Here's why the Arizona Diamondbacks' mascot isn't, as you might expect, a rattlesnake. ... The D-Backs primary logo is an italicized block letter A with a snake pattern on the side.

The logic is right there in the name: The Arizona Diamondbacks are named for a snake. So, uh, why is their mascot D. Baxter the Bobcat? First, I'll start with a theory from my colleague Andrew ...

Many would think the mascot of the Diamondbacks would be a snake. Instead, it's a bobcat. Specifically, it's a bobcat dressed in a Diamondbacks jersey.

The Diamondbacks relied heavily on their "D" and snakehead logo during this time before the idea for Baxter came in 2000, but the snake remains a popular secondary mascot on most of the team's logos.