Blue hazing? Nationals rookies dress as Smurfs

Stephen Strasburg may be only 23 years old but apparently he is considered Papa Smurf among his rookie teammates.

Catcher Jesus Flores posted this photo on Twitter, featuring Washington National rookies forced to dress up as Smurfs in what appears to be the stadium parking lot. As CBSSports.com's Matt Snyder notes, the players were forced to wear the get-up for the team's trip to New York.

While the photo has no caption, Papa Smurf certainly resembles Strasburg though it's hard to identify the giddy Smurfette and the other cast of characters.

The picture was posted after Sunday's game - a game started by none other than Smurfburg, I mean Strasburg - in what is apparently some hazing dreamed up by veteran players who were forced to take their kids to this summer's Smurfs movie in 3-D.

No word on whether the major league Smurfs will be forced to go mini-incognito after they actually enter the Big Apple. But in a city where topless models and naked cowboys roam free, jaded New Yorkers may not even notice.