CALIFORNIA (Foxnews): The Cleveland Indians officially announced their new name on Friday.
The decision to change the name came last year amid racial tension in the U.S. as professional sports teams came under fire for having Native American monikers.
The baseball team will be known as the Guardians.
The organization released a video with Tom Hanks narrating.
Cleveland launched a section on its official website dedicated to the new name. Team owner Paul Dolan wrote in a letter to fans the “Indians will always be part of our history just as Cleveland has always been the most important part of our identity.”
“In searching for a new brand, we sought a name that strongly reflects the pride, resiliency and loyalty of Clevelanders. Guardians embodies those defining attributes while drawing upon the iconic Guardians of Traffic proudly standing just outside Progressive Field on the Hope Memorial Bridge,” Dolan wrote. “It brings to life the pride of Clevelanders take in our city and the way we stand for each other while defending our Cleveland process.”
Dolan wrote that throughout the interview process three key elements came to light in search for a new name: connection to Cleveland, uniting the community and the rich baseball history.
Cleveland will continue to be known as the Indians through the 2021 season and the Cleveland Guardians will officially begin at season’s end.
Cleveland has been known as the Indians since 1915.
Dolan said in December the decision came from an “awakening or epiphany” in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
The team’s president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, said in June the process hasn’t been easy.
“I have come to understand just how complex that process is,” Antonetti told reporters, via 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. “It’s taken an extraordinary amount of work from people throughout the organization to help us move that forward.”
The team reportedly owned the rights to the Blues, Naps and Bronchos. The team had already done away with “Chief Wahoo” as their logo.
