MLB's 'Indians' History Ends... Cleveland Changes Team Name

Indians, where Choo Shin-soo excelled, decide to change name amid racial discrimination controversy
NYT "Sports team name changes will continue in a way that reflects 'racial sensitivity'"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

The name of a Major League Baseball team in the United States, which had been criticized for containing racist connotations, is finally disappearing into history.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 14th (local time), the MLB team Cleveland Indians will change their team name "Indians," which has been criticized for "demeaning Native Americans." This team was also where Choo Shin-soo played from 2007 to 2012. The NYT quoted a team official saying, "A specific replacement plan will be announced as early as this week," and "The team name and uniforms will be changed before the 2022 season." The name "Indians" was first adopted in 1915 and has been used for over 100 years.

Native American communities in the U.S. have continuously demanded the change of the team name "Indians." The reason for the change is that the name was based on stereotypes about Native Americans created unilaterally by immigrants. Last year, the "Chief Wahoo" logo depicting a red Native American face was also removed after criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans.

The Cleveland case is connected to the anti-racism protests that spread after the death of Black man George Floyd in May. The issue of Black civil rights sparked demands to change the names of U.S. sports teams that contain derogatory meanings toward minority races. In July, the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) dropped the team name "Redskins" after criticism that it was interpreted as demeaning Native Americans who were forced into slave labor in the 18th century.

However, MLB’s Atlanta Braves, NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Chicago Blackhawks, all of which have been asked to change their team names for being offensive to Native Americans, have stated that they currently have no plans to change their names.

Some professional sports teams refuse to change their names to protect the brand image they have built over decades, but there is a forecast that the broader trend of reflecting "racial sensitivity" in team names will not change. The NYT predicted, "Many college and high school sports teams have already started changing names and mascots that demean Native Americans," and "Professional sports teams will not be an exception."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.