Fingers and a mustache

Future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is coming off the worst year of his career after going 1-6 with a hideous 5.04 earned-run average in 47 games for the 1985 Milwaukee Brewers.

Fingers is 38 years old at the time and already has 17 years in the major leagues with a resume that includes three World Series titles with the Oakland Athletics; a World Series Most Valuable Player Award in 1974 with Oakland; both a Most Valuable Player Award Cy Young Award in 1981 with Milwaukee; four Rolaid Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards and seven All-Star Game selections.

He has nothing left to prove in the major leagues, but some team somewhere always seems interested in offering a contract to someone of Fingers’ pedigree.

In this case, the Cincinnati Reds want Fingers to help their bullpen in 1986.

Fingers, too, has some interest until he realizes the Reds are not going to waive for him their ban on facial hair.

Mustaches, in particular.

And no one in baseball has a better mustache than Fingers, owner of the game’s best handlebar stache since the late 1800s.

No waiver? No worries, Fingers says as he instead announces 38 years ago today that he is going to retire rather than shave.

“The mustache is my trademark,” Fingers says then, “and it has been for 15 years. I am not about to shave it off just to play baseball.”

The Reds keep their clean-shaven look for another 13 years until they trade in February 1999 for outfielder Greg Vaughn, who is coming off a 50-homer season in 1998 for San Diego and emphatically tells his new team he likes his goatee more than their rigid policy.

The Reds soon capitulate to Vaughn’s demands and then watch him hit 45 homers in 1999 before he quickly leaves the team as a free agent.

The Reds soon trade for future Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., acquiring him from Seattle on Feb. 10, 2000.

Coincidentally, 11 days after the trade – 24 years ago today to be exact – the Reds suddenly drop their ban on players wearing earrings on the field.

The team insists there is no cause-and-effect due to acquiring the earring-clad Griffey from Seattle.

Ken Griffey Jr. with the Reds — and his earrings (Eliot J. Schechter photo)