The Cleveland Guardians are standing firm on their decision to retain their current nickname despite calls for a change from former President Donald Trump. In a recent post on social media, Trump urged the team to revert to their previous name, the “Indians,” echoing similar sentiments regarding the NFL’s Washington Commanders and their prior name, the “Redskins.”
In his post, Trump remarked, “The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this. Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them.” He concluded with a call to action for team owners to make the change, emphasizing the importance of tradition and heritage.
In response, Guardians president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, made it clear that the organization is moving forward with pride in their current identity. “Not something I’m tracking or have been paying a lot of attention to, but I would say generally I understand that there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago,” Antonetti shared. He expressed enthusiasm about building the Guardians brand over the past four years and looking forward to its future.
Interestingly, Trump has a history with the franchise, having attempted to purchase the team from former owner Steve O’Neill’s estate in 1983, although his bid was ultimately rejected. The Guardians, originally known as “Cleveland” when they were established in 1901, have seen a variety of names over their rich history, including the Cleveland Blues and the Cleveland Napoleons. They adopted the “Indians” name in 1915, which they held until the transition to the Guardians in 2021.
Alongside the name change, the team has also moved away from the controversial “Chief Wahoo” logo in recent years, marking a significant evolution in the franchise’s identity as they embrace a new chapter. While the discussion around team names and identities is complex and often contentious, the Guardians seem poised to continue their journey as a rebranded franchise, eager to engage with their fans and community under the new banner.
