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Jesse Rogers, ESPN editor
HOUSTON — Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is deferring to the Native American community in and around Atlanta on whether this is appropriate for the Brave cheering for the Tomahawk Chop move when the World Series rolls around for Games 3-5 this weekend.
“It’s important to understand that we have 30 markets across the country,” Manfred said before the first game between the Braves and Astros Tuesday evening. “They’re not all the same. The Braves have done a phenomenal job with the Native American community.”
Manfred said the Atlanta-area Native American community “fully supports the Braves program, including the chop. To me, that’s the end of the story.”
However, opinions on the gesture have varied over the years among Native American communities, including some with ties to the region. The National Council of American Indians requested that the franchise drop the name as well as the team’s nickname.
Those questions took on greater importance this year when the Cleveland organization changed its longtime nickname from Indians to Guardians. Manfred’s response on a possible nickname change for Atlanta was the same as for the chop: It’s a local issue.
“Every market is different,” he reiterated. “Long before this became an issue, Atlanta cultivated a relationship with the Native American community that was very helpful in making decisions like the two that were discussed.”
MLB Players Union President Tony Clark said he wants to have a conversation about all things social issues in baseball. This is one of them.
“An issue that sparks or sparks the kind of comments you see in Atlanta deserves a dialogue,” Clark said. “I know there are certain things that, as a black man, resonate with me, and we’ll assume there are instances that resonate with others as well. And to the extent that it’s l ‘one of them, then it deserves a dialogue.’
Manfred was asked if his opinion might change if Native American communities outside of the Atlanta market took issue with the move.
“We don’t market our game nationally,” Manfred said. “Our game is an everyday game. You have to sell tickets every day to fans in that market. And there are all sorts of differences between clubs and regions in how the game is marketed.”
In 2019, St. Louis Cardinals launcher Ryan Helsleya member of the Cherokee Nation, complained about the hit as his team faced the Braves in the playoffs.
Atlanta took steps to reduce its cheer, but has since reinstated it. This has been prevalent during Braves home games in the postseason.
Atlanta will host the World Series midgame just months after Manfred moved the All-Star Game from there to Denver because of voting rights issues in Georgia. He was concerned that some players would protest while playing the game, sources said at the time. The commissioner was asked on Tuesday if it was increasingly difficult for sport to stay away from political issues.
“More difficult than before,” he said. “We have always tried to be apolitical. There was a notable exception this year. Our desire is to try to avoid another exception to this general rule.
“We have a diverse fan base with different viewpoints. We would like to stay focused on the field.”
Another pregame topic was the upcoming end of the current collective bargaining agreement between the league and players’ union. It is set to expire on December 1. If a new deal isn’t reached, it’s possible the owners could cut the players.
“It’s our number one priority,” Manfred said. “Victory in collective bargaining is reaching an agreement.”
Most major financial issues have not been resolved, according to sources close to the negotiations, but both sides are optimistic with five weeks to go.
“We have, at this point, enjoyed the days we had at the All-Star Game, and we plan to enjoy the days we have before and until they expire,” Clark said.
Manfred added: “The most important point is that I know our clubs are 100 percent committed to the idea that they want a deal by December 1.”
Potential changes to on-field rules will also be a topic of discussion during CBA negotiations. The length of a match — up about three minutes this year to 3:10 — is the commissioner’s priority. A pitch clock, which is being tested at other levels of baseball, is becoming a real possibility.
“There will come a time when there will be enough pressure to make changes,” Manfred said. “I prefer to do it by reaching an agreement with the players.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
