The Cleveland Indians, along with the Washington Redskins, will likely be changing their nickname.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advance social justice and equality. Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community,” a statement from the team reads.
This has led to many people wondering what the new name could be. Odds have recently been given to the most popular choices.
Naps +150
This nickname would be a play off of Nap Lajoie. He was one of the first baseball stars in Cleveland. The Hall of Famer won four batting titles and went on to manage the team from 1905-09.
Cleveland had several names for their team until they decided to change it to the “Naps” in 1903 after their star player.
This has the lowest odds for now. It could be something for the Cleveland fans to get behind, especially if they enjoy the team’s history. It could also set up plenty of jokes if the team is bad!
Spiders +200
The history of the Spiders goes back even further than Nap Lajoie. Cleveland had a baseball team from 1889 until 1899 that was called the Spiders.
As time went on, the owners bought a second team while leaving the Spiders to under-perform. They even still hold the worst record in the history of the MLB at 20-134.
This is another popular choice that has seen the same amount of attention as the Naps. Also, having a history in Cleveland, they already have an old logo to refer to.
Guardians +300
This would be another play off of the history of Cleveland, but nothing to do with baseball. There are “Guardians of Traffic” statues that are near the stadium.
The logo would be a take on the statues, especially their winged helmets that bring thoughts of Greek gods.
Wild Things +500
This one is a long shot but might be the funniest of the bunch. This would be referring to the movie, Major League, from 1989.
Charlie Sheen played Ricky Vaughn, who some people called “Wild Thing.” He was the main character in the film and got his name due to his inability to throw strikes at times.
Buckeyes +600
This one is such a longshot much due to the already established Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio is known as “The Buckeye State” because of the state symbol explanation.
However, this name was once tied to baseball in Cleveland. The Buckeyes were also a Negro League baseball team back from 1942 to 1950.
Many Ohio State fans may agree to this change, but it may be too popular already.
Rocks +750
This name comes from Cleveland being home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The city has already had a WNBA team names the Rockers from 1997 to 2003.
This is another long shot, but a play in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame may be an option if it is allowed.