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The A's are giving out unicorn backpacks so fans can be just like rookie relievers

Here's the story behind the A's bullpen's unicorn backpack giveaway

By Mike Bertha

Since the dawn of time, professional baseball's relief pitchers have been making professional relief pitchers with less service time carry crap out to the bullpen and dress up in weird outfits. This usually results in Star Wars costumes, Hello Kitty backpacks and the hilarity that comes in tow.

Last year, though, the Athletics bullpen has put a strange little twist on the old gag that has created a monster unfit for human eyes: the Unicorn/Hello Kitty Franken-backpack.

Home Alone

Last year's Hello Kitty backpack just wasn't going to cut it for the new season, so the guys went out and got a stuffed backpack in the form of that unicorn from Despicable Me 2.

The problem, though, was that there wasn't enough storage space to make the thing functional, so they performed unicorn surgery to attach the stuffed backpack to the old Hello Kitty backpack, creating the fluffy abomination that one lucky reliever (like Dan Otero, below) totes out to the bullpen every night.

Backpack

It's Fluffy

Now, Athletics fans will be able to have their own unicorn backpacks thanks to the unicorn backpack giveaway at the O.co Coliseum on August 24.

Read More: Oakland AthleticsDan Otero