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It's Time for Another Round of Hazing MLB Rookies

Rites of passage in sports are something pro athletes and fans go through alike. There's the first time you see the big-league field, the camaraderie and

Michael Blinn

Rites of passage in sports are something pro athletes and fans go through alike. There's the first time you see the big-league field, the camaraderie and bonding with new friends and family, the joy of winning a championship, and the heartbreak of losing on the big stage. Things like these bring us all together, and make us feel like we're all on the same team.

Unless you're a rookie, in which case your rite of passage probably also includes ceding control of your wardrobe to a masculinity-undermining veteran. In the past, we've seen Jonathan Papelbon carry around a pink backpack in his first go-round with the Red Sox, the 2009 Mets wearing …immodest … Halloween costumes, and even the 2012 Yankees rookies embodying the Evil Empire.

There was no reason to expect this season to be any different for first-time Major League ballplayers, and of course, it hasn't been.

For instance, Mike Trout shows us his rookie teammates in full water polo regalia:

While over in Oakland, first baseman Nate Freiman's Marge squared off against reliever Dan Otero's take on Mortal Kombat:

The Red Sox seem to be a bit confused, as they eschew Boston's Irish roots for some Scottish tartan:

In NYC, the Giants gave the Naked Cowboy a run for his money:

https://twitter.com/G_Kontos/status/380820807380779008

The Mets took a more matrimonial stance for their rookie hazing …

… While it's a little difficult to tell what the Royals were going for here, with a mix of comic-book heresy and nightmare fuel:

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Michael Blinn
MICHAEL BLINN

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