Cleveland Indians/Chief Wahoo

Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo

     I should probably first apologize for the small bit of hair shown in the picture. Sorry. Moving on, Chief Wahoo has garnered his fair share of history, but mostly for the wrong reasons. Now, I didn't decide on this to be controversial, but rather to preserve a bit of history which is slowly being fazed out by the organization as we speak. The original logo for Chief Wahoo looked similar to the head of a cigar store Indian when it was first sewn on as a patch on the left breast of their home uniforms. Over the next decade the patch moved around the jersey and even found itself on the road uniforms as well. In 1947 the first use of "Chief Wahoo" was introduced.

   Now, I'm not saying this is racist, but I'm also not going to say it isn't. I just didn't want to offend anyone by even thinking that it would be a good idea to get this inked on my ribs. In 1951; however, the logo was changed again to the more familiar style we all know today.

    Look how happy he is. This was the primary logo until the Indians brass decided that Chief Wahoo was in need of an update. Their answer? Well... this.

    That's right, a cockeyed mascot. Yeesh! This logo lasted for about six years before management decided they liked the previous logo better. As did most fans. Now, I had only seen the batting stance logo once since I've been born, as have most avid baseball fans born after its demise in 1979. If you go back and watch the film "Major League" you will see the batting stance logo on the sign just outside of their spring training facility in Arizona. I've always had a soft spot for this logo, but was never crazy about the eyes. Therefore, I made a compromise: switch the head and call it a day. 

    Unfortunately there is one thing missing from my original creation: the black, box-frame glasses like Charlie Sheen wore in "Major League." When I took the idea to my artist I made sure to have that listed, along with the other 15 pages of notes I had. Somewhere in the drawing process it was left out. I could have said something about it before we started the actual tattoo process, but after really looking at it it made better sense not to have it. Sheen played Ricky Vaughn, a pitcher. In my opinion the whole thing would have contradicted itself.

   Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, the Indians management, or so it seems, is taking small steps to faze Chief Wahoo out altogether. The logo on the hat has shrunk down considerably over the past few years, not to mention the introduction of the "C" caps over the last two years. Granted, the "C" was used back in 1901; however, I think this is just a passive way of retiring the legend. Tough break.