Oakland Athletics Logo PNG
Although the Oakland Athletics franchise logo looks like a seal, the presence of a white elephant, which adorned the emblem at the very beginning, is still discernible. Designers retained it in the letter “A” by stretching the right side and curving it in the shape of a trunk. The double element in the shape of a hook represents the tusks of the powerful animal.
Oakland Athletics: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1901 |
| Founder: | John J. Fisher |
| Headquarters: | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Website: | mlb.com |
Oakland Athletics is a professional baseball team and a member of MLB. It is part of the eight charter franchises of the AL and is in the Western Division. The team was established in 1901. The Oakland Athletics are located in Oakland, California.
The team began its sports career as the “Philadelphia Athletics” in Philadelphia, where it existed until 1954. After that, the team was renamed the “Kansas City Athletics” as it moved to Kansas City. The club played there from 1955.
On October 18, 1967, the AL leadership allowed a move to Oakland for one season. But Stuart Symington, a senator from Missouri, stated that it was the happiest city in the world, and by 1973, a new baseball stadium would be built. Thus, the franchise remained in Oakland.
The club was founded by Ben Shibe. He managed it from 1901 to 1922. Then, manager Connie Mack took over. He led the “Oakland Athletics” for 32 years. After that, he sold the club to Arnold Johnson, who then sold it to Charlie Finley. This happened in 1981. The franchise was managed by Walter Haas (until 1995), Steve Schott, and Ken Hofmann (until 2005).
On March 30, 2005, the team was purchased by a group led by developer Lewis Wolff. But in reality, it belonged to John J. Fisher, the son of the founder of The Gap, Inc. Since Wolff was involved in real estate and construction, he helped the club find a suitable location for the stadium.
The team’s name is based on the Athletic Club, which existed in the 1860s. Interestingly, the name has never changed with the team’s relocation – only the place’s name was added.
In 2002, the team won 20 consecutive games, breaking the American League record. This was reflected in books and films. Oakland has won the World Series 9 times and triumphed 15 times in the American League.
Since 1993, the club has used a modernized version of previous logos. The Oakland Athletics logo is a white circle with the letters “A’s” in the center. The letters are outlined with a wide field with the inscription “OAKLAND ATHLETICS.” The first part of the name is above, and the second part is below, visually balancing the image. Elements have a golden outline.
Meaning and History
Usually, the letter “A” alternated with an image of a white elephant. The first version of the Oakland Athletics logo is a graphically stylized name. The second is the result of a disagreement between Connie Mack, owner of Oakland Athletics, and John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants. In 1902, the latter contemptuously called the team “white elephants,” implying that they were not playing but throwing money away. Connie Mack accepted the challenge and made the white elephant the emblem of his club.
Fourteen logos, an elephant, and the letter “A” – all these are attributes of the Oakland Athletics team. Since 1901, it has changed many emblems. Such changes are mostly associated with the franchise’s relocation: first, the location was Philadelphia, then Kansas State, and finally, California’s Oakland. The symbolism is still divided into two major categories: with an elephant and with a single letter. If, in the first half of the sports career, the club did not supplement them with anything, then later additional elements appeared, more precisely revealing the image.
What is Oakland Athletics?
Oakland Athletics is a Major League Baseball franchise and a nine-time World Series winner. Previously, it was based in Philadelphia and Kansas City. The move to Oakland occurred in 1968, and a year later, the team joined the newly formed Western Division of the American League. Its current home stadium is the RingCentral Coliseum.
1901
The club’s first logo, called “Philadelphia Athletics”, was a classic printed blue letter “A,” meaning “Athletics.”
1902 – 1919
The second club logo lasted for 17 years. It was the letter “A,” but in dark blue and printed in an Old English font.
1920
Connie Mack decided to use an image of a dark blue elephant as the logo for 1920.
1921 – 1923
The new artist who drew the next logo with the elephant made it more unusual, depicting the animal standing on its hind legs. In addition, a light blue color was used instead of the usual one, along with white details.
1924 – 1927
This time, the elephant became more abstract and black and white. The elephant still stood on its hind legs.
1928 – 1929
Athletics again began to use the blue Old English letter “A,” adding a thin white-blue outline.
1930 – 1938
The club’s seventh emblem received a new design: the elephant became white with a blue outline and was on all fours.
1939 – 1953
The 1939 logo has a nuanced depiction of a white elephant with a thin black outline. The animal was in motion and held a white baseball in its trunk. On its back was red fabric with the team’s initials, “A’s.”
1954
The last logo of the Philadelphia Athletics featured an image of a white elephant with a blue outline balancing on a red-blue baseball. In the elephant’s trunk was a bat, and on its back was a piece of red fabric with the letters “A’s,” as before. On the baseball was a black outline of the state of Pennsylvania.
1955 – 1967
The club moved to Kansas and was renamed the “Kansas City Athletics.” The Kansas City Athletics emblem remained almost the same: an elephant with the letters “A’s” on its back, holding a bat and balancing on a baseball.
1968 – 1970
A large white baseball with two yellow-green seams and a green outline became the logo of the “Oakland Athletics.” On it were drawn green letters “A’s,” meaning “Athletics.”
