Jerry Summers
The Atlanta Braves still exist. The Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins do not. Why?
Many of the activities surrounding the logos and traditions established during the existence of the name Braves that have been applied to the 2021 baseball World Series champions are gone or in jeopardy.
The entertaining Chief Noc-A-Homa, his Indian Princess, and the tepee in left field are all gone. Yet the name of the Braves is still on the home uniforms and the “tomahawk chop” is regularly displayed by Truist Stadium patrons.
The baseball Cleveland Indians are no more. Like their football neighbors in the nation’s Capital, the names have been changed to the Guardians and Washington Commanders.
The irony of the baseball name change of the Lake Erie nine is that the baseball team was named to honor an Indian, not to degrade any tribe.
Louis Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian, was so respected as a baseball player in the 1890s it is historically alleged that the city of Cleveland named the baseball team, the “Indians” in his honor, in 1914, one year after his death.
The term Cleveland Indians was selected to salute and commemorate Louis and to give public recognition to what he meant to the community and the Ohioans baseball team!
Under significant political, corporate, and public pressure the Cleveland name was changed after the team was drawn into the controversy as to whether the use of such term was degrading, disrespectful and had to be obliterated and removed from further display by the team.
How have the Atlanta Braves so far avoided a frontal attack and have not also succumbed to the wishes of native tribes along with other “political crusaders?” The latter may have other objectives in addition to creating turmoil in the Peach State?
The soft question lobs of the past on the air announcer of the Braves during the weekend of July 24, 2022 and in an interview with a leader of the Cherokee nation may have explained the reason for a lack of a current emphasis to join in the actions of the Ohio and District of Columbia teams in sending their historical name sakes into oblivion.
“MONEY.”
It has been reported that 43 percent of the gambling revenue in the USA is received by descendants of the victims of the “Trail of Tears” and other abuses towards our native-born non-immigrants. The Atlanta team has been very supportive of the Native Americans in the South.
However, whether the present existence and the projected eventual demise of the logo of the Georgia squad will only result in a further erosion of the loyal fan base of the 2021 World Champions will be determined in the future! (Probably not - just pay the price increases)
(P.S. I owe my apology to the Warriors of the Chattahoochee for suggesting in a previous article that they should use the bunt to advance runners on base with zero or one out. The success of the longball hitters in 2023 for the Tribe provide a delicious dish of crow for me to digest- Go Braves!)
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You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com