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A Cleveland Indians employee runs with a flag displaying the Block C logo before the game against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field on July 2, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jason Miller | Getty Images
Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team is changing its name to Guardians, the franchise announced on Friday, dropping the racially offensive name it has been known by for more than a century.
The name Guardians refers to well-known Art Deco statues located on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, which spans the Cuyahoga River and connects downtown Cleveland to the city’s hip neighborhood, Ohio City. These statues are known under the name of “Guardians of the traffic”.
The franchise, which announced the name change in a tweet Friday morning, has long faced pressure from local and national activists to drop the name “Indians,” which critics have called racist. It had been the name of the baseball club since 1915.
The video announcing the name change does not say when it will take effect. However, MLB.com has announced that this will happen for next season. The 2021 season is currently underway, with the Cleveland franchise in second place in the Central American League.
The NFL Washington football team dropped its old name last year, which has been decried as demeaning to Native Americans, as corporate backlash escalated. The franchise adopted the Washington football team on a temporary basis, playing last season under that name. It will continue to be known as the Washington football team for the upcoming 2021 campaign.
The Washington Post announced earlier this month that a new name and logo would be announced in early 2022.
This is last minute news. Please check for updates.
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