After 105 years, the Cleveland Indians will now abandon their team name.
The Cleveland Indians have concluded that they will officially change their name, as per the New York Times on Sunday.
The official announcement will take place this week, with no given exact date.
Chris Antonetti, the Cleveland Indians president of baseball operations, declared last December 3 that the team was in the name-changing process.
"We wanted to make sure we were thoughtful in connecting with all the different stakeholders, and we've been engaged in those conversations over the course of the last several months," Antonetti said.
In July 2019, the Cleveland Indians hinted that they were talking to drop their team name. It was approved immediately, but it might take a year or two to be replaced.
It was also the same month but in 2020, when the Washington football team of the National Football League changed their name.
Since the name change, the Washington football team has been playing 'nameless' and was still on the move to adopt a new name for the franchise in the following years.
Before the start of the 2020 season, the Washington football team decided to move forward without their moniker 'Redskins.' the team used the nickname for more than 80 years.
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The nickname and the logo of the team sparked many controversies against the Native American groups. Sources said that they are believed to be insensitive and racist for the native tribes.
Before the nickname 'Indians.' the Cleveland-based team used the 'Cleveland Naps.' It was dedicated to the late star player and manager Nap Lajoie, who came to Cleveland in 1904.
Several sources said that there are already names that can be considered to replace the 'Indians.' Some suggested to revert Cleveland's former moniker 'Spiders' to draw more nostalgic attention.
The Cleveland 'Spiders' was used in the late 1800s. The only downside to this nickname is its worst record of 20-134 in the entire history of baseball.
Another option suggested is the 'Rock,' in connection to the city's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Aside from the name, the Cleveland Indians discontinued the use of their Chief Wahoo logo in 2019. The mascot, which was named 'Slider, ' endured a long time of being criticized. Eventually, the logo was removed, and a bold letter 'C' became the new team's emblem.
The backlash carried on, pushing the Cleveland Indians to change the name in the end.
The Cleveland won two World Series titles in 1920 and 1948, with 17,000 games under the name Indians. However, the Cleveland Indians held the record for the longest championship drought in baseball at 72 years.
Atlanta Braves, Kansas Chiefs, and Chicago Blackhawks were the other teams related to Native Americans. The three teams had no plans to change their names, despite encountering the same racial issues.
The Kansas Chiefs finally enforced a total ban on the Native American face paints and headdresses on the fans in August this year.
Besides the Naps, the Cleveland team was previously associated with team names, Broncos, and Bluebirds.
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