The Sumter Indians was a minor league baseball team, based in Sumter, South Carolina , as a member of the Western Carolinas League .
119-548: The team was formed when the Cleveland Indians relocated their Class-A affiliate, the Monroe Indians , to Sumter in 1970 and Sumter, was home to professional baseball for the first time in 20 years with the arrival of the club. After a last-place, 23-43 first half, the 1970 Indians went 38–26 in the second half, only one and a half games behind the first-place Greenville Red Sox . The following season, Sumter
238-532: A 12-metre (39 ft), neon-outline Chief Wahoo replica atop the abandoned Haus der Statistik building in Berlin 's Mitte district. The Wall Street Journal said that the project "combines a symbol of the American Rust Belt with a souvenir of Communist town planning", and was "meant to reflect on the broader subject of urban decline." In another work, titled Indian Palace , Gaillard silkscreened
357-417: A 2006 documentary on Chief Wahoo estimated that the logo brought in over $ 20 million per year. Although the club had adopted the name "Indians" during the 1915 season, there was no acknowledgment of this nickname on their uniforms until 1928. In the years between the team's 1901 formation and the 1927 season, uniforms contained variations on a stylized "C" or the word "Cleveland" (except the 1921 season, when
476-548: A Civic Icon", and "Enthusiasm! That's Chief Wahoo!" For several years, the USS Cleveland flew a battle flag featuring the Chief Wahoo logo. The time and circumstances under which the flag was first flown are not known, but the flag was retired in 2006 and presented to former Cleveland pitcher and World War II veteran Bob Feller . The flag had previously flown over center field at Cleveland Stadium . In 2009,
595-741: A Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of the World Series against the Boston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the 1959 World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox . Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements
714-516: A caricatured Native American character with a definite resemblance to the later Chief Wahoo as a stand-in for the Cleveland Indians winning an important victory. The character came to be called "The Little Indian", eventually becoming a fixture in the paper's coverage of the team, including a small front-page visual box where his head would peek out to announce the outcome of the latest game. Journalist George Condon would write in 1972, "When
833-769: A collage that appeared in the Tribe Tract & Testimonial , a fanzine that is now collected at the Cleveland Public Library. In 2013, a Cleveland artist designed a T-shirt that combined Chief Wahoo's feather with imagery from the Cleveland Browns of the NFL and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA . In 1987, Cleveland players Joe Carter and Cory Snyder were scheduled to appear on
952-500: A flag-themed block-C logo hat that would be worn instead. Some speculated that the scrapped design may actually have been intended for use. Local alternative news magazine The Cleveland Scene called it "the most offensive Cleveland Indians hat ever". Chief Wahoo has also appeared in numerous works of folk art and fan art . A 2002 decision by the US Department of Labor Employees' Compensation Appeals Board described
1071-442: A logo. Several changes were made: Wahoo's nose was made smaller, his body thinner, and he was now drawn as a right-handed batter instead of left-handed. Overall, the design of Chief Wahoo remained largely similar to the previous version. These modifications, however, heralded other changes to the team's use of Indian-themed imagery, such as the removal of a teepee from the outfield area. When Cleveland Municipal Stadium installed
1190-550: A loss to the Houston Astros in the ALDS on October 8, 2018. News outlets noted the irony of the logo's final appearance being on Indigenous Peoples' Day / Columbus Day . By 1973, when the team was bought by Cleveland businessman Nick Mileti, they had introduced additional depictions of Chief Wahoo, some of which showed the character at bat. Mileti hired designer Leonard Benner to modify an existing at-bat design for use as
1309-474: A means of phasing out Chief Wahoo. The Encyclopedia of Sports Management and Marketing has described the new hats and team mascot Slider as "an effort to distance the franchise from the controversy". The use of these alternative logos has at times proved newsworthy. In 1994, when then-President Bill Clinton threw the first pitch at Jacobs Field, he wore a hat with the letter-C logo worn from 1978 to 1985 instead of Chief Wahoo. A White House aide described
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#17327919126931428-520: A member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . Since 1994 , the team has played its home games at Progressive Field (originally known as Jacobs Field after the team's then-owner). Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 12 Central Division titles, six American League pennants , and two World Series championships (in 1920 and 1948 ). The team's World Series championship drought since 1948
1547-423: A new computer-programmed monocolor scoreboard in 1977, newspaper articles described how it could display animated depictions of Chief Wahoo yelling "Charge!" By the 1978 season, home runs were celebrated with fireworks and a scoreboard animation of Chief Wahoo dancing. The complete package of commissioned animations included an arrow skewering two players to signify a double-play. During his tenure as president of
1666-539: A number of players who made no impact. Chief Wahoo Chief Wahoo was a logo used by the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians ), a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio , from 1951 to 2018. As part of the larger Native American mascot controversy , the logo drew criticism from Native Americans, social scientists, and religious and educational groups, but
1785-530: A power in the league. In 1891, the Spiders moved into League Park , which would serve as the home of Cleveland professional baseball for the next 55 years. Led by native Ohioan Cy Young , the Spiders became a contender in the mid-1890s, playing in the Temple Cup Series (that era's World Series) twice and winning it in 1895. The team began to fade after this success, and was dealt a severe blow under
