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By any means necessary White Sox's Manuel shaves beard before game
SEATTLE (AP) -- Jerry Manuel, the Chicago White Sox manager, showed up at Safeco Field without his beard Friday. With his team trailing 0-2 in its AL playoffs series against the Seattle Mariners, Manuel said he decided to shave because Frank Thomas asked him to. "Frank Thomas' father said we hadn't been hitting since I had the beard is the word I got from Frank," Manuel said before Game 3. "I felt that it would take the pressure off the team." Seattle won the first two games of the series 7-4 in 10 innings and 5-2 in Chicago this week. Manuel said he wasn't superstitious. "I believe in other things," he said. Manuel began growing the beard during the last week of the regular season and hoped to keep it during the playoffs. Manuel inserted veteran DH Harold Baines, who pinch hit once in the first two games, into his starting lineup and moved Thomas to first base for Friday's game. He also dropped left fielder Carlos Lee, who was 1-for-8 Tuesday and Wednesday, from No. 5 in his batting order to No. 8. "Maybe that will alleviate some of the pressure that he's been feeling," Manuel said. Seattle manager Lou Piniella took note of Manuel's lineup changes, not the change in his appearance. "I don't know if beards have anything to do with it," he said. "I hope they don't."
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