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Cleveland Guardians changed their name just after the 2021 season after more than 100 years of their previous name, “The Indians.”
Calls to change the name had swirled, but became violent in the middle of controversy around native American monics -Washington commanders went from Redskins to the Washington football team before settling on their current name.
Terry Francona was the manager of Cleveland at the time of the name change, but he remains happy with the change, in the midst of President Donald Trump’s call to the organization to change it back.
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Cleveland Guardians Manager Terry Francona, #77, goes off the field during the fifth round against Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park. (Rick osentoski-usa Today Sports)
“I wasn’t the one who might have (Fortitude) to do it – (owner) Paul Dolan ultimately was the one who had to pull the trigger,” the current Cincinnati Red’s manager said this week. “I was really proud of him because I didn’t think it was really popular with a segment of probably the older fans who kind of, I assume as Trump, ‘Why can’t it be as it used to be?'”
“And I assume my retort would be, ‘there are probably a lot of people in this country who don’t want it as it used to be.’ And if you are white, (you are) probably just fine.
Workers begin to remove the Cleveland signs from above on the scoreboard on the Progressive Field on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
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“Not everyone will be happy. It will never be the case,” Francona added. “But I think, as long as what you are trying to do is respectful, you can go ahead and let people complain.”
Trump posted on social media earlier this week that he wanted guardians and commands to return to their former Native American nicknames.
“The owner of the Cleveland baseball team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three choices in a row due to the ridiculous name change,” Trump said. “What he doesn’t understand is that if he changed the name back to Cleveland -Indians, he can actually win an election. Indians are treated very unfairly. Make Indians great again (Miga)!”
Trump also called the commanders of “Washington ‘what is’ ” and threatened to stop the team’s plans to build a new stadium in The capital of the nation If they didn’t bring back the old name.
Guardian’s president of baseball operations Chris Antonti dismissed Trump’s comments and said he wasn’t “very aware of” that.
A Cleveland -Indians -Fan holds a sign during a baseball match between Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians on Monday 27 September 2021 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
“We have been given the opportunity to build the brand as guardians for the past four years and are thrilled for the future,” Antonti said.