1904-459: A powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and 1900 . The Spiders were left with essentially a minor league lineup, and began to lose games at a record pace. Drawing almost no fans at home, they ended up playing most of their season on the road, and became known as "The Wanderers". The team ended the season in 12th place, 84 games out of first place, with an all-time worst record of 20–134 (.130 winning percentage). Following
2023-461: A similar remark to Sports Illustrated , who described the resemblance as "uncanny". Tabler's prediction was ultimately borne out, with hat sales increasing significantly after the reintroduction of Chief Wahoo. The revised hat design has been described as a change "in keeping with Major League Baseball's trend toward 'old-style' simulacra ." Around the time Bavasi added Chief Wahoo to the team's hats in 1986, he also banned "derogatory" banners at
2142-455: A single game and went on to lead the league in strikeouts from 1938 to 1941. On August 20, 1938, Indians catchers Hank Helf and Frank Pytlak set the "all-time altitude mark" by catching baseballs dropped from the 708-foot (216 m) Terminal Tower . By 1940 , Feller, along with Ken Keltner , Mel Harder and Lou Boudreau , led the Indians to within one game of the pennant. However,
2261-598: A unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sending Joe Gordon to the Tigers in exchange for Jimmy Dykes . Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcher Tommy John , who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the Year Tommy Agee to the White Sox to get Colavito back. However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led
2380-526: A wealthy industrialist and also co-owner of the Boston Americans , lent money to other team owners, including Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics , to keep them and the new league afloat. Players did not think the name "Bluebirds" was suitable for a baseball team. Writers frequently shortened it to Cleveland Blues due to the players' all-blue uniforms, but the players did not like this unofficial name either. The players themselves tried to change
2499-608: A writer for Yahoo! Sports observed that the league had "wisely passed over fashioning Chief Wahoo into a polyester conversation piece". Although Chief Wahoo was the logo for the Cleveland Indians, the official team mascot is a character named Slider . Major League Baseball does in fact sell a hat shaped to resemble Slider, who himself wears a Chief Wahoo hat. The Cleveland Indians have also sold Chief Wahoo bobblehead dolls . A 1999 editorial reported annual revenue of $ 1.5 million from sales of licensed merchandise, and $ 15 million from sales at official team shops. An interview subject in
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#17327919126932618-537: A young team and a new manager; Roger Peckinpaugh had replaced the despised Vitt; but the team regressed, finishing in fourth. Cleveland would soon be depleted of two stars. Hal Trosky retired in 1941 due to migraine headaches and Bob Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Starting third baseman Ken Keltner and outfielder Ray Mack were both drafted in 1945 taking two more starters out of
2737-471: Is back in Ohio and that not putting up a big racist, comically-exaggerated red-faced logo of an Indian is simply a matter of common courtesy." In 2013, Chief Wahoo was still used on the Cleveland Indians' spring training web page, where the logo was framed within the name of their host city, but has since been replaced. In 2008, Major League Baseball introduced special caps with each team's cap logo woven into
2856-513: Is now displayed in the group's museum. Anonymous donors have since provided funds to support maintenance work that allows the sign to remain lit. According to a senior vice president and historian at the Western Reserve Historical Society, the acquisition of a neon Chief Wahoo sign was debated for several reasons. Among them was the belief that it was "hugely negative for a portion of the population". Ultimately,
2975-632: Is still an American League record. The Indians returned to the World Series to face the New York Giants . The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep. The series was notable for Willie Mays ' over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1. Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959, George Strickland 's last full year in
3094-540: Is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams. The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic , eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge , which is adjacent to Progressive Field. The team's mascot is named "Slider". The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona . The franchise originated in 1894 as
3213-527: The Brooklyn Robins 5–2 in the World Series for their first title, winning four games in a row after the Robins took a 2–1 Series lead. The Series included three memorable "firsts", all of them in Game 5 at Cleveland, and all by the home team. In the first inning, right fielder Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam. In the fourth inning, Jim Bagby hit the first Series home run by a pitcher. In
3332-619: The Cleveland Spiders , and one of the first Native Americans to play in Major League Baseball. The Penobscot , Sockalexis' tribe, petitioned the Cleveland Indians to discontinue the use of Chief Wahoo. Another Native American baseball player, Allie Reynolds , pitched for the Indians for five years beginning in 1942, mostly as a starter. He was later traded to the New York Yankees . On October 6, 1950,
3451-530: The Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn just before Opening Day in 1960 . It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the 1959 AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in 1965 . Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for
3570-737: The Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan , that played in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was called the Cleveland Lake Shores . The Western League itself was renamed the American League prior to the 1900 season while continuing its minor league status. When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Cleveland
