Orioles relax facial hair policy

BALTIMORE, March 8 (UPI) -- The Baltimore Orioles say they've relaxed their facial hair policy and players will be allowed to wear well-trimmed beards.

Manager Buck Showalter confirmed he has gotten approval from ownership to relax the policy to a limited extent, but with a condition.

"It's kind of 'Can they keep it presentable?'" Showalter told The Baltimore Sun. "They're going to police themselves."

The issue was sparked by the Oriole's acquisition of two veteran players, Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero; both have long worn goatees.

"I asked Derrek how long he had that, and he said he couldn't remember when he didn't," Showalter said, "and he's one of the really good clubhouse-presence guys."

Showalter told the players that if having the option of wearing a well-trimmed beard was important to them, he would make an attempt to relax the policy, in effect for most of owner Peter Angelos' tenure.

The Orioles players seem to be enjoying their new-found freedom.

"It's cool for me, and I have like 12 facial hairs," said Adam Jones, now sporting a goatee. "But some of these guys have had goatees their whole career. It's cool that our ownership has that flexibility."