Guaranteed, Marlins Will Lead Minor Leagues in Grooming

Minor league ballplayers know the hardships they must endure. They realize they can expect:

--No endorsements.

--No multimillion-dollar contracts.

--No lucrative book deals.

It could be worse. They could be minor leaguers in the Florida Marlins’ organization, meaning:

--No earrings.

--No beards.

--No sneakers on the road.

Those are a few of the rules set down by John Boles, director of player development for the Marlins, one of two expansion teams set to begin play in the National League next season. Boles made his feelings clear at the start of the organization’s weeklong mini-camp last Saturday in Delray Beach, Fla.

“I don’t like slobs,” Boles said. “If a player looks slovenly, that’s the way he plays. When you get into wearing ponytails and 45 earrings, it gets to be a distraction. The off-field development is as important as the on-field development.”

Other no-nos include goatees, long hair, females in the players’ rooms, “loud profanity” and throwing bats or helmets. Players have also been told that, while in hotels, they shouldn’t “touch fire extinguishers. Except in case of fire.”

Boles acknowledges that it would be impractical to try to apply these rules to the major leaguers, because, he said, “They do what they want.”

Add Boles: He has used these rules before, in the Montreal Expos’ organization. “Even I feel bad about it sometimes, but I make them shave their beards,” Boles said. “I had a guy in Montreal, Steve Frey, who had a beautiful beard when he came down to triple A. He looked better with a beard. But I still made him shave it. He was called back up a few days later.”

One player, upset over Boles’ long-hair rule, cut his, then dyed it orange. But Boles didn’t object. “I didn’t have a rule for orange hair,” he said.

Add rules: Imposing a dress code on players is nothing new. In 1938, plate umpire Bill McGowan didn’t like a flapping sweat shirt sleeve on the arm of Cleveland pitcher Johnny Allen.

McGowan wasn’t worried about fashion, just fairness. He thought the sleeve was distracting for Boston Red Sox hitters.

McGowan ordered the sleeve cut off in the second inning. Allen refused. Instead, the pitcher stormed off the mound and didn’t return. That made it Cleveland Manager Ossie Vitt’s turn to be incensed. He fined Allen $250.

As for the shirt with the flapping sleeve, it’s in the Hall of Fame.

Trivia time: Ernie Whitt had three hits and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Milwaukee Brewers in a game played three years ago this week in the SkyDome, 4-2. But there was something far more memorable about that game, a first in baseball history. What was it?

Trivia answer: When rain threatened, the $100-million retractable roof began closing in the fifth inning. The closing began at 8:48 p.m. and ended at 9:22, making the game the first ever played both indoors and outdoors.

Quotebook: Antoni Rossich on an auxiliary flame accompanying the Olympic torch relay from Greece to Barcelona: “I’m sure the flame will go out at least once, but it will not be a drama. If it goes out, we won’t have to go all the way back to Olympia.”