Discussion:
Nomenclature Death Watch: The Cleveland Indians
(too old to reply)
That Derek
2021-07-23 21:45:59 UTC
Permalink
Counting the DH/Designated Hitter:

Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians ...

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/23/the-cleveland-guardians-mlb-team-owner-explains-the-new-name/

SPORTS MLB

The Cleveland Guardians? MLB team owner explains the new name

Paul Dolan said last year’s social unrest after George Floyd killing in Minneapolis led to his decision to change Indians name

By CURTIS PASHELKA | ***@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: July 23, 2021 at 11:20 a.m. | UPDATED: July 23, 2021 at 11:47 a.m.

They won’t be called the Cleveland Spiders, or even the Cleveland Rockers.

No, after this season the Cleveland Indians will be known as the … Cleveland Guardians?

The Major League Baseball franchise announced its new, rather unorthodox name Friday morning with the help of a splashy Twitter video narrated by Cleveland baseball fan – and Oakland native – Tom Hanks, with music from the Black Keys of the Akron area. [NOTE: TO, HANKS CAN BE SEEN IN ABOVE LINK{

The team is keeping its red, white, and blue colors and will have the same road uniforms with ‘Cleveland’ on the front. The script for the Guardians will also be similar to the one used for the Indians, their nickname since 1915.

But the team wanted to distance itself from the ‘Indians’ nickname, as last summer’s killing of George Floyd and the ensuing social unrest led franchise owner Paul Dolan to think about a rebrand. Cleveland dropped its racist ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo from its hats and jerseys in 2018.

The team had a list of roughly 1,200 name suggestions over a month ago, but gradually reduced that number after getting input from fans through interviews and a wide survey, community leaders, and their own staff members.

Some had thought ‘Spiders’ might make sense as it was the team’s name before 1900. ‘Rockers’ had a natural tie-in with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame being in Cleveland.

The Guardians name was inspired by two large stone edifices – referred to as traffic guardians — near Cleveland’s Progressive Field. The structures are on the Hope Memorial Bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The new Guardians’ new logos will incorporate some of the architectural features of the bridge.

Dolan also felt the name reflected the city’s personality and spirit.

“Cleveland has and always will be the most important part of our identity,” Dolan said in a statement. “Therefore, we wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resiliency, and loyalty of Clevelanders. ‘Guardians’ reflects those attributes that define us while drawing on the iconic Guardians of Traffic just outside the ballpark on the Hope Memorial Bridge.

“It brings to life the pride Clevelanders take in our city and the way we fight together for all who choose to be part of the Cleveland baseball family. While ‘Indians’ will always be a part of our history, our new name will help unify our fans and city as we are all Cleveland Guardians.”

Native American groups have long been critical of Cleveland’s nickname and logo, and other sports teams’ names as well. The Washington Football Team is slated to reveal a new name and logo in 2022.

Of Cleveland’s name change, Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director and founder of IllumiNative, a group dedicated to fighting misrepresentations of Native Americans, said, “It is a major step towards righting the wrongs committed against Native peoples, and is one step towards justice.”

Other team names for the Cleveland franchise were the Blues (1901), Bronchos (1902) and Naps (1903-1914).

This is a historic moment for our franchise, and we are excited for our players and staff to debut our new team name and look in 2022,” said Chris Antonetti, the club’s president of baseball operations. “We look forward to our team proudly representing the city of Cleveland as the Guardians.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
radioacti...@gmail.com
2021-07-24 06:15:29 UTC
Permalink
Over a thousand ideas, and then they settle on The Guardians?!?

I would have gone with The Cleveland Cleavers.

BRYAN STYBLE/Florida
radioacti...@gmail.com
2021-07-24 06:22:28 UTC
Permalink
Did anyone extend professional courtesy to Chief Wahoo for his recommendation?

STYBLE/Florida
radioacti...@gmail.com
2021-07-24 10:51:57 UTC
Permalink
Of course, Chief Wahoo may have run off with the also missing-in-action Land O'Lakes squaw.

STYBLE/Florida
Adam H. Kerman
2021-07-24 14:34:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by ***@gmail.com
Of course, Chief Wahoo may have run off with the also missing-in-action Land O'Lakes squaw.
She never looked like an Indian but a Hollywood actress in costume.
radioacti...@gmail.com
2021-07-24 15:24:39 UTC
Permalink
Well, Chief Wahoo certainly appeared Injun alright, heap big-time Injun. Terrific teeth, too.

