Rays Host 12-Year-Old Student Suspended Over 'Rayhawk'

Zachary Sharples, a 12-year-old middle school student, was punished with an in-school suspension last week for committing the dastardly crime of ... getting a haircut? More specifically, he got a "Rayhawk," which is exactly the same as a mohawk except ... well, okay, it's just a mohawk.

But while the hair cut was once reserved for rebellious punk rockers, it's now popular among Tampa Bay baseball fans following in the footsteps of Jonny Gomes, Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist and the rest of the Rays. But apparently at Palmetto's Lincoln Middle School, it's also against the dress code.

Not surprisingly, the suspension made waves both in the local media and the blogosphere, and when Gomes saw a story about Sharples on the news, he decided to invite him and his family onto the field to watch batting practice before Game 2 of the ALCS. From MLB.com:

Once Sharples got out onto the Tropicana Field turf, the Rays stopped over, one by one, and offered their support."Keep the mohawk, man," right-hander Andy Sonnanstine said, giving Sharples a fist bump. First baseman Carlos Pena offered to write the youngster's former principal a note.

[...] Gomes laughed when asked of his suspensions as a youngster, saying a Mohawk would have been "one of the better things" he did. "Hopefully, we've got a Rays fan for life -- a Jonny Gomes fan for life," Gomes said.

Between this and the girl in Chicago who got in trouble for (gasp!) wearing a Kosuke Fukudome jersey, some school officials need to relax. When did being a sports fan start being against the rules?

Rays-Red Sox Photos

BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Starting pitcher Jon Lester #31 of the Boston Red Sox deals against the Tampa Bay Rays in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Lester

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the Tampa Bay Rays in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Ortiz

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Relief pitcher Edwin Jackson #36 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rays defeated the Red Sox 9-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Edwin Jackson

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Jason Bay #44 of the Boston Red Sox stands in left field in game three of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rays defeated the Red Sox 9-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jason Bay

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Fans of the Boston Red Sox watch game three from the green monster during the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rays defeated the Red Sox 9-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: B.J. Upton #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammate Akinori Iwamura #1 after defeating the Boston Red Sox in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rays defeated the Red Sox 9-1 to take a 2-1 series lead. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** B.J. Upton;Akinori Iwamura

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Dioner Navarro #30 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws to first against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dioner Navarro

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BOSTON - OCTOBER 13: Akinori Iwamura #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays fields the ball against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the American League Championship Series during the 2008 MLB playoffs at Fenway Park on October 13, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Akinori Iwamura

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza, right, congratulates catcher Dioner Navarro after defeating the Boston Red Sox 9-1 in Game 3 of the American League baseball championship series in Boston, Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Pena, left is congratulated by teammate Evan Longoria after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning in Game 3 of the American League baseball championship series in Boston, Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. Tampa Bay defeated Boston 9-1 to take a 2-1 game lead in the ALCS. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)