Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers was only on the mound for less than two innings on Saturday before leaving with an arm injury, but he certainly drew plenty of attention. The ace started his day with two quick outs in the second inning but was limited by numbness in his arm. This wasn’t an ideal situation, and it was made far stranger by the unique facial hair that he sported.
When Fiers took the mound, he did so without his beard. Instead, he was rocking a facial hair design that featured one full sideburn that led into what appeared to be a “G” on his chin and upper lip. The entire left side of his face was clean-shaven. This was an odd choice that Fiers said stemmed from his teammates wanting to laugh at him.
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“They dared me to do it,” Fiers said, per MLB.com. “They didn’t think I’d go out there and pitch with it. I didn’t care.”
Apparently, the design came from a quick search on Google for “funny beards.” Fiers found one that he liked and quickly made the change to his appearance. Although the beard only lasted for a few innings as he shaved it off after leaving with injury.
“I got hurt,” he said. “I can’t continue that. Just had to shave that off.”
The beard may not have lasted for very long, but it certainly managed to draw attention during the early portions of the game. Fans on social media were fascinated by the design and felt the need to make entertaining comparisons.
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How did Mike Fiersย come up with this unique design on his face? He says that it was a simple Google search, but there are many that weren’t convinced. In fact, some individuals on Twitter actually believe that he walked into the barbershop andย gave a very simple request. The barber just took it too literally.ย
Mike Fiers: โI wanna look like a Gโ
โ Ryan Maquiรฑana (@RMaq28) September 15, 2019
Barber: Say no more fam pic.twitter.com/K9zlpLRYa3
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Mike Fiers may be a superstar player in the MLB, but he may have a secret career path. There are some that actually believe he moonlights as someone filming infomercials about getting money from the government. In this instance, he was compared to Matthew Lesko, the man who was known for his series of question mark suits.ย
Mike Fiers looks like heโs about to offer you free government money to help you start a business pic.twitter.com/jG8dt225ze
โ Good Take Dunnah (@JDunnah) September 15, 2019
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Photoshop is a wonderful tool. Without it, the fans on Twitter would be unable to create their own explanations for Mike Fiers and his facial hair choices. Is there a monkey trying to strangle him? Is there a cat on his shoulder? Everything is truly on the table, thanks to Adobe.ย
Mike Fiers: yโall seen my cat? pic.twitter.com/qGesMvPalD
โ Francisco Rodriguez (@FranciscoFF707) September 15, 2019
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Mike Fiersย already revealed that his teammates originally dared him to make this bold decision with his facial hair, but he didn’t reveal any details about the other players on the Oakland A’s. For example, does one of them walk around in a green suit carrying a cane in the shape of a question mark? If so, he might be the one to blame for this decision.ย
Been so focused on a story that Iโm only just noticing Mike Fiersโ Death Spiral facial hair. I support his willingness to do weird stuff but also it looks like he lost a bet to the Riddler pic.twitter.com/vSYR1Lzsmx
โ Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) September 15, 2019
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There is a belief by many thatย the rich have so much money that they can make absurd choices. In fact, some envision a specific amount of cash that allows the freedom to do whatever you want. Has Mike Fiersย reached that point in his baseball career? He’s under contract for the next season and is slated to make north of $8 million. Is this the amount of money required to make bold decisions about clothing and facial hair?ย
That is the โIโm under contract for $8.1M next year and I donโt care what you think of my beard.โ look… https://t.co/tOJTZmMJX4
โ Big Mets Fan (@bigmetsfan1) September 15, 2019
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Mike Fiersย may have been dared by his teammates to make this facial hair decision, but there are others that believe he was an unwilling participant. Men have a history of messing with friends that fall asleep early. Whether it’s painting their toenails or shaving their heads, there is a trend of bizarre moves by “friends.” Was Fiersย the unlucky one that fell asleep early?ย
Somebody was drinking with the fellas and passed out cold last night.
โ JimJimmieJames (@AthleticsWin) September 15, 2019
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Some MLBย fans believe that Mike Fiers was trying to draw extra attention to himself while others believed that he was under the influence of a banned substance. However, there could be a different explanation. Maybe this decision to shave his beard in such a way was actually high-level gamesmanship. How many batters were distracted by his facial hair and struggled at the plate?ย
If I was batting I would miss every pitch looking at this
โ literally ken holland (@_moritzzz) September 15, 2019
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There was plenty of skepticism surrounding Fiers and his facial hair, especially considering that his team is destined for the playoffs. Why would he do something so goofy at the most important part of the season? Maybe, he’s been watching too many reruns ofย Whose Line is it Anywayย and wanted to copy Colin Mochrie.ย
โ Johanna Derrick (@DerrickJohanna) September 15, 2019
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Love or hate the facial hair design, there were plenty of fans that simply grew hungry at the sight of Mike Fiers. Yes, his beard looked like a monkey tail or a question mark, but that was not the only resemblance in play. There were countless individuals on social media that actually saw a cinnamon roll.ย
Got that Cinnabon. pic.twitter.com/eZYyuA5d3b
โ วlววสs หษ วlสส ๐ฆ (@kylecsteele) September 15, 2019
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While the overwhelming majority on Twitter found this move by Mike Fiers to be hilarious, there were many others that actually became angry at the sight of his beard. In their opinion, he was not respecting the Oakland A’s or the sport. The sanctity of the game was far more important than making people laugh, and Fiersย should be fined for his actions.ย
I could see doing something this immature and asinine if I played for a team out of it. But, the Aโs are playing for a playoff spot. Are you kidding me? Hopefully heโs fined by the team. Embarrassing.
โ Ricardo (@rave323) September 15, 2019