DENVER -- Although it’s been a few months since the Dolans announced that the Indians will be the Guardians, the physical changes are finally taking effect. In the meantime, some fans say they’ve left baseball while other assessments I’ve read on cleveland.com about the transition might best be characterized as “begrudging realism.” So, as a lifelong Cleveland baseball fan, I want to share two reasons why I support the name change.
First, I’ve been supportive of the name change because I remember 2016. I remember how exciting that team was, with Corey Kluber at his peak, an elite bullpen, emerging star infielders, and the Party at Napoli’s that seemed like it would never end. I remember the underdog storyline of a team built on pitching losing multiple starters at the end of the season, and Ryan Merritt’s legendary postseason spot start. I remember the ultimate feel-good baseball tale of two historic franchises duking it out to see which would break its league’s World Series drought record.
And I remember these two dominant national media narratives:
1. Will this be the year that the Cubs finally break the curse!?!
2. Will Cleveland ever forgo its racist logo!?!
Maybe the first is the cost of being a small-market team. But it was really disappointing to see the players ignored for the sake of the brand, and to see the city portrayed that way on baseball’s biggest stage.
Some people see “Guardians” as kowtowing to external pressures, but I see ownership reasserting control over the narrative. I’d much rather live with the “controversy” of the name change than the controversy of what’s on the ballcaps.
Second, consider most MLB team names. They are mostly kind of boring, like Blue Jays or Giants. It’s not surprising; they have to be broadly marketable. Or, they are kind of silly, like Cubs, or Red Sox. Can you imagine if it had been the New York Indians, and they proposed to rename the team the Yankees? The thing is, none of these names mean much in a vacuum. They accrue meaning through experience. We cherish the old names because they have earned significance through accomplishment.
Matt Bishop is a lifelong Cleveland baseball fan who next season will be rooting for the Guardians from Denver.
I don’t love “Guardians,” mostly because it doesn’t mean anything yet. And that’s why I’m not worried about the name change. This team will make memories and the next walk-off homer or historic winning streak or (dare I say) pennant will mean more to fans than the old name as they build new lore around the Guardians.
That makes me excited, because the best thing the Dolans can do is to start making those memories. And that begins with increasing payroll and putting a fun and winning team on the field. For a team with dedicated players and a smart front office, the American League Central continues to be a winnable division, which should make for an interesting offseason.
Everything the Guardians can do to start on the right foot in 2022 helps put the controversy behind us, and gives us something to look forward to.
Matt Bishop grew up in Northeast Ohio and learned to love baseball from his dad. He’ll be cheering the Guardians on next season from his current home in Denver.
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November 10, 2021 at 05:27PM
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A heftier payroll, exciting team will help build those new ‘Guardian’ memories: Matt Bishop - cleveland.com
"exciting" - Google News
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