The Mustache Diaries

  While it admittedly isn't the best look I have ever sported, this picture documents my first attempt at a mustache in my young life. For those of you that are wondering, yes, I used dye, "Just For Men - Brown" for those of you that may want to emulate the style. (Picture courtesy of Mark Lomoglio, the Tampa Yankees photographer and also professional cool guy)

  To those readers that have been following this blog from the beginning, I am delivering on a promise almost two years old now. I said it would be documented when I finally attempted to grow the illustrious mustache that has been so elusive for me up until this point in my life and now that time has come.

  Its surprising that it has taken me this long to dabble in the only facial hair allowed by Phillies Minor league policy, after all, it is in my blood. My Father had a full beard for my entire life until I was 21 years old and he graciously let me shave it off as a Christmas present because the realization that I didn't know what my Dad looks like without a beard was beginning to bother me. Needless to say, this mustache that I have going feels like more of a destiny thing than anything and to prove it, ever since I have grown it, I have been doing pretty well at the plate. According to some of my teammates, these two occurrences happening together clearly means I cannot shave it, no matter how questionable it looks, until the hot streak cools a bit. In fact, they just started calling it "The Mash Stache".

  When I first started growing it, I needed a little push, so I started a "Support the Stache" campaign amongst my teammates and got enough moral support from them to dive into it head first. So much so that I enlisted our roving infield coach, affectionately known as Manzo, as my mustache coach because he has a very strong and distinguished mustache. I figured he could give me useful tips and he has. I have to say, since I've been growing it, my life has been a bit more fun, possibly because I have been doing well at the plate while this has been going on, but more likely because my days are peppered with way more laughs and smirks every time someone looks at me or when I talk to my teammates/coaches/anybody. Coincidentally, and I think completely independent of my actions, our bullpen has decided to do "Mustache May" so all of them are sprouting great looking mustaches as we speak. Well done gentlemen. If its possible to learn something from an entity as awkward as a poorly grown mustache like mine, its that it has taught me to be a bit more comfortable in my own skin and to not take things or myself too seriously.

  So men, if you have the itch for some upper lip awesomeness, I'll support your stache and women, don't be too hard on your man if he continually misses that spot above his lip when he is shaving.