So long, Chief Wahoo.
According to a report by the New York Times, the Cleveland Indians will retire their controversial logo by 2019. The move is reportedly being done under pressure by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Some fans consider the logo to be offensive, outdated, and racist, the Times report says. But many fans of the team consider the logo to be a cherished tradition.
The cartoonish caricature of a Native American has been a part of the Indians’ uniforms since 1948, the Times report says. Recently, various groups across the country have called for the team to end its use of the logo, but Indians officials resisted.
But Manfred has increased the pressure on Indians chairman and CEO Paul Dolan to make the change.
The Indians, said Manfred in a statement provided to the Times, “ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball, and I appreciate Mr. Dolan’s acknowledgment that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course.”
