Manfred will meet to talk Chief Wahoo
CLEVELAND — Commissioner Rob Manfred said he will meet with Cleveland Indians’ ownership to discuss whether the team’s controversial logo still has a place in Major League Baseball.
“I’ve talked to Mr. (Paul) Dolan about this issue,” Manfred said Wednesday before Game 2 of the World Series. “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 logo in question is the grinning, redfaced Chief Wahoo, which has been criticized as racist and derogatory to Native Americans.
“I know that that particular logo is offensive to some people, and all of us at Major League Baseball understand why,” Manfred said. “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 as easy as coming to the conclusion and realizing that the logo is offensive to some segment.
“Obviously when a team is in the World Series, there is a spotlight on that team,” Manfred added. “Everything about that team attracts more attention.”
Indians players have elected to wear Chief Wahoo on their caps and sleeves throughout the postseason, rather than don the block-lettered ‘C.’
That decision was met with a lawsuit earlier this month when a Native American activist attempted to prohibit the Indians from using their team name and logo in Ontario, where Cleveland played the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. A Canadian judge denied the request last week.
The league said in a statement that it was “pleased” with the ruling: “Major League baseball appreciates the concerns of those that find the name and logo of the Cleveland Indians to be offensive,” the league said. “We would welcome a thoughtful and inclusive dialogue to address these concerns outside the context of litigation.”
Though Cleveland’s players have indicated a preference to keep the logo, power ultimately rests with ownership.
—With Mark Feinsand