It would be nice to hear the announcer say that again and again.

Last edited Wed Jul 23, 2025, 08:18 AM - Edit history (4)

back in the day named Louis Sockalexis, a 26-year-old member of the Penobscot tribe who became the first Native American Major League Baseball player, taking the field for the Cleveland Spiders (who became the Indians). The response from the crowd 123 years ago, however, was far from laudatory, America back then not being much different than it is today.

I've been a Cleveland Indian fan since my uncle used to take me to spring training game in Tucson where the Giants, also of the 'Cactus League', would travel down from Phoenix to play the Indians at Hy Corbett Field. The Giants had baseball greats Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Willie cCovey, and high-kicking pitcher Juan Marisol. The Indians had Al Rosen, Early Wynn (later to become a 300 game winner), and fire baller Bob Feller.

Sitting in the white cloud-filled, big blue sky of Tucson, eating Cracker Jacks, watching great players was a treasure I didn't fully appreciate until much later.

The grinning, racist Chief Wahoo logo was nixed by the club a few years back but it was not enough as the negative stigma over the years was too much to overcome so the name of the team was changed to Guardians.

Ugh.

IMO the Tribe would've been better as that's what sports commentators have called them for years.

go into a tussle with the Dodger’s John Roseboro.

Oh, the memories!

And Tribe is still offensive to Native Americans.

Thanks also for the info on tribe. I was not aware.

They played in the National League from 1889-99 (in 1897 and '88, they were in the old American Association, along with the original Baltimore Orioles). In 1901, Cleveland was granted a franchise in the new American League and called itself the Napoleons (later shortened to Naps) for player-manager Napoleon Lajoie, one of the greatest hitters in history.

The club changed its name to Indians in 1915, perhaps in tribute to Sockalexis, who'd died in 1913 of the alcoholism that limited his career with the Spiders to parts of their final three seasons.

- most indigenous peoples feelings. The Wasington/Cleveland Get the hell out of our land now!

That should do the trick.