Skip to main content
Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Guardians chosen as new name for Cleveland’s baseball team

A guardian rests on the Hope Memorial Bridge within site of Progressive Field, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Cleveland. Cleveland's new name was inspired by two large landmark stone edifices near the downtown ballpark, referred to as traffic guardians, on the Hope Memorial Bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The team's colors will remain the same, and the new Guardians' new logos will incorporate some of the architectural features of the bridge. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak
A guardian rests on the Hope Memorial Bridge within site of Progressive Field, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Cleveland. Cleveland's new name was inspired by two large landmark stone edifices near the downtown ballpark, referred to as traffic guardians, on the Hope Memorial Bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The team's colors will remain the same, and the new Guardians' new logos will incorporate some of the architectural features of the bridge. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak

By TOM WITHERS / AP Sports Writer 5 min read

CLEVELAND (AP) – While riding his bike over a bridge across the Cuyahoga River near Progressive Field, Indians owner Paul Dolan rarely paid much attention to the eight giant stone figures that seem to guard the city.

They have new meaning,

After more than 100 years, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team is getting a new name – Guardians.

The Indians are going, going, soon to be gone.

The ballclub announced Friday that at the end of the 2021 season, the Indians will transition from the name they’ve been known as since 1915 and replace it with Guardians, one they hope inspires a new generation of fans.