phasing out Chief Wahoo

| May 5, 2011 | 5 Comments

I know what it’s like to be stereotyped – Aaron Dorksen, in the ‘Meet the Staff’ paragraph here in the DR press box, calls me gruff and lovable. In reality, I’m neither, except occasionally, and only when warranted.

Like other baseball fans, I’ve been watching the Indians with great interest. In lots of other seasons in my lifetime, the Tribe’s been residing in or near the basement by early May, destined to stay there the whole summer. Something about this year’s edition has me thinking differently, namely the starting pitching.

Also a firm believer in “Look good, play good,” I like the new road uniforms, as well as the old-style home unis. The hats, with what looks like an iron-on ‘C’ on the front, I’m not so sure. The red hats are hideous.

But the lids are more noticeable for what’s not there — Chief Wahoo, who makes an occasional appearance on the home lids, and on jersey sleeves. Other than that, he seems to be fading away.

Not sure how I feel about the long-standing symbol, one of the most recognizable in sports. Then again, I’m not a Native American, but, if you think how offensive similar logos would be to other races, maybe it’s not such a bad idea that the Chief is spending more time in retirement than on the diamond.

Category: Cleveland Indians

Mike Plant

About Mike Plant: Mike Plant has been in the business long enough to remember when cut-and-paste involved actual cutting and pasting. Having been alive in 1964, he does not believe in the curse on Cleveland’s sports teams, although Game 7 of the 1997 World Series made him waver a little. A graduate of Wooster High, Northwood University and Kent State, Plant has two sons making their way out in the world, neither of whom ever ask him for money. And, although he tries to avoid cliches when writing, he does, indeed, have an ex who lives in Texas. Plant lives in Wooster, and can be reached at 330-287-1649 or mplant@the-daily-record. He gladly welcomes all story ideas. View author profile.

Comments (5)

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  1. Mike Lupole says:
    May 9, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    @Andrew, I must have missed them. Easy to do with a sold out crowd…not that we see those often.

    Enjoy the game, those are great seats. I sat in a similar spot a week ago Sunday. I have hit two games myself and planning on more.

  2. Mike Lupole says:
    May 8, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    I noticed that the standard protestors weren’t present at this season’s Opening Day. Wonder if they have thrown in the towel? Regardless, I think the block C is classy.

    • Andrew Andrew says:
      May 9, 2011 at 9:15 am

      Mike,
      I attended Opening Day, and the normal protestors were there outside the Center Field entrance. However, I’ve been to 2 games since Opening Day, and I have not seen any more protestors. I will be at a game again this Wednesday (13 rows behind home plate, look for me!) and then again on May 21, so I’ll pay attention to see if there are any hanging around outside.

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