CLEVELAND (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has made his strongest comments yet on wanting the Cleveland Indians to eradicate their Chief Wahoo logo.
Manfred has been in talks with Indians owner Paul Dolan about abolishing the divisive symbol, which has sparked debate for decades.
MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday that Manfred wants to transition away from the logo.
In the past, Manfred has only gone as far as saying he understood why many people find the logo offensive. Now, Manfred appears to be pressuring the Indians to make more significant changes.
Protesters gathered outside Progressive Field on Tuesday to demonstrate against the team’s usage of the red-faced, smiling logo.
The Indians have decreased Chief Wahoo’s profile, switching their primary logo to a block “C” several years ago. The symbol still appears on some of the sleeves of some of the team’s uniforms and caps.
