Cleveland Indians' starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco delivers a pitch during the MLB game with Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee, U.S., May 9, 2018. /CFP
The Cleveland Indians of the MLB have decided to remove "Indians" from their name, reported The New York Times on Sunday.
So far, there has been no comment from the team or any clear plan on how this will work. Name-changing will take a lot of work, including negotiating with uniform manufacturers and other producers of team equipment and stadium signage.
The team may keep "Indians" in the name for the 2021 season, according to the New York Times. Another option is to name themselves something like "Cleveland Baseball Team." The NFL's Washington Football Team, which had been known as the "Washington Redskins" until July, chose that way.
Cleveland and Washington were not the only two teams that heard requests of changing their names. The MLB's Atlanta Braves, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks are all in the club, but all three made it clear they won't change their names.
The name "Cleveland Indians" has been used for 105 years, but it also drew continuous criticism for decades. Many called it demeaning and racist, and there have been a lot of campaigns requesting to change it.
Kicker Dustin Hopkins #3 of the Washington Football Team celebrate after a field goal in the game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, December 13, 2020. /CFP
The team are fully aware of the above discontent. Earlier this year, they announced the retirement of their longtime mascot, Chief Wahoo, a cartoonish caricature that many considered offensive. Though that decision was applauded, the voice asking to remove "Indians" remains strong.
When the Washington Football Team dropped "Redskins" in July, Cleveland said it would conduct a "thorough review" of its nickname. After that, the baseball team talked to many Native American groups in the U.S.
"We are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name. Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community," said the team in a statement in July.
The name "Indians" was originally used to honor a former player, Louis Sockalexis, from the 19th century, according to Cleveland. Back then, the team were called the Cleveland Spiders, and Sockalexis was a member of the Penobscot Nation.