# Cleveland Indians considering a name change \[Edit: It's "Guardians"\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [July 4, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323 "2020-07-04T20:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/102 "2020-12-15T15:50:06Z")
What if you could change the name without really changing the name? As a lakeshore city, I am sure someone has dumped off their koi fish into the lake at some point. I give you… the Erie Koi. I’ll see myself out… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/103 "2020-12-15T15:52:04Z")
> [@Scarlax](#): > > What if you could change the name without really changing the name? > > As a lakeshore city, I am sure someone has dumped off their koi fish into the lake at some point. > > **I give you… the Erie Koi.** > > I’ll see myself out… - Damn. Just…damn. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/104 "2020-12-15T16:02:44Z")
The Cleveland Soon To Be Not Indians just doesn’t have the proper ring to it. The Cleveland '48s would serve as a reminder that it’s been awhile since the team last won a World Series. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/105 "2020-12-15T16:11:22Z")
I like the idea of **Cleveland FC** , if only I could come up with something appropriate for “FC” to stand for. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/106 "2020-12-15T16:13:57Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I like the idea of **Cleveland FC** , if only I could come up with something appropriate for “FC” to stand for. - Fake Comanches? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/107 "2020-12-15T16:15:10Z")
Not bad! Beats “Fielder’s Choices”, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/108 "2020-12-15T16:28:39Z")
Well, Prince’s glyph is available, at least… ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/109 "2020-12-15T18:06:23Z")
Supposedly the Indians were named to honor [Lou Sockalexis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sockalexis), an outfielder for the Cleveland Spiders, but apparently it was adopted in 1915 to “keep the Indians reminded of what the Braves did last year.” [[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sockalexis#cite_note-12) The 1914 Braves won the World Series after being in last place on the 4th of July, sweeping the powerful Philadelphia A’s in the process. Another vote for the Spiders, then. Though it would even better if St. Louis changed their name to the Perfectos as well. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/110 "2020-12-16T00:08:35Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > > [@John\_Bredin](#): > > > > Cleveland Grovers, with a bushy mustache as their logo. 🙂 > > Now _that_ is clever. It is really no worse than the Buffalo Bills, named after a guy who happened to have the city’s name as part of his name (well, nickname). “Grovers” is no different than “Bills”. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/111 "2020-12-16T00:28:19Z")
I like it. I think it actually works better if it doesn’t stand for anything. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/112 "2020-12-16T01:25:22Z")
> [@Scarlax](#): > > I give you… the Erie Koi. Hmm. If it is fish you want, then Cleveland Sturgeons? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/113 "2020-12-16T03:45:06Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > If it is fish you want, then Cleveland Sturgeons? What Indian tribe is that referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/114 "2020-12-16T07:44:44Z")
If we want a name that slyly infringes on tribal identities, how about the Cleveland Crows? Cleveland had another team become the Ravens so there’s precedent… ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/115 "2020-12-16T09:11:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I like the idea of **Cleveland FC** , if only I could come up with something appropriate for “FC” to stand for. I believe in the early days of baseball they might have used B.B.C. for “base ball club,” so why not Cleveland B.B.C.? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/116 "2020-12-16T09:14:14Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I like it. I think it actually works better if it doesn’t stand for anything. Initial Ian’s that don’t stand for anything is one of my pet peeves. I’m happy that “N.P.R.” can’t declare itself to not stand for anything because the name “National Public Radio” is mandated by federal law. They don’t have to say it on the air but they can’t deny it’s their name. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/117 "2020-12-16T11:24:23Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If we want a name that slyly infringes on tribal identities, how about the Cleveland Crows? > > Cleveland had another team become the Ravens so there’s precedent… - “And when they met, it was _murder_.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/118 "2020-12-16T11:44:16Z")
They’re doing this to gauge fan reactions. By announcing it this way, they’ll have a year to see how much fans freak out before they’ve committed to anything. If fans freak out too much (and you know that some fans will; it’s just a question of how many), then after a year they’ll say “Upon sober reflection, it would be disrespectful to the memory of Sockalexis and of all Native Americans to change the name”, and keep it. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/119 "2020-12-16T13:29:54Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@kayaker](#): > > > > I like the idea of **Cleveland FC** , if only I could come up with something appropriate for “FC” to stand for. > > I believe in the early days of baseball they might have used B.B.C for “base ball club,” so why not Cleveland B.B.C.? ISWYDT ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/120 "2020-12-16T14:11:05Z")
may I ask a silly question please : Why do American sports teams need nicknames? Other countries seem to do okay just calling their team by the name of the city. When Liverpool beats Southampton, everybody knows that, well, the team from Liverpool beat the team from Southhampton. But Americans gotta make you guess. The Colts are from Baltimore, right? Well, yeah, 30 years ago. But now they’re in Indianapolis,. And there was bloodshed when they moved. So how 'bout a radical idea: let’s call the Cleveland baseball team “Cleveland”. And the Washington football team:" Washington". [\spoilsport] ☹ ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/121 "2020-12-16T14:18:10Z")
Possibly not the main reason, but one reason is that there are two major league baseball teams from Chicago. There are two American football teams with “New York” in their name, etc. Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323.md?page=7)