Multiple sources are reporting that the Cleveland Indians are parting ways with Chief Wahoo. Well, mostly. Effective with the 2019 season, the logo–which USA Today describes rather redundantly as “racist and offensive*”–will be removed from the teams’ uniforms and from all their online sales venues.

* Do you suppose Bob Nightengale, the article’s author, can name anything racist that isn’t offensive?

Some team merchandise featuring Chief Wahoo will still be available at the park and nearby, a move described as necessary to prevent third-parties from taking over the trademark and image and marketing it more widely.

Needless to say, the agreement is widely hated. A substantial segment of Cleveland’s fanbase is up in arms over the loss of their treasured tradition, while opponents of the logo are upset that the ban is neither immediate nor total.

To both groups, I say, “Tough. Live with it.”

There’s nothing stopping pro-logo fans from making asses of themselves by continuing to show up in red face paint and historically-inaccurate headdresses. (Though, come to think of it, I’d love to see how the team would handle a complaint under Progressive Field’s code of conduct, which bans “inappropriate dress” and states that “Inappropriate or offensive images or words must be covered or removed from the ballpark”.)

On the other side, well, we live in an imperfect world. And, while it often seems as if it’s becoming less perfect all the time, this is a step in the right direction. I’d like to see the changes happen faster, but I’m happy to see them happen at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if the logos start disappearing from the uniforms this year. If a couple of pitchers requested it as part of their choice of uniforms, management might decide to cash in on the public relations benefits of eliminating it earlier.

Until racism is completely eliminated, the logo won’t be going away. Look how well we’ve done at eliminating swastikas in the last sixty years.

There’s also the question of the team name. I could be wrong, but I don’t see a name change coming any time soon. If nothing else, the cost would be immense, and I suspect it would take a massive boycott of the ballpark, the TV and radio broadcasts, and anyone who advertises with the team to encourage ownership to make that huge investment.

So this is a baby step. But baby steps are still steps. Let’s celebrate the fact that the baby is walking, rather than than stressing because the baby isn’t going to be skiing in next month’s Olympics.