3689-540: The Plain Dealer , under the title of "Chief Wahoo Whizzing", stated "Allie (Chief Wahoo) Reynolds, the copper-skinned Creek ," lost to Philadelphia, but "in the clutches, though, the Chief was a standup gent—tougher than Sitting Bull ." In subsequent articles, Reynolds was again called "Chief Wahoo", "old Wahoo", and just plain "Wahoo". In 1952, "Chief Wahoo" was given as the name for the Indians' physical mascot for
Sumter Indians - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-762: The Tri-State League , Sumter Indians (1970) and Sumter Astros (1971) of the Western Carolinas League and the Sumter Braves (1985-1990) and Sumter Flyers (1991) of the South Atlantic League all played at Riley Park. Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland . The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as
3927-428: The " Stars and Stripes " that were worn during major American holidays. The Indians cap with Chief Wahoo emblazoned in stars and stripes was criticized by some sportswriters. In 2009, MLB redesigned the Indians "Stars and Stripes" cap with a "C" logo replacing Chief Wahoo. Similar events played out several years later. In 2013, manufacturer New Era released an image of a hat with a flag-themed Chief Wahoo to be worn by
4046-507: The "Clown Prince of Baseball" as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box was the sort of promotional stunt that delighted fans but infuriated the American League front office. Recognizing that he had acquired a solid team, Veeck soon abandoned the aging, small and lightless League Park to take up full-time residence in massive Cleveland Municipal Stadium . The Indians had briefly moved from League Park to Municipal Stadium in mid-1932, but moved back to League Park due to complaints about
4165-613: The 1899 season, the National League disbanded four teams, including the Spiders franchise. The disastrous 1899 season would actually be a step toward a new future for Cleveland fans the next year. The Cleveland Infants competed in the Players' League , which was well-attended in some cities, but club owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season. The Cleveland Infants finished with 55 wins and 75 losses, playing their home games at Brotherhood Park . The origins of
4284-403: The 2010s. The logo was subsequently retired after the 2018 season, and "is no longer appropriate for on-field use", according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred . However, as to maintain their trademarks on the logo, along with the words "Tribe" and "Wahoo", and prevent their dilution , the team continued to sell limited merchandise with Chief Wahoo only at its physical team store. Chief Wahoo
4403-491: The A's after his contract was capped at $ 2,400 per year—one of the highest-profile players to jump to the upstart AL. The Phillies subsequently filed an injunction to force Lajoie's return, which was granted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court . The injunction appeared to doom any hopes of an early settlement between the warring leagues. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was only enforceable in
4522-456: The A's. With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians. The name referred to the nickname "Indians" that was applied to the Cleveland Spiders baseball club during the time when Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , played in Cleveland (1897–1899). At
4641-463: The AL in runs, home runs, RBIs (for the second year in a row), and slugging percentage, and coming in second by one point in batting average. Ryan was forced out in 1953 in favor of Myron Wilson, who in turn gave way to William Daley in 1956 . Despite this turnover in the ownership, a powerhouse team composed of Feller, Doby, Minnie Miñoso , Luke Easter , Bobby Ávila , Al Rosen , Early Wynn , Bob Lemon , and Mike Garcia continued to contend through
4760-529: The Chicago owner suspended eight players. The White Sox lost two of three in their final series, while Cleveland won four and lost two in their final two series. Cleveland finished two games ahead of Chicago and three games ahead of the Yankees to win its first pennant, led by Speaker's .388 hitting, Jim Bagby's 30 victories and solid performances from Steve O'Neill and Stan Coveleski. Cleveland went on to defeat
4879-566: The Chief Wahoo logo was not used in Goodyear "because of the heavy population of Native Americans in Arizona." According to the 2010 census, the Arizona population is 4.6% Native American or Alaska Native, compared to 0.4% in Florida and 0.2% in Ohio. Sportswriter Craig Calcaterra described the issue more bluntly, saying that "in the southwest there is a much larger Indian population than there
Sumter Indians - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-546: The Cleveland Guardians date back to 1894, when the team was founded as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and competing in the Western League . In 1900, the team moved to Cleveland and was named the Cleveland Lake Shores. Around the same time Ban Johnson changed the name of his minor league (Western League) to the American League. In 1900 the American League
5117-531: The Cleveland Indians moved their spring training operations from their Grapefruit League home in Winter Haven, Florida to their new Cactus League home in Goodyear, Arizona . During the years the team trained in the Grapefruit League, a mural of Chief Wahoo was displayed on a nearby municipal water tower , which was touched up at least once in 1993. However, because of the team's impending move,
5236-506: The Cleveland Indians moved their spring training operations to Goodyear, Arizona , the Chief Wahoo logo was not used on the outside of the local stadium where they practiced. The Chief Wahoo logo had been prominently displayed at the team's previous spring training facilities in Winter Haven, Florida . Explaining that Wahoo's absence from the city-owned Goodyear Ballpark had not been the team's decision, then-team president Paul Dolan said, "It's not our ballpark. I would expect some sensitivity
