The Indians announced in a video package on Twitter this morning that their new franchise name will be the Cleveland Guardians. It was reported last night that a decision had been reached and an announcement could be forthcoming.
The franchise announced early last July that a name change was under consideration, and by December it had become clear that the organization would move forward with a new name in the near future. The team selected “Guardians” from a list of as many as 1100 initial possibilities.
The new “Guardians” moniker is a nod to the eight statues along Cleveland’s Hope Memorial Bridge, referred to as the “Guardians of Traffic.” The name has been among the reported favorites for some time now. Others in consideration including the Spiders (a callback to the late-1800s Cleveland baseball franchise) and the Rocks or Rockers (as a nod to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame).
More to come.