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One of Major League Baseball’s oldest franchises has a new identity.
After 106 years as the Cleveland Indians, the club announced today that it will be known as the Cleveland Guardians.
The name change will officially happen at the end of the 2021 season.
Together, we are all... pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
“Guardians reflects those attributes that define us while drawing on the iconic Guardians of Traffic just outside the ballpark on the Hope Memorial Bridge,” explained Paul Dolan, team owner and chairman.
“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.”
Dolan said that the name Indians will always be a part of the club’s history, but the new name will “help unify our fans and city as we are all Cleveland Guardians.”
Cleveland’s MLB franchise first announced last summer that it would begin consultation with local community members and Native American groups about a possible name change.
In December, the change was made official and the club announced it had begun the search for its fifth name in franchise history, the first change since 1915.
A fresh look from the 216. pic.twitter.com/0W8VTtZ7b0
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
“Our team has been hard at work to ensure we pick a name that our community, fans, partners, employees and players will be proud to have represent Cleveland Baseball,” explained Brian Barren, president of business operations.
“Through our research and discussions, we identified a few key themes that were most important to fans -- connect to the city of Cleveland, honor our rich baseball history and unite our community -- and we believe Guardians upholds all three of those pillars.”
The team’s blue and red colour scheme won’t change and the script is similar to what was used with the name Indians.
On the road, the team will continue to sport ‘Cleveland’ on the chest, while ‘Guardians’ will be featured on their home jerseys.
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