NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The Cleveland guardians changed their name just after the 2021 season after more than 100 years of their previous name, the “Indians.”
Change calls had turned, but they became unbridled in the midst of controversy over the native American nickname: Washington’s commanders went from the Redskins to the Washington football team before deciding on their current name.
Terry Francona was the manager of Cleveland at the time of the name change, but remains happy with the change, in the midst of the calls of President Donald Trump to change the organization.
CLICK HERE for more sports coverage at Foxnews.com
The manager of the Cleveland Guardians, Terry Francona, #77, leaves the field during the fifth entrance against the Detroit Tigers in Erica Park. (Rick Osantoski-USA Today Sports)
“I was not the one who had to have the (strength) to do so: (the owner) Paul Dolan finally was the one who had to tighten the trigger,” said the current manager of the Cincinnati reds this week. “I was really proud of him, because I don’t think it was really popular among a segment of older fans that, I guess Trump, ‘Why can’t it be as it used to be?'”
“And I suppose my reply would be: ‘There are probably many people in this country who do not want it to be.
The workers begin to eliminate the sign of the Cleveland Indians from above the marker in Progressive Field on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Little Leaguer suspended for the state tournament game after the will to bat during the epic home run
“Not everyone is going to be happy. That will never be the case,” Francona added. “But I think that while what you try to do is respectful, you can move on and let people complain.”
Trump published on social networks earlier this week that he wanted the guardians and commanders to return to their former natives of the Native Americans.
“The owner of the Cleveland baseball team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three elections in a row due to that ridiculous change of name,” Trump said. “What he does not understand is that if he changed the name to the Cleveland Indians, he could actually win an election. The Indians are being treated unfairly. Make the Indians again again (crumb)!”
Trump also called the commanders the “Washington ‘whatever'” and threatened to stop the team’s plans to build a new stadium in the Capital of the Nation If they did not bring back the old name.
The president of the Guardian baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, ruled out Trump’s comments, saying he was not “paying much attention to that.”
A fan of the Cleveland Indians holds a signal during a baseball game between Kansas City’s reais and Cleveland Indians on Monday, September 27, 2021 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
“We have had the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians in the last four years and we are excited about the future,” said Antonetti.
