The Bronx was a sea of navy and white Thursday as fans flocked to the stadium to watch the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4–2 on opening day.
Some fans got creative with their facial hair at Stan’s Sports Bar on River Avenue, where razor company Philips Norelco set up a sponsored “Beardber Shop”—a pop-up barbershop offering free shaves ahead of the game. This marks the first season since the Bronx Bombers lifted their long-standing beard ban.
Podcasters Brian Conforth and Zach Misischia were among the first to get trimmed by Bronx barber Nestor Lebron of the Barber Factory, who was behind the chair crafting stylish game-day looks. Misischia said he grew out his facial hair just for the occasion, letting Lebron experiment with designs—including Yankees pinstripes and a goatee—before settling on a full mustache.
“ The pinstripes was probably my favorite, but sadly it’s gone,” Misischia said.
The Yankees dropped their decades-old facial hair policy during spring training, ending a tradition that dated back to the 1970s. Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement that the team had been considering the change internally for several years.
In response, fans and players sported some well-groomed features Thursday. Pitcher Carlos Rodón brought back the beard he wore with his former teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox, for the season opener. While the response on social media was mixed, it’s possible that Rodón found some extra power in his new look, striking out seven Brewers in just over five innings.
Conforth, however, opted to go with the classic Yankees style at Philips Norelco’s pop-up “Beardber Shop.” The co-host of the Makeshift Project podcast chose a fully clean shave. Both fans said there was a certain power to facial hair that they hoped the Yankees would harness this season.
“ I think that the mustache impacts the game more than the beard,” Conforth said, referring to his friend’s freshly trimmed mustache. “That’s my take of the day. I think the ’stache brings a lot of swagger to the game.”
Bryan Cain traveled to the borough from Williamsburg to kick off the start of the season with friends. He was rocking Yankees pinstripes shaved into his beard for the event. But Cain said he didn’t plan on keeping the style—which may have been a bit too playful for the office.
“ It seemed like a great idea at the time,” Cain said with a laugh.
Even fans who don’t grow facial hair were soaking up the atmosphere. Chrissy Thorne was enjoying drinks with her friends outside Stan’s ahead of the game. She told the Bronx Times that going to opening day had become a ritual.
“ I lose track of how many years I’ve come,” Thorne said. “It’s tradition—coming early, grabbing a drink, going in for opening ceremonies. It’s just like a routine for opening day, and I’m just super excited to actually watch baseball.”
Thorne, a big Yankees fan, said she was disappointed coming off last season’s World Series loss, but she has high hopes for this year—even with a growing list of injured players.
“I feel like we’re a strong team,” Thorne said. “We have a strong foundation, and we’ll work through it. Everybody’s a team player.”
The Yankees take on the Brewers again Saturday at 1:05 p.m. in the Boogie Down for the second game in the series.
