- 2022
-
The Indians become the Guardians
Following Lajoie’s departure after the 1914 season, club owner Charles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose the name Cleveland Indians, a revival of the nickname that fans gave to the Cleveland Spiders while Louis Sockalexis, a Native American, was playing for the team. That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. ...
History of the Guardians
On December 13, 2020, it was reported that the Indians' name would be dropped after the 2021 season. Although it had been mooted by the team that they may move forward without a replacement name (in a similar manner to the Washington Football Team), it was announced via Twitter on July 23, 2021, that the team will be named the Guardians, after the Guardians of Traffic, eight large Art Deco statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge, located close to Progressive Field.
The club, however, found itself amid a trademark dispute with a men's roller derby team called the Cleveland Guardians. The Cleveland Guardians roller derby team has competed in the Men's Roller Derby Association since 2016. In addition, two other entities have attempted to preempt the team's use of the trademark by filing their own registrations with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The roller derby team filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on October 27, 2021, seeking to block the baseball team's name change. On November 16, 2021, the lawsuit was resolved, and both teams were allowed to continue using the Guardians' name.
Established
1901
City
Cleveland
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1901 – 1999 / American League
Team History
2022 - Present / Cleveland Guardians
1915 – 2021 / Cleveland Indians
1903 – 1914 / Cleveland Naps
1901 – 1902 / Cleveland Blues
Nickname
Guardians – The new mascot pays homage to the Guardians of Traffic statues near Progressive Field in Cleveland, located on the Hope Memorial Bridge. Cleveland owner Paul Dolan noted Friday he hopes the name Guardians helps "unify our fans and city."
The Guardians of Traffic statues have flanked both sides of the Hope Memorial Bridge since 1932. Each of the four-winged Art Deco figures sports winged helmets and crowns, and each statue holds a different vehicle to signify "the spirit of progress in transportation," per bridge engineer Wilbur Watson. Each guardian stands 43 feet tall, and they remain the only public Art Deco monuments in Cleveland.
Championship
World Series 0
1948, 1920
Stadium
2008 – Present / Progressive Field
1994 – 2007 / Jacobs Field
1934 – 1993 / Cleveland Stadium
1900 – 1946 / League Park
1912 – 1934 / Dunn Field
Owner
1999 – Present / Larry Dolan
1986 – 1999 / Richard Jacobs
1978 – 1983 / Steve O’Neill
1972 – 1978 / Ted Bonda
1972 – 1975 / Nick Mileti
1966 – 1972 / Vernon Stouffer
1962 – 1966 / Gabe Paul
1956 – 1962 / William R. Daley
1952 – 1956 / Myron H. Wilson
1949 – 1952 / Ellis Ryan
1946 – 1949 / Bill Veeck
1927 – 1946 / Alva Bradley
1916 – 1922 / Jim Dunn
1901 – 1916 / Charles Somers
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
3 / Earl Averill
5 / Lou Boudreau
14 / Larry Doby
18 / Mel Harder
19 / Bob Feller
20 / Frank Robinson
21 / Bob Lemon
25 / Jim Thome
42 / Jackie Robinson
455 / Indians Fans
*Blue is this team’s history