Tarik Skubal reveals Tigers’ bizarre rule that ended ace's long-hair era

MLB: Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners - Source: Imagn — Tarik Skubal reveals Tigers’ bizarre rule that ended ace's long-hair era - Source: Imagn

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal remains one of the most dominant pitchers in the league after his maiden Cy Young-winning campaign last year.

However, the 28-year-old could have had a different look on the mound if it weren't for a bizarre rule. Skubal, who has been with the Tigers since being drafted by Detroit in 2018, shed light on the team's rule that made him cut his long hair.

In a conversation with sportscaster Chris Rose of Jomboy Media, the reigning Cy Young winner spoke about cutting his hair after being drafted.

"When I was drafted in 2018, we had the rule that you couldn't have hair on your collar. So they made me cut my hair the first day they sent me. They're like, 'Hey, you have to cut your hair before tomorrow.' So, I went to Great Clips or whatever and cut my hair and apparently I didn't cut it short enough.

"So I went back the next day, and they're like, 'Did you cut your hair?' I said yeah, it took like three inches off, and they're like, 'Well, it's still not short enough.' I was like 'Do I need to cut it all off?' and they said yes."

While Tarik Skubal said he doesn't want to live through the process of growing his hair back again, Chris Rose seemingly persuaded him to think about it after giving the example of Tyler Glasnow.

"He's got great lettuce man," Skubal said of Glasnow's hair. "I look at everyone with good hair, and I'm like, 'That looks good.' Maybe you know, I might (grow it back)."

Tarik Skubal welcomed Tigers removing nostalgic keyhole from Comerica Park

The Detroit Tigers got rid of the keyhole (a patch of dirt between the mound and the batter's box) at Comerica Park ahead of the series finale against the New York Yankees last week.

Tarik Skubal welcomed the change, saying he wasn't a fan of the nostalgic patch that used to feature in old-school ballparks.

"I might get some heat for this, but they asked what we thought of it, and I said I didn't really like it," Skubal said on Wednesday. "I wasn't a fan of it. Obviously, I understand from a fan perspective. It's unique and stuff, but just from a visual perspective, it's so much different."

Tarik Skubal shut out the Yankees in his last start on Wednesday. He went six innings without conceding a run on four hits with six strikeouts.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash