It's Official: Cleveland Indians Announce New Team Name

Source: Jason Miller / Getty

That’s right – The Ohio baseball team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians has a brand new name. The announcement arrived via Twitter early Friday (July 23). The team first announced plans for a change back in December, following years of criticism that the name was offensive to Native Americans as well as mounting pressure from Major League Baseball.

And now, without further ado .. Meet the Cleveland Guardians. Tom Hanks narrates the clip, which also reveals the team’s rebranded logos. One logo features a new, stylized ‘C’, and the other shows a ‘G’ with guardians wings.

https://twitter.com/Indians/status/1418565355472101378

Manager Terry Francona said in July that he felt it was time to make a change.

“I think it’s time to move forward,” Francona said. Today’s announcement marks the first time since 1915 that the team will play by a different name. “It’s a very difficult subject. It’s also delicate.”

The decision wasn’t taken lightly: The ball club met with fans and leaders in the community before making their final selection. They said it was important that the new name preserved the history of Cleveland baseball, united the community and connected with the City of Cleveland.

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