CLEVELAND — If there was any concern that Cleveland would not be able to take the next steps with its historic name change, all of that worry can now be put to rest.
The team announced Tuesday morning that the lawsuit filed by the local Guardians roller derby team over use of the name “Guardians” had been resolved, with both organizations permitted to continue using the name.
This has helped the baseball club move toward officially making the change from Indians to Guardians, but according to a team source, the organization isn’t ready just yet.
The plan was to make the transition at some point in early November, but the club ran into a hurdle when the roller derby team, which has been named the Cleveland Guardians since 2013, sued the Major League Baseball team in late October over the rights associated with the Guardians name.
Cleveland’s front office remained confident that the issue would be resolved, and with the trademark problems now in the rearview mirror, the team can plan how to begin its next chapter as the Guardians.
At the end of July, the organization announced that, after months of research, the name “Guardians” would best pay tribute to the Cleveland community and the franchise’s history. About 40,000 fans were surveyed and 140 hours of interviews were conducted with fans, community leaders and front-office personnel to help make the decision.
The heavy lifting for the transition has already begun. The large script “Indians” sign that once hung above the scoreboard in left field has been taken down. The plan is to replace that with a new “Guardians” sign this winter, and the team is working to have merchandise for sale for the holiday season.
Cleveland first announced in summer 2020 that it would begin having conversations with local community members and Native American groups about a potential name change. After what it learned during that process, the organization announced last December that it was beginning a search for its fifth name in franchise history — and the first change since 1915.