On Monday, for the final time, the Cleveland Indians played a baseball game in Cleveland, Ohio. The game marked the end of a century-long history full of highs and lows for the team and the city itself.
It was time for change, but that does not make it an easy goodbye. My great-grandparents were born to Irish immigrants in the early 1900s, and they were Indians fans. My grandfather was born before the end of World War II, and he was an Indians fan. My father was born the same year the Civil Rights Amendment was passed, and he too was an Indians fan.
There is no denying the name’s racist past, but for Northeast Ohioans, sports teams are often the only reminders of a better time. In 1950, Cleveland was America’s 7th largest city by population. Today, Cleveland ranks just 54th. The Indians have been there for all of it. For many Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers the death of the name is symbolic of the death of the rust belt. Things have changed, and they will likely never go back to the way they were.
For Americans far-removed from the realities of life in places like Cleveland, Akron and Canton, being upset over the name of a sports team changing may seem childish, but goodbyes are never easy, and for Ohioans who witnessed the collapse of the region they call home, the departure of the Indians name feels like yet another gut-punch. It’s saying goodbye to a 100-year legacy, for better or for worse.
When it comes to the actual game of baseball, the Indians are synonymous with coming up short. The Indians went all the way just to fall short in 1954, 1955, 1997 and 2016. Many of the years in between were abysmal, but the Indians have also been home to some incredible baseball.
The Indians gave baseball early stars like Nap Lajoie, Bob Feller and Lou Boudreau. It also gifted fans with a roster in the late-1990s that was home to numerous hall-of-fame level stars. The name was also the center-piece of the classic baseball movie “Major League.”
Perhaps most important of all, the Indians broke the American League color-barrier in 1947 when they made Larry Doby the first Black man to play for an AL team. One year later, they started the first Black pitcher, 42-year-old Satchel Paige. Finally, in 1974, the Indians made Frank Robinson the MLB’s first Black manager.
Goodbyes are always complicated, and the name change is no exception. There is no denying the team’s name and former logo come from a time when portraying Native Americans as racist caricatures was accepted. In many ways, this is good riddance, but in others, it's a sorrowful goodbye.
If you find yourself angry at friends and family who cannot seem to understand why it was time for the name to go, be patient. Next spring, a new chapter begins in Cleveland with the Guardians. Debates over whether or not the name should have stayed will disappear, and all we can hope for is another 100 years of better baseball and better times for the city of Cleveland.
Noah Wright is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Noah? Tweet him @NoahCampaign.
