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The Cleveland Indians will stop using their Chief Wahoo logo on game jerseys and caps starting in 2019, according to The Associated Press.
The decision has the support of the MLB, which has urged the team to decrease its use of the logo in recent years.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged the logo’s deeply problematic nature in April 2017, when the league awarded the 2019 All-Star Game to the Indians, and in related meetings pressured the team to “transition away from the Chief Wahoo logo,” MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said.
At the time, Bob DiBiasio, the Indians’ senior vice president of public affairs, indicated the team would be receptive to a future change.
“We certainly understand the sensitivities of the logo ― those who find it insensitive and also those fans who have a long-standing attachment to its place in the history of the team,” he said in a statement.
“We fully expect to work with the Commissioner throughout the remainder of this season on finding a solution that is good for the game and our organization.”
The long-simmering issue escalated in the fall of 2016 during the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Indians, when an indigenous Canadian filed suit, seeking to prevent the logo from being used during games in Ontario.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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