5 logos the Cleveland Indians could use instead of Chief Wahoo
As the Cleveland Indians reach the World Series for the first time since 1948, it’s time to take a look at new logos that could replace Chief Wahoo.
The Cleveland Indians have had many names over the years, dating back to the Cleveland Spiders in 1887. Over time in the early years, the team’s name changed to reflect new owners and new leagues, but the final name change came in 1914-1915 when the team selected the name “Indians.” The new name was a nod to Louis Sockalexis, a Native American player for the team from 1897-1899. The name stuck, and Chief Wahoo came along as a mascot to represent the Tribe in Cleveland.
The Indians moniker has always struck a chord with people who argue that it is culturally insensitive, so let’s take a look at five possible replacements for Chief Wahoo and the “Indians” name.
Cleveland Rockers
With Cleveland comes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So why not call the team the Cleveland Rockers? After all, this could lead to some really great partnerships between baseball and the Hall of Fame museum.
Some ballparks are known for their food, others their craft beer. Cleveland could have the park known for its great music and pre or postgame concerts.
Cleveland Elites
The Cleveland Elites were part of the Negro National League. The team was assembled in 1926 and the Elites name lasted a season before switching to the Cleveland Hornets. The team played one more season before disbanding in 1927.
African Americans have a long history with baseball, with teams dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The teams were segregated and there were separate leagues for white players as well as African American players. Segregation prevented many people from knowing how many talented athletes were playing in the Negro National League.
The Cleveland Elites barely lasted two seasons and it would be another 20 years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
Choosing the Cleveland Elites name and logo would honor the legacy of a team that represented Cleveland every bit as much as the Indians, even though they weren’t around as long as the Indians have been. The logo features the old school Cleveland C inside of a diamond, representing the sport and the name. The Cleveland Elites could build a partnership with the Negro National League Museum to create awareness about the history of the Negro League for generations of baseball fans to come.
Cleveland Tribe
The Cleveland Indians are referred to as the Tribe, so why not keep that as a team name to allow the tradition to continue without directly referring to Indians? The Cleveland Tribe name is part of the history of the team so this would be the easiest way to change the name without really causing a major disturbance.
Nothing is more iconic for Cleveland baseball fans than the Cleveland C, and Cleveland fans are nothing if not a tribe of people who love their team, so it makes a lot of sense to move on from Chief Wahoo and adopt the simple yet poignant block-style C.
There’s something to be said about the simplicity of the Cleveland C. Instead of invoking the Indians imagery, keep the tradition and the roots of Cleveland baseball. After all, given all of the names associated with baseball in Cleveland, from Spiders to “Naps” to Blues, they all started with the same thing: Cleveland.
A major upside to the Cleveland Tribe is that much of the current Indians merchandise works with the shift. Fans can easily pass along their Indians gear to their kids and it still works because it all shares the Cleveland C. This will keep older fans happy while making it easier for younger fans to transition.
Cleveland Bluebirds
The Cleveland Indians could return to one of their former monikers, like the Cleveland Bluebirds.
In 1901, the Cleveland Spiders became the Cleveland Bluebirds. The team’s new name comes with a move from the minor league American League to the major league American League. Cleveland was a charter member of the new league in its new form.
Players and writers alike were unhappy with the name Bluebirds, stating that it wasn’t the right fit for the team despite the fact that the team’s uniforms were blue. The players would have preferred something like the Broncos but that was overruled. Eventually the name was shortened to the Cleveland Blues but the Blues never really caught on either.
The Bluebirds were never successful as a team, but the name might catch on in the current era of Cleveland baseball. And why not? The Baltimore Orioles were around with the Cleveland Bluebirds and the Orioles are still going strong. A move to the Bluebirds might even trigger a change in uniforms, which would be a great marketing tool for the new name. Note that the logo features the traditional Tribe C with a bird on top, so fans can still enjoy the Tribe C with the addition of a little blue bird.
Cleveland Spiders
Nothing screams Halloween like spiders, and October baseball deserves a name to match the season, so why not move from the Cleveland Indians back to the Cleveland Spiders? After all, Cleveland is home to two species of recluse spiders, the Brown Recluse and the Mediterranean Recluse.
But we’re not talking the creepy crawly kinds of arachnids here. We’re talking about a return to the former Cleveland Spiders of old. The Cleveland Spiders played from 1887-1899 and are the first iteration of the team we know now. They started out as part of the American Association but ended up moving to the National League in 1889. While their early years saw a great deal of struggling, things came together in 1891 when they brought Cy Young to their pitching staff. The future Hall of Famer brought a wave of success to the young team. In 1892, the team finished 93-56.
The Cleveland Spiders most prominent season came in 1895 when the second place Spiders won the Temple Cup against the first place Baltimore Orioles with a four game win in the best of five series. Their victory included two wins for Cy Young.
So why not hearken back to this golden age of baseball in Cleveland by returning to the team’s eight-legged roots?
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