PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mets manager Carlos Mendoza looks differently than he used to when he sat beside Aaron Boone as the Yankees bench coach. Not only is his uniform a different shade of blue, but he’s sporting a well manicured goattee.
Meeting with reporters before Saturday’s spring traning game against the Cardinals, Mendoza’s first game managing as the manager of the Mets, he was asked about the new look. His answer won’t surprise you.
“Feels great,” Mendoza said smiling ear-to-ear. “My wife likes it, so that’s a good thing.”
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Mendoza joins a long line of players and coaches to grow their facial hair after leaving the Yankees. Last season, after being booed out of the Bronx, Aaron Hicks wore a well-manicured beared as a member of the Orioles. Even Josh Donaldson grew a beard after being released by New York and signing with the Brewers.
The Steinbrenner family won’t have to look far to see former coaches and players immediately free the beard after leaving their confines. In Queens, Luis Severino and Harrison Bader, who’re both Mets now, also grew big bushy beards over the winter.
Asked if he wished the Yankees had allowed him to grow the beard while he was playing there, Severino gave an interesting answer.
“That’s something that’s handed down from another generation. It’s something you have to respect,” Severino told NJ Advance Media. “But I think that maybe if you have a nicely manicured beard, it should be okay. Maybe they’re just trying to make sure people have a nice profile. But I grew up in that system, so It wasn’t a problem.”Mendoza was asked how he felt about managing his first game for the Mets.
“It’s definitley special everytime you get the opportunity to manage a game, even if it’s a spring training game,” Mendoza said. “Honestly, It (feels) normal now. Just going through the day (and) the workouts. I’m just excited to watch the boys go out…
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