Rookie Hazing Is AWESOME

It's that time of year again! The smell of fall is in the air, the playoffs are just right around the corner, football's on TV again... and the annual rite of Red Sox rookie hazing has arrived.

Whereas last year's theme was a haphazard collection of random embarrassing costumes (Dice-K as a teletubby, Jacoby Ellsbury as a girl), this year's Sox rookies were dressed as characters from High School Musical -- a show I have never, and will never watch... so it qualifies as embarrassing from my standpoint.

And thanks to the fabulous Kelly O'Connor and Liza, we have photos of the hilarity.

Best dressed award definitely goes to Chris Smith.

See all the rest of the horrifying yet fabulous photos after the jump...

And, of course, every homecoming queen has to have a tiara- right Chris?

Justin Masterson's sliding pants make a great addition to that outfit.

I'm guessing Jonathan Van Every is the head cheerleader.

Devern Hansack gets off easy with this getup. Kelly and Liza also report that Jacoby Ellsbury was costumed up the same way- but quickly ran to get on the team bus (perhaps so there are no photos?)

I changed my mind - Chris Carter is definitely the head cheerleader. Has to be, with a rack like that.

Jed Lowrie tries to run away from the camera. Jed: you can run, but you can't hide.

There you are, Jed.

And George Kotteras also attempts to hide behind Fenway security.

Do not repost these photos without consent of and credit to the photographers.




Comments (22)

[ lavender blue ] says:
on September 15, 2008 1:17 PM

Sadly, Chris Smith looks better in that dress than I would.

Is Masterson's get-up actually a costume? I've never seen the show either, but his clothing seems almost normal (in spite of the 'panty' lines).

"Horrifying yet fabulous" seems like an accurate description to me.



[ joyosity ] says:
on September 15, 2008 1:21 PM

Apparently the theme was High School Musical (which piney figured out). Justin's costume is that of Lucas Grabeel's character--he of the silly caps and all.

I wish there was a group shot somewhere as the entire cast of HSM....



[ Mary ] says:
on September 15, 2008 2:14 PM

Oh, Jed.

Chris Carter wins my award. He pulls off the giant chest fantastically.

Chris Smith is a close second, though. He looks like he enjoys it a little too much.



[ mhcranberry ] says:
on September 15, 2008 2:46 PM

Justin's outfit is a costume? To me it looked like Saturday afternoon in the South End. Regardless, one guy always gets the good costume. Last year it was Oki, Justin won out this year.

If the characters fall along high school archetypes as I think they're supposed to... I think Jed and George are supposed to be the smart girls. Hence-- dark hair. I think.

David Pauley had the same outfit as Hansack. Cheap outfits, if you ask me. Marker on a tshirt? Come on. But clearly-- the jocks. Boy, that one is a stretch.

Here's what I don't understand: WHY DO THEY KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL? Is this a thing in their clubhouse?

I know there's that one ridiculous baseball/dancing song-- Jon Stewart had a clip of it once-- it should be on youtube (called "I Don't Dance" apparently) and is good for a few laughs, if it doesn't make you vomit or give you diabetes. It almost killed fc last night.


PS-- this is the 3rd year Hansack's been hazed. Poor guy.

PPS-- I don't know if last year's costumes were random-- the pitchers (save dice and hansack, who appeared to be some Gatsby-esque dame) were all pirates, other guys were storybook girls-- Moss was Dorothy, Ellsbury had his red hood...



[ Adam ] says:
on September 15, 2008 2:57 PM

Someone shouldve worn the Dice K telletubby outfit that he had last year



[ Mac ] says:
on September 15, 2008 3:11 PM

Oh...my...god.... This is just absolutely amazing.

Chris Smith definitely wins best dressed. The tiara is a brilliant touch. (I know next to nothing about High School Musical; I don't know whether or not whoever Chris is supposed to be wears a tiara in the movie). I'm gonna have to agree with Mary, though, about how he looks like he enjoys it a little too much.

