Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team announced on Friday it is changing its name to the Cleveland Guardians.
The organization previously said it would consider the future of its name after national pressure to change it from the Indians. Local and national activists claimed the franchise tag was racist.
“Now it’s time to unite as one family, one community, to build the next era for this team in this city. To keep watch and guard what makes this game the greatest,” said actor Tom Hanks in his narration of the team’s announcement, which the Black Keys scored.
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The Guardians was among the fan favorites of a possible name change.
Together, we are all… pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
The name comes from the art deco statues of the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge in Cleveland outside the team’s stadium. The statues are known as the “Guardians of Traffic.”
The organization did not announce when the name will go into effect.
The 2021 MLB season is in play, and the Guardians will likely take the field in 2022, MLB.com reported.
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The Washington Football Team dropped the name Redskins in 2020 after local and national backlash, with critics calling the tag “demeaning” to Native Americans.
The temporary name Washington Football Team is expected to be used again this season.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the MLB and Cleveland Indians but did not immediately receive a response.
