At the surface level, I think it's hard to argue with the logic of changing the name, even if you don't agree with it. I think even the most die-hard Cleveland fans can understand that the moniker "Indians" might have been just fine in 1915, but is at worst racist, and at best severely tone-deaf in the 21st century. Unfortunately, there are still many people grumpily sighing at the change. I think it's really important to separate these reactions into two categories: those that don't like the new name, and those that don't like that the name changed at all. The first of these categories is subjective, and second one is just objectively wrong. I was admittedly not a fan of the name when I first heard it, but once I learned a bit more about the meaning behind the name, it has started to grow on me. "Guardians" is in reference to the 43-foot tall Art Deco stone pylons that adorn the Hope Memorial Bridge, which are instantly recognizable and identifiable landmarks in Cleveland and referred to as the "Guardians of Traffic." The logo reflects some of the elements of the statues and it's clear a lot of thought was given to a name that is distinctively Cleveland, yet not kitschy like a minor league name might be. I was rooting for Spiders to be the new name, which is one of the former names of the franchise pre-dating the Indians, but "Guardians" represents a look to the future rather than reminiscing on the past, which is the whole point of the name change. By that I mean, it's your choice to not like the new name, but that doesn't preclude anybody from not understanding the logic of the change itself.
This brings me to the second category of displeased fans. The honest reality is that the major demographic of baseball is still old white men, and it is a game that is more steeped in history and tradition than perhaps any other sport, not to mention that we are living in the most polarizing political period in our nation's history, so I can't say I'm surprised there has been some animosity. I'm not going to sit here as a white man and pretend that I speak on behalf of Native Americans, but from my perspective, I would just say to those people that are opposed to the change that there are some things are bigger than baseball and bigger than a name. "Indians" is a moniker, and more importantly a logo, that has offended the Cuyahoga Tribe for decades, and is something that has misrepresented to generations of Native Americans everywhere that the best they can achieve in life is some caricature of a sports warrior. Many non-Indians may say "Cleveland Indians" and think hey it's just a name, like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is just a name, but in fact it represents a reference to a time when an entire race of people was cruelly treated and thought of as just a stereotype. I also don't hear any Irish people coming out en masse protesting that name, and that's a big part of it too. There are certainly some teams, for instance the Florida State Seminoles and the Spokane Indians, that have worked tirelessly with local tribes on how to best represent themselves and educate their community about Native Americans, and therein lies the rub. It doesn't mean that racism is ok in Washington or Florida but not Ohio, it just means that some teams have been more pro-active about finding a solution and common ground than others.
Whatever side of the aisle you fall on, there's no doubt that a lot of positive change is happening in Cleveland and it's an exciting time to be a fan. It was recently announced that a 15-year lease extension was signed to remain at Progressive Field through at least 2036, as well as intent to spend another six-figure sum to further update the ballpark. It makes me happy to know that my children will grow up solely knowing of this franchise as the Guardians, and hopefully getting to see Progressive Field stand for many more years.
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
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