Known as the Cleveland Indians since 1915, the team has changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians “ending months of internal discussions triggered by a national reckoning by institutions and teams to permanently drop logos and names considered racist.” The Guardians released a video narrated by Tom Hanks announcing their name change:
The name Guardians is a reference to well-known art deco statues located on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, which spans the Cuyahoga River and connects downtown Cleveland to the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood. Those statues are known as the “Guardians of Traffic.”