5355-443: The Indians before departing for San Francisco in a trade for an aging Johnny Antonelli and Willie Kirkland . Akron Beacon Journal columnist Terry Pluto documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his book The Curse of Rocky Colavito . Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane. Lane also engineered
5474-492: The Indians defeated the Boston Braves four games to two for their first championship in 28 years. Boudreau won the American League MVP Award . The Indians appeared in a film the following year titled The Kid From Cleveland , in which Veeck had an interest. The film portrayed the team helping out a "troubled teenaged fan" and featured many members of the Indians organization. However, filming during
5593-517: The Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-old Norm Cash from the White Sox for Minnie Miñoso and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians received Steve Demeter in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland. In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favorite Rocky Colavito to
5712-471: The Novak Company, was asked to perform the job. Tasked with creating a mascot that "would convey a spirit of pure joy and unbridled enthusiasm", he created a smiling face with yellow skin and a prominent nose. Goldbach has said that he had difficulty "figuring out how to make an Indian look like a cartoon", and that he was probably influenced by the cartoon style that was popular at the time. How
5831-798: The UA after being offered higher salaries. The Cleveland Blues merged with the St. Louis Maroons UA team in 1885. Cleveland went without major league baseball for two seasons until gaining a team in the American Association (AA) in 1887. After the AA's Pittsburgh Alleghenys jumped to the NL, Cleveland followed suit in 1889, as the AA began to crumble. The Cleveland ball club, called the Spiders (supposedly inspired by their "skinny and spindly" players), slowly became
5950-439: The actions of a former letter carrier who claimed to have produced over 3,000 pieces of Chief Wahoo yard art, although she later said that claim was an exaggeration. The former letter carrier also produced Chief Wahoo clocks. In 2006, a likeness of Chief Wahoo took third place in a local sand sculpture competition, finishing behind sand sculpture versions of King Neptune and a man in a swimming pool. In Meadville, Pennsylvania,
6069-461: The adult children of a 74-year-old Cleveland Indians fan hired chainsaw artist Brian Sprague to carve a 7-foot (2.1 m)-tall maple tree stump into a full-body statue of Chief Wahoo. In 2007, a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio reported that a man from the Toledo suburb of Oregon intended to have a tree trunk carved into a depiction of Chief Wahoo at bat. Elements of Chief Wahoo were incorporated into
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#17327919126936188-447: The baseball club decided to adopt an Indian caricature as its official symbol, it hired an artist to draw a little guy who came very close to Reinert's creation; a blood brother, unquestionably." In 1947, Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck hired the J.F. Novak Company, designers of patches worn by the Cleveland police and fire departments, to create a new logo for his team. Seventeen-year-old draftsman Walter Goldbach, an employee of
6307-535: The block-C logo as alternative to Chief Wahoo: "We have added a logo, the block C, recently in addition to the Wahoo logo and the script 'Indians'. Fans of the team have alternative ways to express their support." In 2002, DiBiasio described an Indians hat with the letter "I" in similar terms, as official merchandise that provides an alternative without Chief Wahoo. Owner Larry Dolan had said the alternative logos are "another marketing tool" and "it's not true" that they are
6426-419: The cavernous environment. From 1937 onward, however, the Indians began playing an increasing number of games at Municipal, until by 1940 they played most of their home slate there. League Park was mostly demolished in 1951, but has since been rebuilt as a recreational park. Making the most of the cavernous stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed, which he could move in or out depending on how
6545-536: The city gained an NL team. A new Cleveland Forest Citys were recreated, but by 1882 were known as the Cleveland Blues , because the National League required distinct colors for that season. The Blues had mediocre records for six seasons and were ruined by a trade war with the Union Association (UA) in 1884, when its three best players ( Fred Dunlap , Jack Glasscock , and Jim McCormick ) jumped to
6664-547: The city name for many road games). In 1994, the Indians moved from the Cleveland Municipal Stadium to Jacobs Field (later renamed Progressive Field ). They considered replacing Chief Wahoo in 1993, but it was ultimately retained. Several years later, the Associated Press reported that the debate had not hurt the team's souvenir sales, which were better than those of any other team in
6783-506: The city of Winter Haven did not bother to repaint the logo when it eventually faded. Due to the expense of repainting the water tower, the logo remained there long after the team last trained in Florida; it was not until 2012 that it was finally replaced with Polk State College 's Logo. Chief Wahoo creator Walter Goldbach and his wife spent 15 winters living in Winter Haven. During the spring training season, Goldbach would work with
6902-474: The cover of Sports Illustrated posed in front of a stained-glass rendition of Chief Wahoo. However, the stained-glass logo was not ultimately used on the cover. The unused concept was described in a Los Angeles Times article that did not clearly state whether the stained-glass logo was an amateur or professional work. Fan artists have incorporated Chief Wahoo's likeness into stained glass pieces. In 2011, artist Cyprien Gaillard installed Neon Indian ,
7021-416: The decade in last place. In 1927 Dunn's widow, Mrs. George Pross (Dunn had died in 1922), sold the team to a syndicate headed by Alva Bradley . The Indians were a middling team by the 1930s, finishing third or fourth most years. 1936 brought Cleveland a new superstar in 17-year-old pitcher Bob Feller , who came from Iowa with a dominating fastball . That season, Feller set a record with 17 strikeouts in
