Major League Baseball confirmed Monday that Chief Wahoo will be eliminated in 2019, stating that the logo, which has been viewed as offensive to Native Americans, is simply not appropriate.
In a statement provided to David Waldstein of the New York Times, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred stated that the Indians “ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball, and I appreciate [Cleveland chairman Paul] Dolan’s acknowledgment that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course.”
“We have consistently maintained that we are cognizant and sensitive to both sides of the discussion,” Dolan said. “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 franchise had already been phasing the logo out, and it has long appeared that things were headed in this direction. It remains to be seen if outside groups will take aim at the team’s nickname next, which has attracted some controversy as well, though not as much as the logo.
