his best effort and was mentally drained after winning his third title of the season in Tokyo

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. Fake Royals Jerseys . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Kansas City Royals Shirts . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Kansas City Royals Store . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. Kansas City Royals Gear . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. SHANGHAI -- Nick Kyrgios was booed during a listless 6-3, 6-1 loss to Mischa Zverev at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, then angrily defended his behavior by saying he didnt owe the spectators anything and that fans could just leave if they didnt like his attitude.Just three days after winning the Japan Open, the Australian player, who is known for fiery outbursts and argumentative behavior on court, put in little effort in the second-round match against Zverev, a player ranked 110th in the world who had only won seven ATP Tour matches all season.Kyrgios tapped a soft serve over the net and started walking toward his chair before Zverev had even returned the ball. He floated other first serves in at 67 mph and smacked second-serve faults at 130 mph.Kyrgios hit a risky trick volley between his legs -- and still managed to win the point. On changeovers, he bypassed his chair and waited impatiently to serve, twirling his racket on his fingers.Chair umpire Ali Nili admonished Kyrgios for his behavior in the first set.This is a professional tournament, you have to act like a professional, Nili said.Toward the end of the 48-minute match, the crowd started booing and jeering. One man yelled, Respect the game, prompting a furious reaction from Kyrgios, who shouted, You want to come here and play?Asked after the match whether he thought he owed the spectators a better effort as one of the stars of the game, Kyrgios turned defiant again.What does that even mean? Im good at hitting a tennis bball at the net.dddddddddddd Big deal. I dont owe them anything, he said. If you dont like it, I didnt ask you to come watch. Just leave.On his soft serves, he replied flatly, My arm was a little sore.Kyrgios conceded that he didnt put forth his best effort and was mentally drained after winning his third title of the season in Tokyo.I guess thats why Im trying to work on being able to be consistent every week, Kyrgios said. Just took the easy way out tonight and obviously didnt show up at all.He added that he is so tired from the lengthy season, that hes not interested in chasing one of the last spots for the ATP finals next month.I couldnt care less, to be completely honest with you, he said.Kyrgios later apologized on Twitter.Zverev joked about some of Kyrgios serves after the match -- it felt like the last time he played his girlfriend, he said -- but he also defended the Australian and said he shouldnt be criticized for his professionalism.Would Federer behave like that? Probably not, Zverev said. But [Kyrgios] has a creative mind. ... Hes top-15, -16 in the world, so hes doing something right.Zverev also said its normal to be fatigued at the end of a grueling season.You reach a point where youre mentally tired and some people react one way, some people react a different way, Zverev said. It doesnt say anything about whether hes professional or not. ' ' '