CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – The Cleveland Indians made their new team name official Friday morning and it’s being met with mixed opinions.
In a video posted on Twitter, the baseball club announced that they will be the Cleveland Guardians.
In response to the change, the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition released the following statement:
“This momentous occasion is the culmination of over 60 years of grassroots advocacy and activism by Indigenous leadership. Today, we stand with our heads held high and full of gratitude to those who came before us in this fight.
Our community has worked tirelessly to be recognized as diverse and vibrant, instead of being portrayed in inaccurate and harmful ways. This name change will help create a place where Native American children and their families are valued and fully seen.
We are pleased the Cleveland baseball team took a comprehensive approach to listen and learn and show it is possible to take steps toward change. We now call on the nearly 200 schools in Ohio with Native mascots to follow suit.“
Cleveland infielder Yu Chang took to Twitter about the change.
Fans also took to Twitter after the announcement, many with mixed reactions.
Some fans said they would’ve preferred that the team be renamed the Spiders, a throwback to the club’s name from the 1890s.
The new team logo is also being met with mixed reviews.
