One year after announcing their intention to change their name from Indians in the wake of the national reckoning brought on by the murder of George Floyd, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball franchise will have a new name in 2022, the Cleveland Guardians.
While the change has brought both praise and critics, the new name does have a strong Cleveland connection, as “Guardians” was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices – referred to as traffic guardians – that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, running over the Cuyahoga River just west of Progressive Field.
The team did not reveal the names of any of the other finalists, but Brian Barren, Cleveland’s president of business operations, said trademarking issues eliminated several potential candidates. The team will keep its red, white and navy team colors and the Guardians’ logos will incorporate some of the team’s lettering style on past uniforms as well as architectural features found on the bridge.
Guardians is the fifth name in franchise history joining the Blues (1901), Bronchos (1902), Naps (1903-1914) and Indians (1915-2021).