It looks like the legal hurdles have been crossed in the renaming of the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians, with the baseball team and the roller derby team coming to an amicable resolution in a lawsuit filed by the latter, and it’s time for official changes to start taking place as the transition becomes a reality.
On Wednesday, the franchise announced that it will be taking important steps in the process of becoming the Guardians, with both physical and digital properties shifting over to reflect the new name.
On Friday, November 19, the Cleveland Guardians Team Store at Progressive Field will open its doors to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with new merchandise, including gear and souvenirs. The first 50 shoppers to get to the store that day will receive free donuts, coffee, raffle prizes and a gift, though no further details as to what the gift is are known. Guardians gear will only be available there until November 23, when other retailers throughout Northeast Ohio will have products.
Aside from this physical change, the digital and social media landscape will be changed on several platforms — Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and the team’s website — so that the new Guardians name is reflected. Some of these shifts will begin on Thursday night, but by Friday, all of them will be in the Guardians’ name. The team’s official website is currently found at MLB.com/indians, so we can safely assume that “guardians” could go behind the slash.
ClevelandGuardians.com, on the other hand, might remain in control of the roller derby team that has gained so much prominence in recent days. They were able to keep their name and allowed the baseball team to use the same name simultaneously, which might have been the biggest speed bump to overcome in this process.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram