Pink Bats

I find it fascinating how Major League Baseball put out pink bats for all the players in honor of breast cancer.
In case you don't follow sports, all baseball players were given pink baseball bats to use today. The bats are going to be auctioned off for charity with the proceeds going to breast cancer research. This is a noble cause. However, according to a few different sources, only a few baseball players across the WHOLE league used the pink bats. Oh, they used them during batting practice as they were required to do so. They had to use the bats in order for the "game-used bat" tag for the auctions not to be a lie. However, only a few players used the bats during the games. Some readily accepted them, but others, well...they flipped.
Now, you may ask, "Why is this important?"
Because the reasons these guys won't use the other bats are amazing to me. Here are a few.
1. A player on the New York Mets (my favorite team) said he wouldn't use the bat because he wouldn't look good. The pink bat would be fodder for his teammates to make fun of him. Regardless of the fact that these guys are adults and being paid millions and can deal with thousands of people booing them, they can't take a little ribbing from teammates?
2. Superstition. A player for the New York Yankees said he couldn't use the bat because he knew it would end his current hitting streak. If he was to switch the bat, it would give him bad mojo. He also can't touch the first base line when he runs off the field.
3. Weight. This one I understand. The bats are made by a specific company. If you use the bat, it's weight may be different from what you're used to and can change your swing. But...baseball is a game of minute changes. You have to adjust. So, if you don't do well on your first at-bat, you can change for the next. Still, I can understand how changing equipment can be a problem.
However, the real reason many of them would not do it is....
4. Fear. Fear of being called a homosexual or made fun of. I'm not kidding. Ask Torii Hunter who said, "My dad is watching and I know what he would say." (Look at the Fox 9 news clip.)
Even though our society has grown a great deal, homosexuality is still not accepted in ANY sport. Pink means you're a girl which, for many of these ball players, makes them "queer".
They are afraid that people will say, "Hey, Hunter is gay because he swings a pink bat."
Maybe I'm overreacting, but come on. It's one game and it's for a good cause. Can't these guys overcome this fear for one game?
Can you defend this? Sure. Maybe it's because they need their bat (the superstition thing or the weight thing), but if you're a ball player and you wouldn't use it because you're afraid it makes you "gay", you need to grow up.
This just shows me I shouldn't write when I'm tired.
Plus I owed you a short post because my last few were too long....