There were a few things I was very fortunate to be able to do at the three Diamondbacks/Giants games this week. (Aside from find really great seats at not-horribly-marked-up prices!) One of those fun things was, I found out from a Diamondback player that Rookie Hazing was going to be on Thursday!!! When this was confirmed by two other sources, I made plans to come to Thursday's game. Aside from the pitching match-up and the nice seats I saw available, which was tempting enough originally, this sealed it for me.

Details and photos behind the jump.

Before today's game, I checked with someone in the organization that they would indeed be putting the costumes on here, and not on the plane, which they did. This person said I could take photos. I mentioned it to someone else - I originally just wanted the photos for me, because I'd never seen any of the rookie hazings in person and I really wanted to - and asked this other person what they thought about my posting them online. They said I should go for it, and I agree, since the purpose of dressing them up like this (and dropping them off 3 blocks from the Chicago hotel and making them walk!) is public humiliation! :)

Some of them didn't want photos at all, some players kept walking too fast for my camera, and three people were kind enough to pose for me. Those are the only 3 I'm going to post here, mainly because those were the 3 that came out the clearest. :) But in case anyone's curious, I did have permission to take the photos. I hope some people in Chicago (or even outside the bus in San Fran) were able to get some photos too!

Ryan Roberts as a biker... dude? Chick? Not much of a stretch for him! ;) He was supposed to also have a mustache, he claimed it kept falling off! I was surprised to see Roberts dressed up, I guess he hadn't accrued enough time his during previous big-league stints to not be a rookie any more.

Gerardo Parra as a giant taco. I'm sure this would've terrified Mark Grace had he been around, but he wasn't. Parra was the one who voluntarily stopped and posed for me. Behind him is Max Scherzer as Wolverine.

Trent Oeltjen as a highway patrolman with super-short short-shorts!! That must've made for one uncomfortable flight! ;)

Other costumes I saw were a superhero with a cape (Romero), a giant baby (Ryal, I think), a giant toy duck, Zavada was something I really can't tell even from the photo (a giant red jumpsuit), Schlereth was a... well, "foul" shaped item, and others were Batman, a Spartan, a sailor (Gutierrez), a typical drag woman (Vasquez perhaps), and a prisoner (Allen, I think). There were a few others but I don't remember.

Sorry, boys! You know I love you all so very much but the purpose of costumes is humiliation. I appreciate my contacts for letting me take the photos and I hope I didn't violate anybody's trust and friendship. The photos are usually posted eventually, often by real newspaper outlets (like 2007) - this time it just happens to be by me. And I think they're quite funny. ;) Good job to you who picked them out!! P.S. The Giants rookies underwent the same humiliation today as they headed to San Diego. I wonder if the instigators went shopping together?