$40.00
– Sold Out| /
Celebrate the original home of the Athletics in this officially licensed Philadelphia Athletics Cooperstown Bleacher Blue Forkball Scrum Tee from '47 Brand.
Here is the story of how the white elephant mascot came to be, as told by our friends at Philly Sports History:
When the A's joined the American League in its first year of existence in 1901, team owner Benjamin Shibe wasted little time in offering exorbitant contracts to star National Leaguers, in effect raiding them of their talent. John McGraw, who managed the Giants of the National League, was disgusted by Shibe’s actions, but thought that spending so much money was going to tank the team. And so, while speaking to a reporter in 1902, McGraw stated that Shibe had a "big white elephant" on his hands. The term, popular back then, described something that looked nice but whose upkeep made it impossible to take care of. Connie Mack heard what McGraw had said and showing that he had an outstanding sense of humor, ordered all Athletic's gear to carry a white elephant on it.
