into NYC… I am the only fool in a suit but I can’t change who I am ..  

It’s not specifically the hair. It’s about the image the team wants to present themselves. My son’s 17u team had some specific rules. He didn’t see any of them as a big deal. His college coach was the same way.

My son has always liked his hair short. it’s not uncommon mine is longer. It’s funny to hear my son say, “Hey, get a haircut you hippie.” I grew up with the circumstances the other way around.

Do you believe the Yankees don’t care about baseball?

I don’t like that the Yankees force the beards off and the hair cut but as I said earlier it’s their rules and it is so much better to be a clean shaven Yankee than play for the Red Sox! If a travel team offered a NIL to my son to shave his head to play for them I would recommend he shave.  Having said that your point is taken.  

I don't think it is a right or wrong situation, it is what do you want to be a part of. if your hair is that important to you go to one of the other fine options that were referenced in the original post, if it isn't cut it off. At the end of the day it is about the fit for the player to the organization, his college choices will probably carry the same type of thought / choice anyway.

Simple as that.

The haircut isn't the issue - if it's such a big part of the culture of this program how has it never been mentioned?

I think it's a stupid rule. I think for it to be so important that they make it a rule - it needs to be disclosed in advance. If it's important mention it. If it's not important - why have the rule in the fist place.

Many coaches are old school and will X a kid off who doesn't fit how they want their team represented to the public. Shirt untucked    hair too long.  Mom carrying your gear.  whatever.  That rule helps the Org get players recruited by keeping more options available.  Recruiting is hard enough without adding extra hurdles.

I think for our hs coach, who was very old school, it was about no one drawing attention to themselves.  Everyone looking like part of a team.  He also had the no hat backwards (which my son has in college too) and shirts tucked in,  no facial hair, etc.  His favorite line was, "Do you have to have short hair to play baseball? No.  Do you have to have short hair to play baseball at XYZ school? Yes."   Our assistant coach took over this year when he retired.  One of the first texts he sent out to the team was "Cut your hair before the first day."  I don't think this is uncommon.  Freshman year of college they were all told to cut their hair.  The coach said, I know you have seen some of the older guys with long hair. They've earned it.  You haven't.

@baseballhs posted:

Freshman year of college they were all told to cut their hair.  The coach said, I know you have seen some of the older guys with long hair. They've earned it.  You haven't.

LOL this I can almost hear as I read it, classic. Being a few months removed from having a college player it makes quite a bit more sense.

It all boils down to if the program is worth it.  They aren't the Yankees and they aren't a college baseball program.  Unless they offer something very few can, then it's really not that hard of a choice when you have options.   I am betting this travel program is not so end all be all that deciding to walk away would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

To me they would have to have the equivalent of Ron Washington or Jim Turner running development and have direct pipelines to multiple colleges at all levels to make rules like that.  And by pipelines I mean personal ones, not just that a kid here and there went to x college from their program.

Those with power get to make the rules, otherwise they're just a little dog making a lot of noise you can walk right past.

A lot of great posts here! Very cool! The head of the program indeed played in the Yankees org. He is well-connected with college programs, no question about that, and very well-respected.

As it turns out, 2024 elected to move to another team last night. He picked up the phone, called one of the coaches, and it was done. We know the coaches pretty well, one being his pitching coach for years. They are happy to have him and he is happy with his decision. The other program was very gracious about the exit. Current program is also very well-connected, and he'll definitely benefit being with these particular coaches. They are "no-nonsense" guys (fun, though!) who are well-aware of his academic load and desire to improve. DW and I know they'll have his best interests in mind, and will neither hesitate to advocate for him nor give him a kick in the pants. Perfect.

Glad he was able to make a decision that was best for him.  Sounds like both programs are good.  I would have him start working on changing his routine though.  Things happen.  His high school could hire a new coach or he could get to college and the coach decides short hair.  If he is focused on the routine changing his ability to perform, I'd just change it before he has to.  My son has been in two programs so far where is wasn't  optional.  JMO.

@baseballhs  That's a good idea! Pitching Coach/Head Coach has a way of sharing points/thoughts that resonates with 2024!

I look at this as preparation for what is in store at the next levels and how bad your son truly wants it.  Forget the haircut rule.  Is your son mentally, emotionally, driven enough, desire, mature, etc. to do the things necessary to get to the next level?  Those high school players who think they are currently doing everything the can, it is nothing that will be required at the D1 level.  You can't teach desire or drive, it is from within.  You have to love the game more than you ever imagined.  Multiply that to get to the minors, and even more is required to get to The Show AND stay there.  There is nothing wrong with you son being torn to make a decision.  At this age he should be having fun and enjoying baseball.  What it may give an insight is deep down does he have what it takes to be successful at the next level.