CLEVELAND (NewsNation Now) — The Cleveland Indians are officially the Cleveland Guardians. The Major League baseball team switched its name Friday.
Cleveland’s move away from the name follows a similar decision by the NFL’s Washington Football Team, previously known as the Redskins, which was renamed last year in response to years of pressure from Native American groups and human rights activists who deemed the team’s name racist.
On Tuesday, The team settled a lawsuit with a Cleveland-based roller derby team over the use of the Guardian name that allows both to use the moniker using forward.
The team’s shop at Progressive Field will begin selling Guardians merchandise and souvenirs, and more gear will become available at various retail stores in northeast Ohio on Nov. 23.
The team first announced it would change its name after the 2021 season.