Local’s work to change Cleveland MLB name appears to be at its goal

CLEVELAND, OH (WABI) - The Cleveland Major League Baseball team is changing its name. Although it won’t be right away.

The racial term Indians has been the team name since 1915. Owner Paul Dolan said Monday they will not change the name until a new name is chosen and plan to play this season with it. The team retired the “Chief Wahoo” logo in 2019. The logo was believed to be made in the likeness of late Penobscot Nation player Louis Sockalexis. He is believed to be the first native American to have played in the Major Leagues. Maine author Ed Rice is a biographer of Sockalexis and has campaigned for the baseball team to drop the nickname for years.

“He would be treated every bit as badly as Jackie Robinson, 50 years later, attempting to play professional baseball,” says Sockalexis biographer Ed Rice, “He’s a civil rights icon, who even here in Maine doesn’t get enough credit and that’s a real shame.”

The momentum to change the name came this summer following the Washington NFL team’s move to become The Washington Football Team.

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