Cleveland Indians change name to 'Cleveland Guardians'
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Indians are changing their name to the 'Cleveland Guardians,' according to a Friday announcement by the Major League Baseball club.
Introducing the Cleveland Guardians!
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2021
The name will go into effect after the 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/ggCFyIRD2y
Last summer, officials in Cleveland vowed to work with Native American groups and others to come up with a more appropriate nickname for the team.
The team had been known as 'the Indians' since 1915, but when the 2020 killing of George Floyd sparked protests regarding the mistreatment of people of color, team owner Paul Dolan said this motivated team officials to consider changing its name.
Cleveland's baseball team had already stopped wearing baseball memorabilia featuring offensive Chief Wahoo logos, but at the time it was still selling merchandise with caricatures that drew protests from Native American groups.
So, after considering the views of over 40,000 fans and conducting dozens of consults with locals, the team decided its new name should reflect the city of Cleveland in a way that honors the team's rich baseball history and helps unite the community.
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This led to the new name, 'Cleveland Guardians,' which is meant to reflect the community's shared responsibility to protect and support each of its members.
The Cleveland Guardians released a video via its Twitter account that touched on the background of its new name.
Together, we are all... pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021