STYBLE/Florida

PS. Aren't you, Adam, the fellow who told me awhile back you were a 1972 Northwestern summer student, a so-called "cherub", like myself? If so, I have a somewhat important question for you.
Big Mongo
2021-07-24 15:52:57 UTC
Permalink
I would have gone with the "Cleveland Steamers"....
Adam H. Kerman
2021-07-24 16:30:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by ***@gmail.com
Well, Chief Wahoo certainly appeared Injun alright, heap big-time Injun.
Terrific teeth, too.
STYBLE/Florida
PS. Aren't you, Adam, the fellow who told me awhile back you were a 1972
Northwestern summer student, a so-called "cherub", like myself? If so,
I have a somewhat important question for you.
Late '70s summer music student
A Friend
2021-07-24 16:19:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by ***@gmail.com
Over a thousand ideas, and then they settle on The Guardians?!?
It seemed obvious (at least to me) that they settled on Guardians
because it allowed them to keep the look of the Indians logotype. The
old and new names are largely the same; only a few letters at the front
have been changed.
Louis Epstein
2021-07-24 22:33:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by A Friend
Post by ***@gmail.com
Over a thousand ideas, and then they settle on The Guardians?!?
It seemed obvious (at least to me) that they settled on Guardians
because it allowed them to keep the look of the Indians logotype. The
old and new names are largely the same; only a few letters at the front
have been changed.
Supposedly it's named after the pair of statues on the Hope Memorial
Bridge,the "Guardians of Traffic"...I don't suppose it alludes to the
Space Force.

-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
A Friend
2021-07-25 03:04:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by Louis Epstein
Post by A Friend
Post by ***@gmail.com
Over a thousand ideas, and then they settle on The Guardians?!?
It seemed obvious (at least to me) that they settled on Guardians
because it allowed them to keep the look of the Indians logotype. The
old and new names are largely the same; only a few letters at the front
have been changed.
Supposedly it's named after the pair of statues on the Hope Memorial
Bridge,the "Guardians of Traffic"...I don't suppose it alludes to the
Space Force.
I did think that they could have done better than "Guardians,"
especially given the very recent Space Force thing, but they wanted it
the way they wanted it. All the explanations I've heard for the name
seem retrofitted to me. (The Guardians of Traffic? Really?)
Kenny McCormack
2021-07-25 14:15:18 UTC
Permalink
In article <240720212304168760%***@noway.com>, A Friend <A Friend> wrote:
...
I did think (the baseball team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians)
that they could have done better than "Guardians," especially given the
very recent Space Force thing, but they wanted it the way they wanted it.
All the explanations I've heard for the name seem retrofitted to me. (The
Guardians of Traffic? Really?)
I think it is a harbinger of things to come. Or, to put it another way,
this is the way things are going.

I'm not saying if it is good or bad, but I think the younger generation(s)
is/are more used to the names of things being more generic (i.e.,
meaningless). For various reasons, I think they're more comfortable with
that.

I've mentioned in the past that the end game to all of this is that
everything is just numbered. Like NYC public schools. We just have
"NFL team #1" through "NFL team #32" (or whatever it is). When you get
right down to it, there's really no reason for anything to be "named" (in
the traditional sense).
--
What are your thoughts on Alabama politicians declaring Donald Trump one
of the greatest presidents ever?

Alabama is ranked #47 in education out of 50 states. Now we know why.
Louis Epstein
2021-07-24 22:40:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by That Derek
Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians ...
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/23/the-cleveland-guardians-mlb-team-owner-explains-the-new-name/
SPORTS MLB
The Cleveland Guardians? MLB team owner explains the new name
Paul Dolan said last year?s social unrest after George Floyd killing in Minneapolis led to his decision to change Indians name
PUBLISHED: July 23, 2021 at 11:20 a.m. | UPDATED: July 23, 2021 at 11:47 a.m.
They won?t be called the Cleveland Spiders, or even the Cleveland Rockers.
No, after this season the Cleveland Indians will be known as the ? Cleveland
Guardians?
The Major League Baseball franchise announced its new, rather unorthodox
name Friday morning with the help of a splashy Twitter video narrated by
Cleveland baseball fan ? and Oakland native ? Tom Hanks, with music from the
Black Keys of the Akron area. [NOTE: TO, HANKS CAN BE SEEN IN ABOVE LINK{
The team is keeping its red, white, and blue colors and will have the same
road uniforms with ?Cleveland? on the front. The script for the Guardians
will also be similar to the one used for the Indians, their nickname since
1915.
But the team wanted to distance itself from the ?Indians? nickname, as last
summer?s killing of George Floyd and the ensuing social unrest led franchise
owner Paul Dolan to think about a rebrand. Cleveland dropped its racist
?Chief Wahoo? logo from its hats and jerseys in 2018.
The team had a list of roughly 1,200 name suggestions over a month ago, but
gradually reduced that number after getting input from fans through
interviews and a wide survey, community leaders, and their own staff members.
Some had thought ?Spiders? might make sense as it was the team?s name before
1900.
No.
Today's Major (Reg. Tm.) league team descend from the American League
franchise that originated as the Western League Grand Rapids Rustlers
in 1894,and after moving to Cleveland in 1900 were known as the Lake Shores,
Bluebirds,and Naps before the 1915 adoption of "Indians".

The Cleveland SPIDERS were a NATIONAL League team that folded after their
20 win,134 loss season in 1899.
Post by That Derek
?Rockers? had a natural tie-in with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
being in Cleveland.
The Guardians name was inspired by two large stone edifices ? referred to as
traffic guardians ? near Cleveland?s Progressive Field. The structures are on
the Hope Memorial Bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The new Guardians? new
logos will incorporate some of the architectural features of the bridge.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
Loading...