The Cleveland Indians name change is official, with the club announcing on Friday that a new logo and nickname will be used starting in 2022.
After years of debate, the Cleveland Indians will officially be changing the name of the team.
Backlash toward the team name had been mounting for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that Cleveland ownership was forced to truly reckon with whether or not it wanted to continue using racist imagery as part of its brand.
Protests against the name weren’t anything new, as Indian tribes have been pushing the team for decades to consider changing its name as to not appropriate their culture. Last year, Cleveland finally decided that a name change was going to happen, something spurred by the decision of Daniel Snyder to change the name of his franchise in the NFL.
Rather than go a passive-aggressive route and rename the club The Cleveland Baseball Team — like Snyder did The Washington Football Team — ownership elected to totally rebrand with a new team name and a new logo.
Cleveland Indians name change revealed
It’s official. The Cleveland Indians will be called the Cleveland Guardians.
On Friday, the team revealed not only the new name but what the new logo will look like.
Cleveland Guardians of Traffic is an inspiration behind the name change
The new team name is meant to represent Cleveland guarding the integrity of the game and its storied history. It’s also about the Guardians of Transportation statues were erected in the city, designed to guard the city of Cleveland.
It’s way cooler than it initially sounds.
Built in an Art Deco style, the statues have been a part of the Cleveland scene for decades and are meant to represent progress.
Not everyone was a fan of the new name, especially given the various options that had been thrown out by fans over the years.
But most fans have embraced the new name, either because of its pretty cool backstory or because it’s not what it was before.
Did Cleveland Indians change their name?
The Cleveland Indians are going to change their name but aren’t doing it yet.
While it was revealed that Cleveland Guardians will be the team’s new nickname, it won’t actually go into effect until next season. So Cleveland will play out the remainder of the 2021 season as the Cleveland Indians, and then begin the 2022 season as the Cleveland Guardians.
Wait, was that Tom Hanks in the nickname reveal video?
It sure was. If you’re going to change your name why not pull out the big guns to make sure the transition goes smoothly. And there are few celebrities who are more trusted or bring more calm and comfort than Tom Hanks.
Is Tom Hanks from Cleveland?
No, Tom Hanks is not from Cleveland.
Hanks was born in Concord, California and has essentially lived there his entire life thanks to his career in acting. But Hanks is a Cleveland baseball fan and hasn’t been shy about his love of the team over the years.