AL West: White elephant in the room

Oakland A’s

Ever wonder what that white elephant logo on the left sleeve of A’s unis is all about? John McGraw, legendary manager of the New York Giants, leveled the phrase “white elephant” as an insult to the Philadelphia A’s at the turn of the previous century. The expression means a waste of money on something expensive yet utterly useless. The A’s owner and manager, Connie Mack, turned that harsh bit of negging around and appropriated the symbol for his team. It was embraced by fans en route to a sustained level of success that saw the A’s win three World Series all before the Kaiser and his royal cousins got frisky over the unfortunate ventilation of Archduke Ferdinand.

There are many ways one could level that same...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

Keibert Ruiz was injured by a freak foul ball, but can he show enough improvement on both sides of the ball once healthy to preserve his PT? Plus: Harris in ATL; Marsh in PHI; Alvarez at NYM; Sánchez in MIA; more.
Jun 30 2025 3:10am
Another opportunity for Toglia in COL; Nelson grabs rotation spot in ARI; Glasnow tracking toward return in LA: Sheets and Yastrzemski taking advantage of every day playing time in SD and SF.
Jun 26 2025 3:05am
While Toronto is standing by Jeff Hoffman, the team has no shortage of other late-inning options.
Jun 25 2025 3:10am
Denzel Clarke has provided great defense for the A's but has been a hole on offense. Is a change needed?
Jun 24 2025 3:05am

Tools