DENVER -- Rockies first baseman Ben Paulsen wore a bushy mustache when called up last year, and this year he doubled down by growing a thick beard. However, he showed up at Coors Field clean-shaven Thursday.
Possible baseball-related reasons for the new look: The Rockies had lost eight of nine and had won consecutive games just once since the All-Star break, and Paulsen had hit .161 in his 11 games going into Thursday night's series finale against the Nationals.
But Paulsen said that's overthinking the situation.
"I tried trimming my beard myself, took too much off the left side and said, 'Oh, whatever,' and took it all off," said Paulsen, who entered Thursday hitting .