CLEVELAND -- With the Indians currently in the World Series, more attention is being paid to the team's controversial "Chief Wahoo" logo. One activist in Canada tried to get the logo banned before ALCS games in Toronto.
Prior to Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, commissioner Rob Manfred said during a radio interview with ESPN's Mike & Mike that he intends to meet with the Indians about the future of the logo during the offseason.
"I understand that particular logo is offensive to some people, and I understand why," said Manfred. "On the other side of the coin, you have a lot of fans that have history and are invested in the symbols of the Indians. I think that after the World Series, at an appropriate point in time, Mr. [Larry] Dolan and I have agreed we'll have a conversation about what should happen with that particular logo going forward."
The Indians have worn the Chief Wahoo logo exclusively this postseason following a players' vote. The club also uses a block C logo throughout the season (and still do for batting helmets). They've actually been phasing out the Chief Wahoo logo and using the block C more often in recent years.
The players may like the Chief Wahoo logo, which has been around for nearly a century, but it's understandable why many folks would consider it offensive. MLB does not want to offend fans for obvious reasons.
"I know that that particular logo is offensive to some people, and all of us at Major League Baseball understand why," said Manfred at Progressive Field on Wednesday. "Logos are, however, primarily a local matter. The local club makes decisions about its logos. Fans get attached to logos. They become part of a team's history. So it's not easy as coming to the conclusion and realizing that the logo is offensive to some segment.
"I've talked to Mr. Dolan about this issue. We've agreed away from the World Series at an appropriate time we will have a conversation about this. I want to understand fully what his view is, and we'll go from there. At this point in this context, I'm just not prepared to say more."
The team may not eliminate the logo all together, at least not right away after meeting with Manfred, but I do expect them to continue phasing it out in the future.
(h/t Fox Sports)
