Chief Wahoo: The History of a Controversial Icon

Contemplating Change

However, that’s not to say the Indians didn’t ever contemplate making a change. Prior to moving into what was then Jacobs Field in 1994, the Indians toyed with the idea of doing away with Chief Wahoo. Looking to establish a new identity to begin a new era of Cleveland Indians baseball, executives with the team thought a new logo might be a necessary move. With a new stadium and new uniforms already on deck for the 1994 season, Chief Wahoo came very close to his demise as a result of a total team re-branding. The team had also been dealing with years of protests surrounding the usage of the logo and its inappropriate nature.

Ultimately, the change never happened. Instead of doing away with the controversial logo, Chief Wahoo enjoyed success like he had never seen before. With the booming popularity of the team as a result of its first winning seasons in decades, sales of Cleveland Indians merchandise bearing Chief Wahoo’s image reached record levels. Despite the controversy, the Indians became one of the highest ranking teams in terms of merchandise sales throughout much of the mid to late 90’s. All the while, the cries for change continued to rind loud and clear.