Baseball Hall Of Fame Will No Longer Use Chief Wahoo On New Plaques
The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced it will no longer use the Chief Wahoo logo in the creation of new plaques for former Cleveland Indians inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Former Indians slugger Jim Thome will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. He played 13 of his 22 MLB seasons with Cleveland. His plaque will feature the "Block C" logo. He previously said that he did not want Chief Wahoo featured on his plaque in Cooperstown.
“I know my decision would be to wear the ‘C’ because I think it’s the right thing to do,” Thome said in February. “I think I need to have a conversation with the Hall of Fame because of all the history and everything involved. I just think that’s the right thing to do.”
• How Chief Wahoo has evolved over time
Chief Wahoo was introduced in 1947 but is being phased out by Major League Baseball. In January, MLB announced the Indians will remove Chief Wahoo from their uniforms after the 2018 season as it was deemed no longer appropriate for on-field use.
The logo has a long history of controversy by many who consider it offensive, outdated and racist.
Chief Wahoo's logo will still be visible in other museum exhibits and Hall of Fame plaques.
