The baseball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that it will no longer display the Cleveland Indians’ Chief Wahoo logo on players’ commemorative plaques.
This comes into play because former Indians slugger Jim Thome is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.
The Hall of Fame announced that instead, Indians’ players’ plaques would feature a “C,” the club’s alternative logo.
Back in February, Thome made it known that he did not feel comfortable with the Chief Wahoo logo on his plaque.
At an event in Cleveland, according to ESPN, he said, “I know my decision would be to wear the ‘C’ because I think it’s the right thing to do. 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.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in January, “Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,” and the Hall of Fame agreed.
Plaques of former Indians’ players who have the Wahoo logo will remain the same.
Back in January, the Cleveland Indians did announce that the team will no longer use the Chief Wahoo logo on jerseys or hats following the completion of the 2018 baseball season because it is no longer viewed as a suitable depiction. The logo has been used since 1947.
While this is good progress, it’s a matter of time to see if the team will keep their name or rebrand the entire franchise.