Major League Baseball Bans Dressing Players Like Women

Major League Baseball has finally put an end to veteran players hazing rookies by forcing them to dress as women ... a ritual many felt was insensitive and offensive.

As we've pointed out for years, women's rights groups -- among others -- have complained about the gender-shaming hazing ... and MLB heard the message loud and clear.

As part of baseball's new CBA, "requiring, coercing or encouraging" players as "dressing up as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to individuals based on their race, sex, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identify or other characteristic" is now forbidden.

In recent years, some clubs heard the criticism and ended the practice ... opting to dress their young players like male superheroes -- not women. Many other teams continued the tradition.

Back in September we shot San Francisco Giants rooks Derek Law and Albert Saurez outside a club in L.A. ... wearing backless dresses and wigs.

But no more ... 'cause it's now against the rules.

9:55AM PT -- Hudson Taylor, the founder of Athlete Ally -- an organization that promotes LGBT acceptance in sports, and was outspoken against the hazing ritual -- gave the following statement to TMZ Sports.

"By banning the hazing of rookies by having them dress in feminine presenting clothing, MLB draws closer to minimizing and hopefully ending discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and expression."

"This is an important step on the pathway to creating a baseball culture in which players are not isolated, excluded or othered because of how they identify or who they love. I commend the leadership of MLB for taking a stand.”