Über das Forum » behind trying to pull Ben Cotton

When I first heard about the anti-hazing and anti-bullying rule added to MLBs new CBA, I got nostalgic. Twenty years ago, in 1996, I was a rookie on the Chicago Cubs, and I had heard rumors about major league newcomers having to pass ritualistic tests at some point in their first year. I kept waiting for it to come, but all I saw were little quizzes. Sit in the bus bathroom for the ride from the airport to the hotel, be someones personal valet. Thats it? Wow, this rookie thing is easy.Not quite.For our late-season road trip to St. Louis -- where what seemed like a million fans hovered around the hotel all day -- we were told to dress up. More specifically, we would have to dress as waitresses to serve the coaching staff and veteran players (and walk through that large crowd, mind you). We were given creative license to wear whatever, but the key word was waitress, which meant dressing as a woman.A wave of anxiety hit. I hadnt dressed as a woman before. It wasnt on my bucket list. But I understood the prevailing sentiment -- the big leagues are a place where you do just about anything to be part of the club. You needed to show undying loyalty to your team.If virility came into question because of your first, and possibly only, foray into dressing contrary to your male gender identity, it was understood that you could compensate by indulging in the riches of temptation island that are the big leagues -- conquests and cars could make up for any lost manhood points. So what were a few hours of humiliation or discomfort?The Cubs veterans gave us advance notice because we had to shop. I was told to go to Halsted Street near Wrigley Field and find the rainbow flags. So a few of us went and found some clothes. I decided I would dress as Funkweeta, a rough and tumble woman with her midriff (I will dare say six-pack midriff) exposed. I wore shades, which helped mask my horror. I may have even shaved my signature John Oates mustache.Then, for good measure, we served food and drinks and performed karaoke. I wore flip-flops over socks and kicked them off a la Patti LaBelle during En Vogues Giving Him Something He Should Feel. I remember teammate Scott Bullet jumping back when one of my shoes almost landed on his steak, knocking over a few waters instead.Bob Patterson, our veteran left-handed reliever, I believe genuinely felt bad for us. He whispered advice in the days prior. I remember my frugal side talking about the cost of the costumes and reimbursement, so I think he voted hard for Funkweeta to win first place because this madness was also some sort of twisted The Voice competition. I won, so to go with my tips, I got some extra cash. Made a couple hundred bucks or so. Nice.Baseball has a Fraternal Order to it. A little bit of break you down and build you up. I generally resisted this approach. (Just ask my buddy Sammy Sosa what happened when he tried to make me get him water midgame during my first full season.) I recall a few players over the years digging in and not wearing the ritual clothes. Then-Phillies rookie Vicente Padilla had his suit cut up at Wrigley so he couldnt opt out, but he found another suit, declaring that there was no way he was going to wear a tutu. I, personally, didnt take joy in it as a veteran.After a full career, I found that there are so many ways this game humbles you, and veterans can be big brothers to build young players back up, inspiring loyalty through other means. But I did have fun in my rite of passage. It was funny, and I broke out of my shell to pull it off. I think my teammates respected that in a player. But that was many years ago.I am the chair of the School Governance Council at my kids school, and like any school, bullying is always a topic of discussion. Theres the fine line between kids being kids and someone with a pattern and practice of tearing other kids down. Hazing and bullying will always be terms we need to modernize and address.As an old-time player, there are experiences I miss that the current generation doesnt have, but I dont feel like the get-off-my-lawn guy. Things evolve. And its good that our game is taking a leadership role in our social environment. It will not be perfect in its first rendition, but its on the table now to be addressed. Sure, there will always be the past saying how soft the present is, but baseball has a rich history in taking on societys challenges. Our narratives on women, the LGBTQ community, race and religion are in sharp focus, and locker rooms have always been one of the worst culprits of indulging some of the stereotypes that plague us all.Yet Im optimistic. Baseball is full of talented and creative young players who are in tune with the amazing diversity that surrounds the game. This rule is a bold first step in addressing what all of us try to navigate in our everyday lives. And as I have learned as my kids grow up in elementary school, bullying and hazing do not have to manifest along the constructs of only protected classes, as outlined in the new policy. We may find that this first step will require refinement over time if we want to stay in line with our society at large.Even so, players are going to still have fun in whatever loophole they find, even if there will no longer be Funkweeta kicking off her flip-flops. Expect to see major leaguers as Godzilla, a giant hot dog, Trolls, Jabba the Hutt, Hatchimals, Bart Simpson, Pikachu or any of the Fantastic Beasts. Then, after commissioner Rob Manfred pulls his hair out with a smile, back to the negotiating table they will go.Basket Adidas Nmd Femme Pas Cher . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Yeezy Boost 350 Moins Cher . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. http://www.basketnmdpascher.fr/ . LOUIS -- St. Fausse Yeezy Pas Cher . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Basket Adidas Nmd Homme Pas Cher . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter.Derbyshire 192 for 5 (Rutherford 64, Madsen 50*) beat Worcestershire 163 (DOliveira 44, Critchley 3-36) by 29 runsScorecard Derbyshire kept alive their NatWest Blast quarter-finals hopes with a 29-run victory with 13 balls to spare at Derby that ended Worcestershires chances of reaching the last eight.Hamish Rutherford hammered 64 from 38 balls and Wayne Madsen made an unbeaten 50 from 30 balls as Derbyshire posted an imposing 192 for 5. Worcestershire were always struggling after losing early wickets and although Brett DOliveira scored 44 from 33 balls, they were all out for 163 with leg-spinner Matt Critchley claiming 3 for 36.Derbyshire had not won a T20 game this season batting first but Rutherfords up-front fireworks provided the platform to set a challenging total. The New Zealander had already taken a century off the Worcestershire bowlers in the 50-over competition this season and he looked on course for another after pulling Joe Leach and Charlie Morris for sixes in the Powerplay.Although Wes Durston mistimed a pull to deep mid-on and Neil Broom was well caught on the run at deep midwicket, Rutherford drove DOliveira for a third six in an over that cost 17 as the Falcons reached 91 for 2 at the halfway stage.DOliveira responded to that mauling by taking two superb catches at long-on, first knocking the ball up and holding the rebound inside the rope to remove Chesney Hughes and then diving full length to end Rutherfords explosivve innings after he had launched Daryl Mitchell for his fourth six.ddddddddddddBut his exit did not slow the Falcons flight as Madsen improvised impressively, uppercutting Ed Barnard for the first of two sixes before Shiv Thakor dispatched the seamer high over the sightscreen in the final over as Derbyshire equalled their sixth highest T20 total.The Rapids needed a Rutherford-style start to their chase but after Leach took 12 from the first over, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught behind trying to pull Ben Cotton and Alexei Kervezee went the same way to Thakor.When Leach was athletically pouched by Chesney Hughes leaping at mid-on, Worcestershire were 32 for 3 but DOliveira hit back by driving Thakor for four and six in the final over of the Powerplay.Worcestershire moved to 77 but after Mitchell launched Durston high to long-off, they went into the last 10 overs needing 114 with much resting on DOliveira and Ross Whiteley. Former Derbyshire allrounder Whiteley was threatening to change the game when he pulled and drove Durston for consecutive sixes as 19 came from the 13th over but in the next, he was caught at long-on for 27 from 15 balls.Ben Cox hit Critchley for two sixes but when he skied the legspinner to long-on and DOliveira was caught behind cutting at the next ball, the Rapids were heading for the rocks. ' ' '