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Lou Piniella will always wonder ‘what if’ when it comes to A-Rod

In March 1976, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin instituted a rule forbidding players from having beards, mustaches or long hair.

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Lou Piniella

When outfielder Lou “Sweet Lou” Piniella arrived with hair almost to his shoulders, he was told he wouldn’t be given a uniform until it was cut.

As he shares in his new memoir, “Lou: Fifty Years of Kicking Dirt, Playing Hard, and Winning Big in the Sweet Spot of Baseball,” written with sportswriter Bill Madden, Piniella protested the rule to Boss George.

“I don’t understand, Mr.