Don Mattingly, Jeffrey Loria Lift Ban on Marlins Players' Facial Hair

Following a consultation with owner Jeffrey Loria, Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly has lifted the team's ban on players sporting facial hair. 

"It was a constant fight last year, honestly, with guys," Mattingly said Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "Through the course of the season and watching the playoffs and the World Series, for me it just didn't seem like that big of a thing. The most important thing is our guys prepare and play the game right." 

The team enacted the rule prior to Mattingly's first season with the Marlins, and he admitted Tuesday that he instituted the policy as a way to make the team a more cohesive unit. 

"A little bit last year for me was being in a new situation and wanting to make sure the team was put first, and it wasn't going to be about personal things," he said, per the AP. 

Mattingly reportedly said players are still required to be "well-groomed," but they will have more freedom when it comes to growing facial hair under that banner. 

"Now you feel like you're not so under control," closer A.J. Ramos said, according to the AP. "You can fend for yourself. You can do what you want, and we can stop hearing the crying."