The Cleveland Indians will phase out the controversial Chief Wahoo logo by the 2019 season, according to a report by the New York Times.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has pressured club owner Paul Dolan to make the change over the past year, and told the NYT in a statement that the team "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 acknowledgment that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course."
Cleveland has been phasing out the Chief Wahoo logo for some time, replacing it with the Block C in 2014 as the club's primary logo. But the Wahoo imagery still appeared on uniforms sleeves and hats from time to time, as well as merchandise.
The logo has been a source of controversy for quite some time, cited by Native American groups as a racist caricature. Long time fans of the team, however, defend the logo as part of the team's history and tradition.