Nearly 1,200 Possibilities Listed For Cleveland Indians Name Change

The Cleveland Indians will bear a new name, and the list of possibilities is a lengthy one.

On Thursday (June 3), the team confirmed that its current list nearly reaches 1,200 options, the Associated Press reports. Owner Paul Dolan confirmed to the news outlet that the new name would not be one with Native American connotations.

The Indians opted to launch the search for a new name in December, moving away from the name the team has had since 1915. Two years earlier, the team also stopped using Chief Wahoo as a team mascot.

Before 1915, the Indians were also called the Spiders, Blues and Forest Citys, according to the Associated Press.

Dolan penned a letter to fans at the time to address the decision.

He wrote that the organization would select “a new name that will better unify our community and build on our legacy for a new generation.”

Read his full letter here.

“We’ve engaged our fans and community on many aspects of our team name process,” Curtis Danburg, the team’s vice president of communications and community impact, said in a statement. “We felt it was important to share our research journey and what we’ve learned so far.”

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