LAST UPDATED: July 10, 2019 by Ryan M
The Cleveland Indians are named after former player Louis Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian so respected, that one year after his passing, Cleveland took the name “Indians” to commemorate him.
From 1903-1914, the Indians were called the “Naps,” named after player-manager Napoleon Lajoie. In 1915, Lajoie left to play in Philadelphia so the team needed a new name. Baseball writers made the decision on renaming the team to the Indians.
INTERESTING FACTS
- Entertainment icon Bob Hope was a part-owner of the Indians for many years, starting in 1946.
- The 1989 movie, “Major League,” about the Cleveland Indians was not actually filmed in Cleveland. It was filmed in Milwaukee County Stadium.
- In 1994, current Indians manager Terry Francona was the manager for the White Sox Double-A Birmingham Barons team when Michael Jordan played there.
INTERESTING VIDEO
INTERESTING REFERENCES
- Cleveland.com – Why are the Cleveland Indians called the Indians?
- MLB.com – Timeline
- Chicago Tribune – 10 things to know about the Cleveland Indians
This should be shared for the Cancel Culture group that thinks naming the Indians was a mockery of the Native American Indian culture in our beloved America but it most definitely was a tribute to a former Native American baseball player! The sad fact is that his story should have gone along with the title of Cleveland Indians so that it would be understood for all time and never cancelled.