Why does Francisco Lindor-led Team Puerto Rico color their hair blonde? Understanding the tradition which broke a world record

Francisco Lindor and Team Puerto Rico have started a tradition that has now broken a Guiness World Record. They have long dyed their hair blonde ahead of their World Baseball Classic appearances and did so again in 2023.

The team first did this in 2017 as a bit of a joke, but the country took it and ran with it. Fans everywhere dyed their hair blonde in support of the team, which finished as the runner-up.

The Lindor-led team reignited the craze and it led to 192 men dying their hair blonde, which broke the world record. After six years (thanks to the pandemic delaying the tournament two years), Puerto Ricans and fans were obviously eager to dye their hair in support.

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Francisco Lindor leads Team Puerto Rico in hair dying charge

Francisco Lindor, who frequently dyes his hair regardless of whether or not it's to inspire a nation, naturally led the charge with the Puerto Rican team this year. He said there was talk of dying their hair blue, but some players balked at going that far.

Yadier Molina dyed his hair with Francisco Lindor, Puerto Rico

Via ESPN, newly retired catcher and Puerto Rican manager Yadier Molina said:

"The people of Puerto Rico embraced it. It did them and us well as a team. So why not continue with this tradition?"

Puerto Rico has come up short in recent WBC tournaments. This year, they've started 1-0 after defeating Nicaragua.

They face an uphill battle, though, being in the same pool as betting favorites Dominican Republic as well as Venezuela, who defeated the Dominican team to open their tournament.