Major League Baseball’s team in Cleveland has announced that it is officially changing its problematic name.
The team announced Friday morning through a hype video on social media narrated by actor Tom Hanks that it will now be known as the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland announced last summer that it was having discussions with the local community and members of Native American groups about a possible name change. In December the team announced that it was beginning a search for a new nickname.
Together, we are all... pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
According to MLB.com, more than 4,000 fans signed up to be part of the conversation, and over 40,000 fans were surveyed, including 140 hours of interviews with fans, staff and community members.
Related: Cleveland Indians Reportedly Removing Indians Nickname
The Guardians name doesn’t come completely out of left field. There are ties to the city through the "Guardians of Traffic" sculptures on the Hope Memorial Bridge, which are meant to symbolize progress.
