CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Cleveland Indians have decided they will drop Indians as the franchise's nickname according to a report Sunday night from the New York Times.
The team had no comment on the story when reached by 92.3 The Fan Sunday night.
David Waldstein and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the decision, reports that the timetable and steps to make the change are unclear.
What is clear is that there is not a rebrand prepared to be implemented.
The franchise appears likely to retain the name Indians for the 2021 season but could opt for a generic name next year or wait to drop it for the 2022 season.
An official announcement could come this week.
Cleveland's American League baseball team has been known as the Indians since 1915 but Native American groups have protested the name, deeming it to be racist, for years outside of Progressive Field - most notably on Opening Day and during playoff games.
At the urging of Major League Baseball, the Indians eliminated Chief Wahoo from their hats and uniforms following the 2018 season. The team had been reducing Wahoo's visibility within Progressive Field for years, replacing the caricature with a 'Block C' logo throughout the ballpark and on its uniforms.
In July, the franchise announced they would conduct a thorough review of the team's name and ownership discussed the merits of a potential change with their players, who said the time had come for a change, this summer.
Washington's NFL franchise dropped Redskins as its name in July, which prompted Cleveland's baseball club to assess its name, and is using Washington Football Team as its primary name while maintaining its existing color palette during the search for a new brand.
The Atlanta Braves have already announced they will not change their name, but the team has been working with Native American leaders to ensure the franchise respectfully honors their heritage going forward.
