5 potential team names for Cleveland baseball team

The Cleveland Indians are in need of a new name, but they have plenty of creative options to choose from.

The Cleveland Indians have followed in the footsteps of the Washington Football Team, choosing to part ways with their old nickname amid decades of debate over the offensive nature of that moniker after the 2021 season has concluded.

Cleveland will need to act fast if they want to get a new name, but one of these five choices can help the fanbase turn the page and enter a new era of Cleveland baseball.

The Cleveland Indians should pick one of these five names when they rebrand

5. Cleveland Buckeyes

While this name would be shared with Ohio State’s sports teams, the buckeye nut and the state of Ohio are synonymous with each other. While the OSU link is obvious, the “Buckeyes” name is woven in the tapestry of Ohio sports.

The Buckeyes were a Negro League team that played in Cleveland from 1942 to 1950, winning a championship in 1945. With many supporters of the old moniker crowing about the name’s historical importance, what better way to sate their desires than looking back into history and honoring those Negro League pioneers in 2020? With both a modern and historical connection, this name will certainly be among the finalists.

4. Cleveland Guardians

Passengers on the Hope Memorial Bridge are all too familiar with the eight “Guardians of Traffic” monolithic statues that gaze over the bustling Cleveland highway system. One of these statues is just a stone’s throw away from Progressive Field. The “Guardians” name would be cool in any context, but the added tie-in with local architecture makes this a potential rebrand candidate.

While the name is both unique and somewhat intimidating, the design and marketing possibilities that could result from this name are almost endless. While some fans might like the old moniker, renaming them after giant stone statues that are a landmark of the area is certainly a nice compromise.

3. Cleveland Gladiators

The Gladiators were an old AFL team that folded just a few seasons ago. It’s a shame that this team went belly-up, because the “Gladiators” name is extremely underrated. Who wouldn’t want to root for a team name after warriors who fought to the death in pursuit of victory and the entertainment of an adoring fanbase?

While Cleveland certainly wasn’t shy about marketing their old name, switching the Gladiators could allow them to use a Native American spear or arrowhead motif in their marketing, much like the AFL team did. On the flip side, rebranding as valiant warriors from Ancient Rome could potentially make the franchise sound a bit more intimidating.

2. Cleveland Blues

Rather than entertain the silly “Cleveland Rockers” nickname by drawing inspiration from the nearby Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “Blues” is a much more muted option that still has musical connections given the large overlap between the blues and early rock and roll. Not only will this satisfy fans looking for some sort of connection to the Northeast Ohio area, but it is once again paying homage to the city’s baseball history.

Way back in 1879, Cleveland’s first National League baseball team was known as the Blues, with the name resurfacing in 1888. If Cleveland keeps their current color scheme and tweaks their logos in order to lean into the musical theme of the nickname, they might end up with a perfect new look that satisfies older and younger fans alike. The NHL’s St. Louis Blues might not like someone copying them. but this name still makes a lot of sense.

1. Cleveland Spiders

As enticing as some of those other names are, “Spiders” appears to be the clear frontrunner at this juncture. Before the Indians and the bizarrely named Cleveland Naps were in the American League, the Spiders were a member of the National League from 1889 to 1899. While success was often hard to come by, the immortal Cy Young himself pitched more games as a Spider than he did with any other franchise.

Outside of the University of Richmond, the “Spiders” team nickname has been woefully, criminally underutilized despite being a creature that strikes fear into the hearts of so many. With a tie-in to their past and the potential for hundreds of creative and cool designs that could be derived from that name, few Indians would fan would reject being called the Spiders in 2022.