It’s the last weekend of the regular season, which means one thing: rookies all around baseball spent an awful lot of time recently commuting through airports and on busses in something other than their normal wardrobe. It’s a time-tested tradition, an irrevocable unwritten rule, serving as another tool to put rookies in their place.

They haven’t always been so creatively attired, however. It started decades ago with gaudy footwear, frequently purchased at a particularly funky shoe emporium in Atlanta. Occasionally rookies’ pants would be trimmed at the shins to better show off their new kicks.

Slowly it developed into the circus act we know today, with rookies being forced into costumes, dresses, dainty undergarments … and worse. The Rockies are known to dress their rookies in Hooters outfits, then stop the team bus at the local Hooters and put them to work.

“In Montreal, we had to go through customs, and then we’d get dropped off in different spots where we lived,” said Jamey Carrol. “I lived a block over from one of the main dropoff spots, so I had to walk in a French maid outfit with purple hair, pulling my suitcase, at 10 pm. That was definitely something I remember. You never know, in Montreal, what you’ve got going on the streets, you know.”

Here’s a sampling of this year’s offerings, from around the league.

Marlins: Babies and a lifeguard, among others. (Photos)
Red Sox: Reno 911 and Nacho Libre, among others. (Video)
Cubs: Cowgirl and figure skater. (Video)
Twins: Cartoon characters. (Photos)
Diamondbacks: Swim team. (Photo)
Phillies: Fireman and a leather king, among others. (Photo)
Reds: Grab bag. (Photo)