7140-500: The decision as one taken "in recognition of the sensitivities" involved, and it spurred public debate on the issue of Native American names and images in sports. One critic accused Clinton of "an apparent attempt to appease his 'politically correct' constituency". When Cleveland played Baltimore in the 2007 "Civil Rights Game" in Memphis, logos were removed from the uniforms of both teams. This caused some sportswriters to assert that
7259-402: The distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following the 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. The massive stadium did, however, permit the Indians to set the then-record for the largest crowd to see
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#17327919126937378-567: The early 1950s. However, Cleveland only won a single pennant in the decade, in 1954, finishing second to the New York Yankees five times. The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when the Indians finished the season with a record of 111–43 (.721). That mark set an American League record for wins that stood for 44 years until the Yankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162-game regular season). The Indians' 1954 winning percentage of .721
7497-510: The evolution of the pre-Wahoo logo, a cartoon depiction of a man in a warbonnet drawn in profile. Patrick Hruby, writing for ESPN , described an early image featuring these uniforms as "a far cry from Chief Wahoo and other grinning caricatures". For 1939, the club wore the Baseball Centennial patch on the sleeve. Various other patches were worn for the next few years, none of them featuring Native American caricatures. In 1946,
7616-457: The first time when a person in a Wahoo costume showed up for a children's party at Public Hall given by "Cleveland's dentists". Sportswriters eventually took to calling the unnamed character "Chief Wahoo". Goldbach has said that the logo's moniker is inaccurate. Quoting a child he met while talking at a school, Goldbach explained in a 2008 interview, "He's not a chief, he's a brave. He only has one feather. Chiefs have full headdresses." In 1951,
7735-441: The front of the club's uniform shirts read "Worlds [sic] Champions"). The 1928 season saw modified club uniforms whose left breast bore a patch depicting the profile of a headdress -wearing American Indian. In 1929, a smaller version of that same patch migrated to the home uniform sleeve, where similar incarnations of the early design remained through 1938. The online gallery of historical Cleveland uniforms does not accurately depict
7854-482: The front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the 1950s, with the character's depiction signifying the outcome of a game. Wins were illustrated by Chief Wahoo holding a lantern in one hand and extending the index finger on his other. Losses were illustrated by a "battered" Chief Wahoo, complete with black eye, missing teeth and crumpled feathers. The Chief Wahoo logo was last worn by the Indians in
7973-543: The historical society decided that "history is history. This sign is a point in a major American issue, which is racial caricature. Some people have a problem with it, some people don't. It's important because it not only represents the rich history of baseball in Cleveland, it gets into a really deep issue in American history." The sign is displayed with written materials that show several points of view, including "The Legacy of Racism Continues", "Chief Wahoo: Brief History of
8092-461: The joy of the crowd, they were unsuccessful." From 1865 to 1868 Forest Citys was an amateur ball club. During the 1869 season , Cleveland was among several cities that established professional baseball teams following the success of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings , the first fully professional team. In the newspapers before and after 1870, the team was often called the Forest Citys , in
8211-450: The last year before Chief Wahoo's introduction, both the home and road shirts featured a City of Cleveland Sesquicentennial patch. In 1947, home and road uniforms began featuring the first incarnation of Chief Wahoo. The new logo, a caricature drawn from a three-quarter perspective, supplanted the earlier profile drawings. A redesigned Chief Wahoo caricature appeared on the uniform shirt sleeve starting in 1951. Uniform designs have varied in
8330-489: The league at the time. From 1962 through 1994, a 28-foot (8.5 m)-tall, neon-lit sign of Chief Wahoo at bat stood above gate D of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. When the stadium was demolished, the neon sign was donated to the Western Reserve Historical Society . Working with the original blueprints, and the help of $ 50,000 in donations, the historical society refurbished the sign, which
8449-481: The league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed. The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, including Graig Nettles , Dennis Eckersley , Buddy Bell and 1971 Rookie of the Year Chris Chambliss , for
8568-488: The lineup. In 1946 , Bill Veeck formed an investment group that purchased the Cleveland Indians from Bradley's group for a reported $ 1.6 million. Among the investors was Bob Hope , who had grown up in Cleveland, and former Tigers slugger, Hank Greenberg . A former owner of a minor league franchise in Milwaukee, Veeck brought to Cleveland a gift for promotion. At one point, Veeck hired rubber-faced Max Patkin ,
8687-503: The logo onto a salvaged window from East Berlin 's demolished Palast der Republik . The work appeared in an exhibition whose curator described the piece in terms of power, hierarchies, and values: "The window panes have arrived as ' spoils ' in Frankfurt . The term 'spoil' originally referred to the hide of an animal or the enemy's armor and was later extended to apply to old fragments of architecture. The Native American grinning through
8806-476: The majors. From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991). The Indians hired general manager Frank Lane , known as "Trader" Lane, away from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Lane over
