Major League teams have never shied away from hazing rookies. Every September we are treated to photos of players dressed like Apollo Creed, the Cowardly Lion and Teletubbies and it's good for a laugh. The Florida Marlins, though, don't go in for the good-natured ribbing of making you dress up in silly outfits. No, they're into a scarier, fraternity hazing kind of approach to welcoming newcomers to the squad as Buster Olney reports. When a Florida rookie is called up for the first time, they explain to him that it's standard operating procedure to tase the newcomer. They show him the taser, build up the pain aspect of it, and a couple of reliable Florida cops stop by the bullpen to ask when the next tasing is taking place, just to reinforce the fear.I wonder if they employ Scott Olsen's first-hand knowledge of what it feels like to be tased as a weapon to ensure weak knees among the greenhorns?
While it seems like a bit much and an odd way to build camaraderie, you can't really argue with the tactics employed by the Marlin bullpen right now. The rotation is averaging less than six innings per outing but the bullpen has posted a 3.16 ERA. That helps explain how the Marlins are in first as May begins. As it happens, Olsen has been the team's best starter so maybe they should just go ahead and tase the kids to ensure an even higher level of success.
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