The Cleveland Indians will no longer use the “Chief Wahoo” logo on their uniforms, starting in 2019.
Major League Baseball released a statement Monday saying the club will no longer use the logo for “on field” use, meaning it can no longer appear on uniforms or on the field.
The logo, which contains a cartoonish portrait of a Native American chief, is considered by many to be offensive.
According to The New York Times, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred pressured the Indians to make a change.
“We have consistently maintained that we are cognizant and sensitive to both sides of the discussion,” Indians executive Paul Dolan told The New York Times in a statement. “While we recognize many of our fans have a longstanding attachment to Chief Wahoo, I’m ultimately in agreement with Commissioner Manfred’s desire to remove the logo from our uniforms in 2019.”
The Indians will still have right to sell merchandise featuring the logo in stores and outside the stadium, but merchandise featuring the logo will no longer be sold on the league’s website.
In 2014, the Indians introduced a new primary logo that was a “C” for Cleveland. But the Indians continued to use the Chief Wahoo logo as well, drawing criticism, particularly in the 2016 postseason.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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