I'm guessing that they had Jacoby dress as the Zac Efron character, but I could be wrong.



[ Huck8467 ] says:
on September 15, 2008 3:32 PM

Chris Smith has to be Sharpay the bitchy girl...no question, just from the tiara. Masterson was her not so manly brother Ryan. LOL The hat was a dead give away. I'm sure Jacoby played the Troy part. Seems live a given to me.


I have no children, but have many nieces and nephews and have had the privilege of seeing not only the movie...but High School Musical ON ICE! Now that was a treat. LOL

Great stuff.



[ NHgal ] says:
on September 15, 2008 4:15 PM

I'll never forget the teletubby. that was AMAZING



[ Piney61 ] says:
on September 15, 2008 4:29 PM

http://wbztv.com/video/?id=66834@wbz.dayport.com

Justin Masterson wishes he was wearing one of the dresses



[ Katie ] says:
on September 15, 2008 4:32 PM

Sooo I'm a freak and have actually SEEN High School Musical (one of my friends is obsessed with it) and Hucks got it right Smith is Sharpay and Masterson is Ryan. They both do pretty good jobs if you ask me.

Now this is my lovely interpretation: Like basically everyone else I think that Jacoby HAD to be Efron's character and well Jed kinda looks like he's supposed to be Gabriella (the main female character). I'm not gonna lie I think that's hilariously adorable.



[ Kelly ] says:
on September 15, 2008 4:44 PM

I'm pretty sure that either you can get these costumes as a group, or that there's some kind of central MLB rental depot, because I'm certain that last year I saw another team's rookies in the same getups. I couldn't figure out the marker-on-T-shirt basketball garb at the time.

Back when I shot the Padres and Pirates on the same day they had a lot of costume overlap, but at least they seemed to have costumes!

Next year a) I will try to have a better photo spot, and b) I desperately hope Bowden is there and they have something better for him. (Although, that dress Chris Smith is in might work...)



[ JRL ] says:
on September 15, 2008 5:23 PM

did Pedroia ever get hazed like poor old Jed, Jacoby, Dice K, etc. ?



[ Amy ] says:
on September 15, 2008 5:36 PM

yeah Pedroia was hazed he was a baby. it was the same year Pap got hazed but his was better



[ Liza ] says:
on September 15, 2008 5:47 PM

Wheee! And I'd like to add that Ells was also carrying a basketball under his arm, making me think he was the Zac Efron character. (Not that I know anything more about High School Musical than that Efron is in it... honestly. I hate the Disney Channel.)



[ lone1c ] says:
on September 15, 2008 5:56 PM

I'm guessing Masterson didn't have much of a choice--there aren't all that many women's costumes that will work on a guy who's 6'6".



[ Erin ] says:
on September 15, 2008 6:01 PM

Did they have to sing songs form the movie?



[ lone1c ] says:
on September 15, 2008 6:01 PM

And some more video goodness:

http://wbztv.com/video/?id=66823@wbz.dayport.com (Generic overview)
http://wbztv.com/video/?id=66820@wbz.dayport.com (Jeff Bailey)



[ Erin ] says:
on September 15, 2008 6:02 PM

I mean "From"



[ ashley ] says:
on September 16, 2008 2:07 AM

i dont get why some of the guys have to dress up 2 years and others dont. (ellsbury did it last yr and apparently this yr as well. but pedroia only had to do it 2 years ago?)



[ Piney61 ] says:
on September 16, 2008 1:08 PM

ashley -- usually it's more or less like they were called up in September and had only been with the team for a few games or something. So because it was only a brief and passing thing, their full rookie year usually is when they decide to make them do it again.

Poor Hansack got 3 times



[ Hanachan ] says:
on September 18, 2008 7:07 PM

HSM+Red Sox=




Post a comment

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)



you might need to refresh the page to see your posted comment

Red Sox 100
online