8925-473: The mascot was redesigned with a smaller nose and red skin instead of yellow skin. This would be the most long-lived version of the logo, with only minor changes; when it was first introduced, it had black outlines before being changed to have blue outlines in 1979. After its introduction, the face of the 1951 logo was incorporated into other full-body depictions of the character. Ohio sportswriter Terry Pluto has described comics of Chief Wahoo that would run on
9044-609: The name Cleveland Indians . That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. Common nicknames for the Indians were "the Tribe" and "the Wahoos", the latter referencing their longtime logo, Chief Wahoo . After the Indians name came under criticism as part of the Native American mascot controversy , the team adopted the current name (Guardians) following the 2021 season . From August 24 to September 14, 2017,
9163-416: The name "Chief Wahoo" came to be used to refer to the Indians' mascot is less clear. The phrase had already been used for years before its use as a reference to the logo; the popular newspaper comic strip Big Chief Wahoo ran from 1936 to 1947. One questionable origin myth indicates that the names "Indians" and "Chief Wahoo" were meant to honor Louis Sockalexis , an outfielder for the Indians' predecessors,
9282-449: The name of a team was also part of the controversy, and led over 115 professional organizations representing civil rights, educational, athletic, and scientific experts to publish resolutions or policies stating that any use of Native American names or symbols by non-native sports teams is a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping that promotes misunderstanding and prejudice and contributes to other problems faced by Native Americans. In 2021,
9401-544: The name to Cleveland Bronchos in 1902 , but this name never caught on. Cleveland suffered from financial problems in their first two seasons. This led Somers to seriously consider moving to either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati . Relief came in 1902 as a result of the conflict between the National and American Leagues. In 1901, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie , the Philadelphia Phillies ' star second baseman, jumped to
9520-464: The next decade. One reporter referred to the team as the Napkins, "because they fold up so easily". The team hit bottom in 1914 and 1915, finishing last place both years. 1915 brought significant changes to the team. Lajoie, nearly 40 years old, was no longer a top hitter in the league, batting only .258 in 1914. With Lajoie engaged in a feud with manager Joe Birmingham , the team sold Lajoie back to
9639-579: The office of the Major League Baseball commissioner understood "on some level, that Chief Wahoo is the wrong message". The controversy was heightened by Memphis' location on the Trail of Tears . The president of the Faraway Cherokees in Memphis said, "My family was on the Trail of Tears. We feel offended that they would bring a team here called the Indians. It's racist. We aren't gone." Chief Wahoo
9758-528: The ownership of the Robison brothers . Prior to the 1899 season, Frank Robison, the Spiders' owner, bought the St. Louis Browns , thus owning two clubs at the same time. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace . The roster maneuvers failed to create
9877-419: The previous freebie shirt, which featured representations of three racing hot dogs". In 2005, the team partnered with a candy maker to produce a Chief Wahoo chocolate bar. In 2013, the name "Wahoo Women" was used for a ladies' night out promotion, and the team also ran a "Wahoo Wednesdays" promotion with Domino's Pizza . When Major League Baseball released a line of hats fashioned to resemble team mascots,
9996-476: The rubber Indian figure (marketed as "Big Chief Erie") was based on an original sketch by Plain Dealer cartoonist Fred G. Reinert. For its 100th anniversary, the team gave away blankets that depicted various incarnations of Chief Wahoo. In 2011, the team gave away free T-shirts with a picture of a heart, a peace sign and Chief Wahoo. The West Side Leader of Akron, Ohio declared this design "a lot better than
10115-553: The same generic way that the team from Chicago was sometimes called The Chicagos. In 1871 the Forest Citys joined the new National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), the first professional league. Ultimately, two of the league's western clubs went out of business during the first season and the Chicago Fire left that city's White Stockings impoverished, unable to field a team again until 1874. Cleveland
10234-613: The same time, Somers' business ventures began to fail, leaving him deeply in debt. With the Indians playing poorly, attendance and revenue suffered. Somers decided to trade Jackson midway through the 1915 season for two players and $ 31,500, one of the largest sums paid for a player at the time. By 1916, Somers was at the end of his tether, and sold the team to a syndicate headed by Chicago railroad contractor James C. "Jack" Dunn . Manager Lee Fohl, who had taken over in early 1915, acquired two minor league pitchers, Stan Coveleski and Jim Bagby and traded for center fielder Tris Speaker , who
10353-463: The season cost the players valuable rest days leading to fatigue towards the end of the season. That season, Cleveland again contended before falling to third place. On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field the day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race. Later in 1949, Veeck's first wife (who had a half-stake in Veeck's share of
10472-441: The shimmering glass brings to mind the constant change in power relations, hierarchies and values." In an article on Gaillard's work, Indian Country Today Media Network said it was up to the viewer to decide "whether it is a clever re-imagining of a controversial symbol or merely a callous and harmful repetition." As part of the Native American mascot controversy , Chief Wahoo has drawn particular criticism. The use of "Indians" as
10591-574: The size of the logo on uniforms sleeves in 1983. By 2013, Chief Wahoo was featured on every variation of the team's uniforms. On January 29, 2018, the Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their on-field baseball caps and jerseys starting with the 2019 season. On March 21, 2018, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Chief Wahoo would no longer be featured on future Hall of Fame plaques, starting with newly inducted Jim Thome as an Indian. The Chief Wahoo logo
