Orange County Register

Sean O'Sullivan and Trevor Bell delight teammates

OAKLAND

For a guy who had to parade through a packed stadium, two major airports and a downtown San Francisco hotel wearing a red Teletubby costume, Sean O’Sullivan had a pretty good attitude.

“It was actually kind of fun,” the Angels’ rookie right-hander said. “It’s going to be as fun or as embarrassing as you make it.

“The way I look at it – I’d rather have to do that once than never get here (to the big leagues).”

"Big Baby" Matt Palmer

O’Sullivan was one of the victims of an annual baseball rite Thursday – rookie hazing. He and Matt Palmer, Chris Pettit, Rafael Rodriguez and Trevor Bell each found new outfits in their lockers after Thursday’s game in Anaheim, replacing their traveling suits for the trip to Oakland.

It’s a tradition that rookies have to wear the outfits (the more embarrassing the better) on the last road trip of the season. They aren’t allowed to change back into street clothes until they check in to the hotel in the next city.

“Mine wasn’t so bad,” said catcher Bobby Wilson who had to wear a tennis skirt during last season’s hazing. “I only had to go from here (Oakland) to Dallas. They had to walk through a rally.”

Because the Angels held a playoff rally following the final regular-season home game at Angel Stadium Thursday, the rookies had to walk from the home dugout out to right field where the team bus was loading.

Chris Pettit -- pretty in pink?

Thousands of people got a good look at O’Sullivan in his Teletubby costume, Pettit in a short pink dress, Rodriguez in some kind of ostrich outfit, Bell in ‘Reno 911’ short-shorts and 30-year-old rookie Palmer in a big baby outfit (giant bottle included).

“At least I don’t have to shop for a Halloween costume this year,” said Bell who had to stop more than once to … adjust the costume.

“It’s something you figure everyone goes through so you might as well have a good attitude about it,” Pettit said. “At least I was cool on the plane.”

“Walking through the airport, people didn’t know what was going on and we kind of got stretched out,” he said. “I kind of fell behind and was walking by myself. I saw a few heads turn.”

Long arm of the law -- Reno 911 officer Trevor Bell strikes a pose for teammates

NEW YORK

Monday’s makeup game in New York turned a group of the Angels’ young players into baseball tourists.

Pitchers Trevor Bell, Sean O’Sullivan and Rich Thompson and catcher Bobby Wilson were among those who made the walk out to “Monument Park” beyond center field at the new Yankee Stadium. None were up with the big-league team in May when the Angels made their first visit to the stadium.

“Awesome,” O’Sullivan said of the area honoring past Yankee greats like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle. “That’s a big piece of baseball history out there.”

All took photos alongside the famous monuments. Bell turned the video recorder in his cell phone on and provided a first-person narration with plans to edit it as a keepsake later.

“One of the coolest things I’ve seen all year,” Bell said. “I was kind of speechless. I mean, it’s like their graveyard. I walked through there with some respect.”

The Australian-born Thompson doesn’t have quite as much history with baseball history. But he still made it a point to visit the monuments.

“Even though we didn’t get a lot of baseball coverage in Australia other than maybe the World Series, I was still interested in the history,” Thompson said. “I remember watching the Ken Burns’ documentary (a 10-part series on baseball). It came on real late at night so I’d fall asleep halfway through.”

Wilson made a point of taking a picture near the plaque honoring Mantle – his father’s favorite player. A Floridian himself, Wilson said his father was born and raised in New York and grew up a Yankee fan. He traveled to New York for the Angels’ game and was on the field during the team’s pre-game workout.

“He’s way more excited than I am,” Wilson said.