21 Facts About Chief Wahoo

Chief Wahoo is a logo that was used by the Cleveland Indians, a Major League Baseball franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1951 to 2018.

Chief Wahoo was officially retired following the 2018 season, with it barred from future National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum plaques and merchandise sold outside of Ohio.

How the name "Chief Wahoo" came to be used to refer to the Indians' mascot is less clear.

One questionable origin myth indicates that the names "Indians" and "Chief Wahoo" were meant to honor Louis Sockalexis, an outfielder for the Indians' predecessors, the Cleveland Spiders, and one of the first Native Americans to play in Major League Baseball.

In 1952, "Chief Wahoo" was given as the name for the Indians' physical mascot for 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".

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Wins were illustrated by Chief Wahoo holding a lantern in one hand and extending the index finger on his other.

Several changes were made: Chief Wahoo's nose was made smaller, his body thinner, and he was now drawn as a right-handed batter instead of left-handed.

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".

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 .

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.

In 2013, the name "Chief Wahoo Women" was used for a ladies' night out promotion, and the team ran a "Chief Wahoo Wednesdays" promotion with Domino's Pizza.

An interview subject in a 2006 documentary on Chief Wahoo estimated that the logo brought in over $20 million per year.

Chief Wahoo was featured on Cleveland hats from 1951 to 1958, and returned to Cleveland's hats in 1986, following an increase in the size of the logo on uniforms sleeves in 1983.

Chief Wahoo was absent from merchandise sold at FanFest activities during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game in New York City.

In 2009, when 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.

The Indians cap with Chief Wahoo emblazoned in stars and stripes was criticized by some sportswriters.

Chief Wahoo has appeared in numerous works of folk art and fan art.

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.

However, the use of Chief Wahoo was de-emphasized in favor of alternate logos beginning in the 2010s.

Chief Wahoo was not featured on the playing field when the Cleveland Indians hosted the 2019 All-Star Game.