Charlie-O facts for kids

Charlie-O the Mule was a special mascot for the Kansas City / Oakland A's baseball team. He was with the team from 1965 to 1976. Charlie-O was a real mule bought from a farmer in Missouri. He got his name from the team's owner at the time, Charles O. Finley.

The A's and Their Mascots

The A's baseball team has a long history with mascots. Their first mascot was an elephant. This started when the team was in Philadelphia. A rival manager once said the team's new owners had bought a "white elephant". This meant he thought they had made a bad purchase.

But the A's manager, Connie Mack, decided to make the elephant their team symbol. Since then, an elephant has often appeared on the team's uniforms.

A Mule for Missouri

Later, the A's team moved to Missouri. The official state animal of Missouri is the mule. So, the governor of Missouri gave a mule to team owner Charles O. Finley. Finley kept many animals at the team's stadium in Kansas City. These included sheep, goats, and even a horse named Warpaint.

Finley really liked the mule. He decided to make the mule the team's new mascot. He even changed the team's colors from blue and red to green, gold, and white. He also removed the elephant from the team's logo.

Charlie-O's Fun Antics

Charlie-O was a very famous mule. Finley would take him everywhere. He walked Charlie-O into parties and hotel lobbies. One time, he even brought the mule into a room full of reporters after a big meal. This was Finley's way of having fun and getting attention.

In 1965, the A's even had their relief pitchers ride Charlie-O. The pitchers would ride the mule from the bullpen to the pitcher's mound when they entered a game. Imagine seeing that!

Moving to Oakland and Beyond

When the A's left Kansas City in 1967, there was talk about Charlie-O staying behind. But Finley said the mule was a gift to him. So, Charlie-O went with the team to Oakland in 1968.

Charlie-O the mule passed away in 1976 when he was 20 years old. When Finley sold the team in 1981, the A's stopped using a mule as their mascot.

Then, in 1988, the elephant mascot returned! Today, the A's elephant mascot is named Stomper.

Charlie-O's Return Appearances

Even after his death, Charlie-O made a few special appearances. In 2010, a mule representing Charlie-O appeared at two Oakland Athletics games. One game was in Oakland. The other was in Kansas City, where the Kansas City Royals played against the A's. These were "Turn Back the Clock" games, celebrating the team's history.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball mascots