The big news from the New York Yankees' spring training as the team opened camp this week was the change in the organization's long-standing facial hair policy. For the past 49 years, beards were not allowed among Yankees players.

More Yankees : In actual baseball news, manager Aaron Boone — perhaps helped by the support of Aaron Judge — has signed an extension through 2027. And Kuty has the story from the early workouts, where Yankees players are still angry about losing the World Series last year.

Prior to the New York Yankees announcing a change to their longstanding no-facial-hair policy, newly acquired closer Devin Williams posed for a photo with some hair growth on his chin. The Yankees dropped their ban on beards Friday,

The New York Yankees finally changed their archaic facial hair policy and fans are immediately thinking about one player: Devin Williams.

The Yankees amended their facial hair policy after it had been a topic of internal conversation for around 10 years.

Yankees closer Devin Williams said he met with Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman about the team's facial hair policy before the change was eventually made.

The All-Star closer, acquired in a trade with the Brewers over the offseason without any say in the matter, said that the Bombers’ past ban on facial hair below the upper lip would have been a factor in free agency. The Yankees amended the policy on Friday to permit “well-groomed beards,” an announcement that shocked the baseball world.

TAMPA — Devin Williams is used to it by now. “It’s usually the first question people ask me — or the only one,” he said with a chuckle. So in a clubhouse full of new teammates and coaches, Williams has already fielded his fair share of questions about the pitch that is so unique and nasty that it has its own name: The Airbender.