Top 10 Best Mustaches in MLB History: Iconic Facial Hair in Baseball

Over the years, Major League Baseball has been a focal point of individuality both on and off the diamond, with players putting their stamp through accomplishments within the lines and in aesthetics unique to them. For decades, one of the most distinguishing features in a player's appearance has been their mustache. Here, we'll check out the top 10 mustaches in MLB history and a brief description behind what made these players so unique, and much more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix)

1. Rollie Fingers

Fingers, a Hall of Fame relief pitcher, first grew his moss in 1972 as a protest. But when owner Charlie Finley of the Oakland A's offered $300 to anyone with a great bit of facial hair, Fingers gave it a go and never looked back.

The look was iconic enough that it hogs real estate on his Hall of Fame plaque, saying something about its place in baseball lore. Fingers have kept his mustache since growing it more than 50 years ago, and he still sports the infamous handlebar.

Over his 17-year career, Fingers won 341 saves and a Game7 capitalizing on that facial hair as much of the identity as was ever afforded to him concerning letting a devastating slider slide down. It was a product of the free-spirited culture of 1970s baseball and is one of the most iconic beards in sports history.

2. Goose Gossage

Goose Gossage's handlebar mustache comes in at a tight second place to show the symbolism of facial expressions. His Fu Manchu, which went halfway down his jawline, reflected an intimidating mound presence.

His mustache made Gossage memorable, especially when he wore it with the New York Yankees. Gossage was a noted mustachioed man of flair. In 1983, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, of the iron fist governing grooming standards, instructed manager Yogi Berra to inform Gossage that his facial growth would need to be shortened. Defiant, Gossage also grew his mustache longer.

In a 22-year career in which he racked up 310 saves with a blistering fastball and 3.01 ERA, Gossage's mustache was as feared as his heater. Gossage has kept the trademark flow that helped, in part, land him a spot as one of Cooperstown's immortals more than 20 years ago, even during retirement.

3. Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez's neatly trimmed mustache is a more conservative and scholarly stylistic choice than many of the bombastic 'staches on this list. Hernandez's short, neat mustache during his days as the first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets provided a visual parallel to his slick fielding and reliable hitting.

Fans were so hooked on Hernandez's mustache that, in 2012, when he did shave it off, the story ended up being newsworthy. In fact, the event was also used as a vehicle to do some charity work, underlining just how much his beard is ingrained in popular culture.

A five-time All-Star and 11-time Gold Glove winner during his career, Hernandez is also well known for his 'stache, which was synonymous with the swing from the left side of the plate that helped him win a batting title in addition to all those awards awarded by Rawlings. This was a classic period style that matched his on-field elegance.

4. Dennis Eck

A stache that personified Eck's bold attitude and rock star reputation. Eckersley had long hair and a well-manicured beard as much his signature look as that lethal slider represented.

In a 1998, former players and sportswriters named him the "greatest relief pitcher in history." Through all that, his mustache is something he could never quite shake off and adopted into his bag of mound tricks as a key part of the intimidation factor.

After retirement, his wild mustache is a throwback to his flamboyant playing career and prominence as one of the most eccentric personalities in baseball.

5. Jim Catfish Hunter

The nondescript mustache of Jim "Catfish" Hunter was an all-American thing. Hunter's mustache was part of the iconic aesthetics during his days as a key member of the powerhouse Oakland A's dynasty, which had many players with facial hair.

Hunter's career, which consisted of 224 wins and a 3.26 ERA, was one huge wall of rock-solid reliability. His mo seemed like it seemed he would be a can-do mustache that no doubt never got roguish until debauchery time.

Hunter was never as flashy in the facial hair department, but he wore his mustache like a badge of honor throughout his career. Along with it went one of the best arms that made him among, if not baseball's top hurlers from 1966-76. The pennant race personified the new, ahem, face of baseball in the 1970s as facial hair was sported with greater regularity and acclaim.

6. Bill Buckner

Bill Buckner is often remembered for his costly error in the 1986 World Series, but he was probably rocking baseball's top-flowing lip curtain. Buckner had 2,715 hits in his career while wearing that thick mustache for all of them over a mere 22 years.

With his "Tappan Zee" mustache like a bridge over the upper lip, Buckner would forever be associated in face and frame. It was a microcosm of the grinding, no-nonsense way Buckner played the game.

Buckner may have a complicated legacy, but his mustache is a tribute to the timelessness of baseball facial hair. It reminds you of the human aspect involved in this whole sport and adds soul to the game.

7. Mr. October, Reggie Jackson

The mustache Reggie Jackson wore, notoriously nicknamed "Mr. October," during his clutch postseason performances could be just as bold and ultra-competitive. Still, it also seemed to represent what made him famous in the first place. Jackson's mustache became as iconic a look for any one of baseball's superstars in the 1970s and '80s.

Jackson's unmistakable hair on his face lasted much longer in a career that spanned 563 home runs and fourteen All-Star game selections. It made him seem bigger than life, enhancing his flair for the dramatic on or off the field.

Jackson's mustache was so iconic that he even lent it to advertisements, such as his concept, and various media appearances. It speaks to swagger and the self-assuredness that always made Jackson one of baseball's most fascinating personalities.

8. John Axford

John Axford is a recent addition to the Baseball Mustache Hall of Fame. Axford was a fan favorite in the early 2010s as the closer for the Milwaukee Brewers, braided mustache and all.

Axford's reembrace of facial hair and some gaudy bullpen numbers, including 49 saves in a row from '11 through May of '12, has been his ticket to The Show. It was a throwback to the mustaches of the 1970s and '80s, an injection of nostalgia into today's game.

While Axford may not be the most accomplished player on this list, his dedication to enchanting locks gave him a rightful spot amongst baseball's mustache greats. His look proved that there is enough space for non-conventional facial hair in baseball even as we approach contemporary times.

9. Sal Fasano

Becoming a fan favorite with nearly every stop he made along his journeyman career, Sal Fasano made quite the impact despite playing 11 big league seasons while wearing nine different uniforms. Fasano sported a horseshoe mustache that enhanced his boxy body frame and made him stand out, and he quickly became popular among fans wherever he played.

Fasano was never a superstar player, but his mustache has earned him a cult following. It was every man hustle for a player who had to grind just as hard off the field as on it simply so he could stick in The Show, an other-worldly level of dedication and fighting spirit.

Fasano's mustache is a friendly reminder of an age in baseball when the memories created by figures and personalities can be just as, if not more, important than hard statistics or accolades.

10. Don Mattingly

Mattingly, a former All-Star first baseman for the New York Yankees in the 1980s and early '90s, faced issues with his facial hair as it was going against his team's strict grooming bylaws.

Mattingly was benched in 1991 for refusing to cut his hair and trim his mustache to comply with the Yankees' unsavory practices. The incident was another episode in the ongoing struggle between individual expression and group rules that baseball seems intent on exorcising.

During his playing career, which featured one MVP and nine Gold Gloves, Mattingly's mustache was a sort of unspoken protest against the rules. And it only added to the mystery surrounding his perception as one of the most talented players of his generation.

These ten mustaches are not just facial hair, they mirror the people, times, and cultural changes that turned Major League Baseball into what we know it to be. From Rollie Fingers' classic handlebar look to Don Mattingly's rogue whiskers, every mustache tells a tale of personality and demonstrates the timeless slickness facial hair brings to America's greatest game.