The Cleveland Major League Baseball franchise announced in December of 2020 that it had decided to get rid of the "Indians" nickname that had become increasingly divisive. However, plans were still in place to keep that nickname for the 2021 season before going in a new direction, at the end of the season.
Friday morning, this video dropped:
The Cleveland Guardians.
Some of the logos:
Owner Paul Dolan not long ago hinted at the possibility that a new name might not be fully in place until the 2023 season but that 2022 remains the goal. Now with a name and logo design, it seems like this will be happening pretty soon.
The franchise has gone by the name Indians since 1915, but sports franchises are increasingly under criticism for using names, logos, and uniform design elements that reference Native Americans. Already, the Cleveland ball club has phased out use of the "Chief Wahoo" logo, and the NFL's Washington franchise has been going by the "Washington Football Team" moniker since altering its identity in July of last year after receiving pressure from sponsors.
Cleveland's MLB franchise has had three other identities during its existence: the Naps (after Nap Lajoie), the Bronchos, and the Blues. Of those, the Naps is the only name that lasted more than a single season.
