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The New York Yankees made two surprising announcements that made headlines in the sports world, and neither had to do with acquiring new players or firing staff. Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner issued a memo stating that players would now be allowed to have “well-groomed beards” while on the team for the first time since his late father’s era. This unexpected change in the team’s grooming policy has sparked discussions among fans and analysts alike.
In addition to the beard news, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman delve into another unexpected update from the Yankees: the decision to no longer play Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York” after losses. The hosts speculate on the reasons behind this shift in traditions and whether it may be related to the team’s recent World Series defeat.
On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake and Jordan also explore Major League Baseball’s trial of the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system during Spring Training. This technology could potentially pave the way for robotic umpires in the future, raising questions about how it might impact the game. The hosts then share their top thirty highlights for each team from Spring Training, including quirky incidents like Dave Roberts discovering Roki Sasaki’s marriage, Mike Trout’s uneventful debut in right field, and Elly De La Cruz’s odds for NL MVP.
(2:14) – The Opener: Yankees’ new stance on beards
(16:17) – Farewell to “Theme from New York, New York” after defeats
(20:32) – MLB’s experiment with ABS
(34:05) – 15 standout moments from AL teams in Spring Training
(55:33) – 15 noteworthy events from NL teams in Spring Training
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Follow Jake on Twitter at @Jake_Mintz
Follow Jordan on Twitter at @J_Shusterman_
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