10710-399: The stadium. The elimination of references to Cleveland on the uniforms, including replacing the old style hats with Chief Wahoo, led to speculation that the team might be moved to another city ("Cleveland" was omitted on road jerseys from 1972 to 1977 and from 1983 to 1988; from 1978 to 1982, the city name was on the road grays, but the team often wore navy jerseys with the team name instead of
10829-470: The state of Pennsylvania. Mack, partly to thank Somers for his past financial support, agreed to trade Lajoie to the then-moribund Blues, who offered $ 25,000 salary over three years. Due to the injunction, however, Lajoie had to sit out any games played against the A's in Philadelphia. Lajoie arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and was an immediate hit, drawing 10,000 fans to League Park. Soon afterward, he
10948-529: The stretch run of the pennant race, Veeck turned to the Negro leagues again and signed pitching great Satchel Paige amid much controversy. Barred from Major League Baseball during his prime, Veeck's signing of the aging star in 1948 was viewed by many as another publicity stunt. At an official age of 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League baseball history, and the first black pitcher. Paige ended
11067-447: The team announced their rebranding as the Cleveland Guardians for the 2022 season . Opponents have been protesting and taking other actions against the name and logo since the 1970s. The team owners and management have defended their use as having no intent to offend but to honor Native Americans, upholding many fans' beliefs and continued support. However, the use of Chief Wahoo was de-emphasized in favor of alternate logos beginning in
11186-403: The team began to unravel, leading Kilfoyl to sell his share of the team to Somers. Cy Young , who returned to Cleveland in 1909, was ineffective for most of his three remaining years and Addie Joss died from tubercular meningitis prior to the 1911 season. Despite a strong lineup anchored by the potent Lajoie and Shoeless Joe Jackson , poor pitching kept the team below third place for most of
11305-475: The team on the Fourth of July . According to a source at Major League Baseball, the image was mistakenly released because of a misunderstanding that all teams would be using their main logo. After news reports criticized the "short-sightedness of covering a Native American logo with stars and stripes" and said it looked "a little too much like a blackface cartoon", New Era removed the design and released an image of
11424-558: The team was wracked with dissension, with some players (including Feller and Mel Harder) going so far as to request that Bradley fire manager Ossie Vitt . Reporters lampooned them as the Cleveland Crybabies. Feller, who had pitched a no-hitter to open the season and won 27 games, lost the final game of the season to unknown pitcher Floyd Giebell of the Detroit Tigers . The Tigers won the pennant and Giebell never won another major league game. Cleveland entered 1941 with
11543-484: The team when they conducted tours. Goldbach later retired from his career as an artist, and medical issues prevented him from drawing in the last few years of his life. He died in December 2017 at the age of 88. An early piece of Chief Wahoo merchandise depicts a squatting Native American figure holding a stone tool in one hand and a scalp in the other. Produced in 1949 by Rempel Manufacturing, Inc., of Akron, Ohio,
11662-440: The team won 22 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in American League history and the second longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history. As of the end of the 2024 season, the franchise's overall record is 9,852–9,369 (.513). According to one historian of baseball, "in 1857, baseball games were a daily spectacle in Cleveland's Public Squares. City authorities tried to find an ordinance forbidding it; to
11781-559: The team) divorced him. With most of his money tied up in the Indians, Veeck was forced to sell the team to a syndicate headed by insurance magnate Ellis Ryan. In 1953 , Al Rosen was an All Star for the second year in a row, was named The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote playing for the Indians after leading
11900-433: The team, Peter Bavasi asked players how the uniforms should look. Bavasi has described Joe Carter and Pat Tabler suggesting that Chief Wahoo be added to the hats, with Tabler predicting that it would "sell like crazy". Bavasi recalls expressing concern that it would offend Native American groups, but that player Bert Blyleven reassured him, "Nah, it shouldn't. Really looks like [manager] Phil Seghi ." Blyleven made
12019-470: The time were locked in a tight three-way pennant race with the Yankees and White Sox , were not slowed down by the death of their teammate. Rookie Joe Sewell hit .329 after replacing Chapman in the lineup. In September 1920, the Black Sox Scandal came to a boil. With just a few games left in the season, and Cleveland and Chicago neck-and-neck for first place at 94–54 and 95–56 respectively,
12138-492: The top of the fifth inning, second baseman Bill Wambsganss executed the first (and only, so far) unassisted triple play in World Series history, in fact, the only Series triple play of any kind. The team would not reach the heights of 1920 again for 28 years. Speaker and Coveleski were aging and the Yankees were rising with a new weapon: Babe Ruth and the home run. They managed two second-place finishes but spent much of
12257-462: The year with a 6–1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 45 strikeouts and two shutouts. In 1948 , veterans Boudreau, Keltner, and Joe Gordon had career offensive seasons, while newcomers Doby and Gene Bearden also had standout seasons. The team went down to the wire with the Boston Red Sox , winning a one-game playoff, the first in American League history, to go to the World Series . In the series,
12376-402: The years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years. In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away Red Schoendienst and Harvey Haddix . Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make. One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland
