Cleveland Indians will remove Chief Wahoo logo in 2019

In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he told Paul Dolan, the team’s chairman, that it was time to mothball the cartoonish caricature that has appeared on Indians’ uniforms since 1948.

“Over the past year, we encouraged dialogue with the Indians organization about the club’s use of the Chief Wahoo logo,” Manfred said. “During our constructive conversations, Paul Dolan made clear that there are fans who have a longstanding attachment to the logo and its place in the history of the team.

“Nonetheless, the club 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 acknowledgement that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course.”

There are no plans to change the name of the team, according to the MLB web site. And in place of the chief, Indians ballplayers will wear block “C” insignia on their caps and uniforms.

But the team will continue to sell Chief Wahoo merchandise, the web site reported. And fans will not be prohibited from wearing clothing with the grinning Indian to games.

The move comes after years of home opener protests outside Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland by angry Native Americans and their supporters. Those protests were often met by jeers from those Indians fans who cherish the Chief Wahoo logo.

But the chief was on his way out even before Monday’s announcement. The Indians introduced a “C” insignia on some of their baseball caps and removed signs with the Wahoo image from the ball field.

In recent years, many schools and universities have ceased using Native American nicknames. The Washington Redskins, however, have continued to resist demands that the team change its name. And last year the Supreme Court, in a ruling, cleared the way for the Redskins to keep hanging onto their logo.