When the camera panned into the New York Mets dugout during last night's game, viewers were offered up a glimpse of a true icon in the sport of baseball.  We speak not of Carlos Beltran or David Wright.  Not Johan Santana or Francisco Rodriguez.  We are speaking of backup catcher Henry Blanco and more specifically, Henry Blanco's hair.

Known affectionately by some fans as Hank White, Blanco has spent 12 years in the league and played for 8 teams.  To each of those teams he brought one unforgettable trait - his mullet. 

Unlike some of his counterparts throughout Major League Baseball, Blanco's mullet isn't simply a gimmick.  He's not doing it to lighten up the clubhouse or sustain a hot streak.  Henry Blanco doesn't have hot streaks. 

At age 38, what he and his hair have is longevity. Through his career, his curls have seen it all. 

Opponents have attempted to touch it during a game...



Companies in his native Venezuela have sponsored it for international exposure...




Photographers have requested for him to pose so they could get a clean view of it...



And in 2010 - a dozen years after he first entered the league and upwards of 20 years since his hair was stylish - it remains a fixture in the National League...

 

Don't ever let anyone talk you into cutting your hair, Hank.  Mullets grow back, but legacies do not.