Blue Jays Broadcaster Won't Say 'Indians' And He Hasn't For A Long Time

Blue Jays radio announcer Jerry Howarth has not used the word "Indians" in reference to Cleveland's baseball team since 1992, and he has made it clear he will keep his streak alive during the ALCS.

Howarth, who has called almost every play for the Blue Jays since 1981, adopted this practice because of a letter sent from a First Nation member shortly after the Blue Jays-Braves World Series in 1992.

"In the off-season, I received one of the best fan letters I have ever received," Howarth said Tuesday on the Jeff Blair Show. "He just wrote it in such a loving, kind way…He touched my heart…For the rest of my career I will not say 'Indian' or 'Brave' and if I was in the NFL, I would not say 'Redskins.'"

According to The Star, social media has used the hashtag #NotYourMascot to support Howarth, who calls games on 590 The Fan in Toronto. The Blue Jays-IndiansCleveland series opens Friday.

While the Washington Redskins get the most heat for their nickname and logo, the Indians receive their share of criticism. The team demoted Chief Wahoo from primary to secondary logo status in 2013. ESPN's Bomani Jones parodied Chief Wahoo with a "Causcasians" shirt in April.

Horvarth was born in York, Pennsylvania, and raised in San Francisco. He served two years in the U.S. Army before launching a broadcast career and eventually moving to Toronto. Horvarth attained Canadian citizenship in 1994.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.