Play For The Reds Or Keep Mustache?

This Day In Baseball History

On this day in 1986 Rollie Fingers said screw you to the Cincinnati Reds when told to shave his mustache. Let’s dive in.

In the mid-1970s, Rollie Fingers was a star reliever for the Oakland Athletics. It was during this time that he began to grow his famous handlebar mustache. Fingers' mustache became a symbol of his personality and his unique approach to the game. He was known for his competitive spirit and his intimidating presence on the mound, and his mustache only added to this aura. For reference take a look at him without the stache and tell me if you shiver.

Fingers went on to pitch 8 full seasons with the A’s. In 1977, Fingers was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he continued to dominate as a reliever. Fingers then went on to the Brewers where he would win MVP and Cy Young in 1981. In 1986 he was a Free Agent and had the eye of Pete Rose and the Cincinnati Reds. At 39 years old Fingers decided to give it a shot with the Reds.

When Fingers arrived in Cincinnati, he found a team that had a strict policy against facial hair. The team's owner, Marge Schott, had implemented a rule that banned all facial hair, including mustaches. However, Fingers refused to shave his iconic stache. Instead he decided to walk away from the game telling Marge Schott to “shave her Saint Bernard”.

Rollie Fingers' mustache has become an iconic part of baseball history. Yeah, not much else with this story.