The year 2013 turned out to be the "Year of the Beard" for the Boston Red Sox. They won the World Series with most of the regular players sporting thick, full facial bushy growths that became somewhat of a team trademark.
Now 2014 could be considered a beard year in Japanese professional baseball with several players, foreigners and Japanese, going for the hairy cheek and chin look despite the searing summer heat and humidity. We could have a contest for the best looking ones with maybe three divisions: the full beard, stylish goatee and partially trimmed categories.
Among the foreign players with beards are the current home run leaders in the Central and Pacific Leagues, Hiroshima Carp slugger Brad Eldred with what appears to be an extended goatee, and Orix Buffaloes fencebuster Wily Mo Pena with a wiry U-shaped growth.