1971 – 1981
The next logo of the “Oakland Athletics” was similar to the previous one. Its base was still a baseball, but now it became yellow. The letters “A’s” remained in the center, but now the logo featured a pair of white tennis shoes, and above the letters was printed The Swingin’.
1982 – 1992
The thirteenth logo of the Oakland Athletics was a simple white circle with a thick dark green outline. Yellow letters “A’s” were printed in the center, and Oakland Athletics was in a semicircle above and below.
1993 – today
The current version is used with a large letter in the center of a white circle. But in addition to “A,” it also has a miniature “s,” written with an apostrophe. All central elements are outlined with a yellow stripe. Next is a wide dark green stripe with inscriptions. Above is the word “Oakland,” and below – is “Athletics.” They are not separated and have an arch shape. A yellow line also runs along the outer edge.
The current version is a repetition of the previous one with some touches and adjustments. The middle has become narrow, and the green field, conversely, wide. The outline palette has also changed: in the previous version, it was green, and in the current one, it is yellow.
Oakland Athletics: Interesting Facts
The Oakland Athletics, also called the A’s, are a baseball team from Oakland, California, with a cool past.
- How They Started: They began in 1901 in Philadelphia and were one of the first teams in the American League. They moved to Kansas City in 1955 and then to Oakland in 1968.
- World Series Wins: The A’s have won the World Series nine times, making them one of the top teams for championships. Their wins happened in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1989.
- Changing Baseball: In the 1960s and 1970s, owner Charlie Finley made the team famous for its bright uniforms and new ideas, such as the designated hitter rule.
- Moneyball: In the early 2000s, the A’s became famous for using stats to find underrated players, a strategy called “Moneyball.” This changed how teams put together their rosters.
- The Mustache Gang: The 1972 team was known for its mustaches, breaking the usual rule of being clean-shaven. This showed that they were different and had their own style.
- Elephant Mascot: Their mascot is an elephant because a rival manager once called them a “white elephant.” They liked the symbol and kept it.
- Famous Players: Many great players have been A’s, like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Rickey Henderson, known as one of the best baserunners ever.
- Their Stadium: They play in the Oakland Coliseum, known for its big foul area and seating section called “Mount Davis.” Some people think the stadium is old, but it’s a big part of who the A’s are.
- Team Colors: The A’s wear green, gold, and white, which stands out in baseball. They’ve tried lots of different uniform looks but always keep these colors.
The A’s have a long history of being different, from how they play to how they look, making them one of the most unique teams in baseball.
Font and Colors
At the beginning of their sports career, baseball players chose the “A” sign for the logo, which, as today, conveys part of the name – “Athletics.” Then, in 1920, an image of an elephant appeared – a simple outline, as if drawn by a child. Gradually, its contours changed, improved, and acquired realistic features. Eventually, by 1954, the animal was balancing on the ball and holding a baseball bat in its trunk. This image emphasized the team’s high skill.
The image of the elephant was used until 1967 and was replaced by a variation with the letter “A.” Designers combined it with the ball and added “s” through an apostrophe. The transformation of color and details continued until 1993, when the circle turned into a classic rondel.
The lettering in the Oakland Athletics emblem is closest to the chopped font Gill Sans Bold Condensed. These are smooth, elongated letters with serifs. The central letter “A” is made in a font specifically developed for the club. It is in an Old English style and has curves.
The emblem contains all corporate colors proposed in 1963 by the franchise owner Charlie Finley: white, yellow, and Kelly green.
Oakland Athletics color codes
| Kelly Green | Hex color: | #003831 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 1 56 49 | |
| CMYK: | 100 0 60 72 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 3308 C |
| Gold | Hex color: | #efb21e |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 238 178 30 | |
| CMYK: | 0 29 91 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 1235 C |
FAQ
What does the Oakland Athletics emblem mean?
The modern emblem of Oakland Athletics does not contain an elephant that could be considered a symbol of historical pride. Now, the team uses a standard round logo in the form of a rondel. In the center is the inscription A’s – stylized green letters with a yellow outline. It is surrounded by a green circular frame with the full name of the franchise. This logo represents the Oakland Athletics team.
Why is Stomper the mascot of the “A’s”?
This occurred due to a long-ago conflict between the owner of the “Oakland Athletics” (then “Philadelphia Athletics”) and the manager of the “New York Giants.” The latter compared the competitor’s team to a white elephant, which was too pitiful to dismiss, although it did not bring profit and required huge maintenance costs. The head of the Philadelphia Athletics humorously approached the accusation and made the elephant the club’s mascot.
Why is the elephant the emblem of Oakland A’s?
In 1902, when the team was known as the “Philadelphia Athletics,” John McGraw compared it to the legendary “white elephant” – a useless animal that requires care. In response, the Philadelphia club made the elephant its unofficial mascot. Over time, this animal entered the branding of the “Oakland Athletics” and appeared on their logo.
What is the mascot of the “Oakland Athletics”?
Since 1997, the mascot of the baseball team has been the character Stomper, an anthropomorphic gray elephant. He is dressed in the Oakland Athletics uniform: white shorts, a green shirt, and a cap. On Stomper’s chest, flaunts his number, “00”.