12495-431: The years since, but the 1951 design was used in most years since then, its only notable change being the addition of blue outlines in 1979. Exceptions include the 1972 uniform, which featured no Chief Wahoo logo, and the 1973–1978 uniforms, which featured a modified logo with Chief Wahoo at bat. Chief Wahoo was featured on Cleveland hats from 1951 to 1958, and returned to Cleveland's hats in 1986, following an increase in
12614-428: Was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see." In any case, Chapman did not move reflexively when Mays' pitch came his way. The pitch hit Chapman in the head, fracturing his skull. Chapman died the next day, becoming the only player to sustain a fatal injury from a pitched ball. The Indians, who at
12733-467: Was also absent from merchandise sold at FanFest activities during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in New York City . The use of alternate logos on official merchandise led sportswriters to speculate that Major League Baseball was uncomfortable or cautious about using the Chief Wahoo logo. Major League Baseball's use of an alternate logo on its website has led to similar speculation. In 2009, when
12852-402: Was also late in the afternoon and the infield was completely shaded with the center field area (the batters' background) bathed in sunlight. As well, at the time, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result
12971-829: Was an affiliate of the Houston Astros , becoming the Sumter Astros in 1971. They were replaced in the league in 1972, when the Sumter Astros and Monroe Pirates were replaced by the Charlotte Twins and the Gastonia Pirates in the six team league. Sumner teams played at Riley Park . Located at Church Street & DuBose Street, 29150. It is still in use today as home to the University of South Carolina Sumter Fire Ants and Morris College Hornet baseball teams. The Sumter Chicks (1949-1950) of
13090-555: Was breaking the color barrier in the American League by signing Larry Doby , formerly a player for the Negro league's Newark Eagles in 1947 , 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers . Similar to Robinson, Doby battled racism on and off the field but posted a .301 batting average in 1948, his first full season. A power-hitting center fielder, Doby led the American League twice in homers. In 1948, needing pitching for
13209-637: Was engaged in a salary dispute with the Red Sox . All three would ultimately become key players in bringing a championship to Cleveland. Speaker took over the reins as player-manager in 1919 , and led the team to a championship in 1920. On August 16, 1920, the Indians were playing the Yankees at the Polo Grounds in New York. Shortstop Ray Chapman , who often crowded the plate, was batting against Carl Mays , who had an unusual underhand delivery. It
13328-451: Was involved, but ultimately it's the city's ballpark." A city spokesperson said that they were following Cleveland's marketing lead after the team used the script "I" logo on the player development complex in addition to the ballpark. Dolan said there was also "some sensitivity involved" with player development complex. The logo is also absent from team property and employee clothing in Arizona. Cleveland sportswriter Paul Hoynes wrote that
13447-465: Was last worn by the Indians in an 11–3 loss to the Houston Astros during the ALDS on October 8, 2018. Coincidentally, the game fell on Indigenous Peoples' Day . The Indians introduced alternative logos: a block-letter "C", a script-letter "I", and the word "Indians" written in script. In 2013, the organization officially changed the primary logo from Chief Wahoo to the recently introduced block "C". Previously, team spokesman Bob DiBiasio had described
13566-477: Was named team captain, and in 1903 the team was called the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps after a newspaper conducted a write-in contest. Lajoie was named manager in 1905 , and the team's fortunes improved somewhat. They finished half a game short of the pennant in 1908. However, the success did not last and Lajoie resigned during the 1909 season as manager but remained on as a player. After that,
13685-629: Was one of its eight charter franchises. Originally called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues , the team was also unofficially called the Cleveland Bronchos in 1902. Beginning in 1903, the team was named the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps , after team captain and manager Nap Lajoie . Lajoie left after the 1914 season , and club owner Charles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose
13804-515: Was popular among fans of the team. During the 2010s, it was gradually replaced by a block "C", which became the primary logo in 2013. Chief Wahoo was officially retired following the 2018 season , with it also barred from future National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum plaques and merchandise sold outside of Ohio. In 1932, the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer featured a cartoon by Fred George Reinert that used
13923-600: Was still considered a minor league. In 1901 the team was called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues when the American League broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members, and is one of four teams that remain in its original city, along with Boston , Chicago , and Detroit . The new team was owned by coal magnate Charles Somers and tailor Jack Kilfoyl. Somers,
14042-511: Was thus the NA's westernmost outpost in 1872, the year the club folded. Cleveland played its full schedule to July 19 followed by two games versus Boston in mid-August and disbanded at the end of the season. In 1876, the National League (NL) supplanted the NA as the major professional league. Cleveland was not among its charter members, but by 1879 the league was looking for new entries and
14161-474: Was to send Roger Maris to the Kansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958. Indians executive Hank Greenberg was not happy about the trade and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane. After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange. After
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