Baseball's new CBA bans a long-standing practice and some former players are furious

Hazing ritual ban by MLB sparks debate

Major League baseball players will no longer be allowed to make their rookie teammates dress up as women, a long-standing tradition by veteran players that the new collective bargaining agreement has deemed "offensive."

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The news was not well-received by a number of retired players, who expressed their disappointment with the new anti-hazing rule on Twitter.

RELATED: Four Texas Rangers prospects under investigation for alleged sexual assault in hazing ritual

Some defenders of the ritual argue that it's not at all about homophobia or transphobia, but merely a way of making their teammates feel different. Critics, meanwhile, say it's an issue that society as a whole has begun taking far more seriously in recent times, one that professional athletes should also begin addressing.

A similar incident reportedly occurred in November at the Texas Rangers training facility in the Dominican Republic. Four players were accused of sexually assaulting six teammates in a dress-up style hazing ritual.