Shaved What?!?!

Slang changes through the years and baseball is no different as words and phrases work their way in and out of fashion.  I recently was browsing through an issue of The Sporting News from 4/4/1946 when an article about a bulletin issued to Yankee ballplayers heading north with the team.  TSN writer Dan Daniel summed up the message that came from GM Larry McPhail and manager Joe McCarthy as such:

No player is to show up in a hotel dining room, or a Pullman dining car minus his jacket and cravat. 

In short all Yankees are to look like Yankees.  McCarthy wants no wearing of caps.  He abhors public pipe smoking.  He has a violent dislike for those Lord Fauntleroy sport shirts with open collars draped over the jacket. 

Col. McPhail and Sparse Joe insist on a wall-draped, well-groomed, outfitted hair cut. Pusses shaved. 

Yes, please make sure you shave your puss.  Of course back in those days puss either referred to a cat or as in this case your face.

The terminology has changed but the Yankees still have their ban of facial hair.  So the next time a player gets traded to the Yankees, just think he's going to have to shave his puss if he wants to wear pinstripes