Los Angeles Angels: Huston Street defends hazing as tradition

The Los Angeles Angels find themselves in the middle of a beef between a new rule and their veteran closer.

The Los Angeles Angels have a special place in baseball. There’s a connection between the team and its fans. That’s the thing about baseball, it’s one of America’s longest running sports. No matter how much the game evolves and things change, it’s still America’s pastime. Baseball has survived many issues where the outcome directly impacted our country.

Baseball helped reshape the civil rights movement when Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in the majors in1947. In the 1960’s our very own Los Angeles Angels became a major league franchise during expansion. Baseball battled and survived the steroid era in the 1990’s, it’s a battle they still fight to this day.

One of the most impactful moments in my life was the World Series game following the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. The New York Yankees played the first game in Yankee stadium since the attack on the Twin Towers. This game is a demonstration of how baseball helped heal the city of New York and the country.

Baseball is still very much America’s pastime and with the ratings of the most recent World Series, it’s safe to say that baseball isn’t going anywhere.

However, that doesn’t mean baseball is going to be without changes. Most recently, the league announced it’s Anti-Hazing and Anti-Bullying policy. Within that policy is the prohibition of players making rookies dress up as women or wearing costumes that would be considered offensive.

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Los Angeles Angels veteran closer Huston Street has some words about this new rule. He recently submitted an opinion piece to the Associated Press about this matter.

Street is saying that abandoning the rookie dress up is a disservice to the league. Dressing in costume as gone on for hundreds of years. It’s fun, and funny when done appropriately. He also states that another ritual will rise and be more secret.

I tend to agree with Street on this notion that dressing up as a cheerleader is harmless. I played basketball in high school in the 1990’s and during homecoming we often watched as the football team dressed as cheerleaders for us and even did cheers during our pep rallies. No one was offended, it was all in good fun.

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However, times have changed. While dressing up a player as a woman can be seen as a harmless haze, it leads to problematic behavior. In the 1980’s and the 1990’s bullying was a central element in our culture. It appeared in movies and television and almost glorified as the cool kid versus the nerdy kid.

Today, bullying is a dying trend. It is in some cases a crime. Bullying became an epidemic and was consider a top priority in our culture. By allowing players to dress up rookies as women does send a message to invoke laughter at someone’s orientation.

The MLB and other major sports are sending a message of tolerance and social acceptance to its fans and its players. While players from past generations may not like the new standard, you have to have to understand its for the greater good of the sport.

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Huston Street is voicing his opinion which also has value. While some may not agree with what he is saying, his thoughts are carefully crafted. As a result, this is a form of progression. Rather than boycotting or slandering, Street is presenting his side of the argument. Although this is unlikely to change the mind of the MLB; however, it does send a message from an employee.