Cleveland Indians Name Change: Which Alternatives Have Been Suggested? On 12/14/20 at 4:50 AM EST On Sunday, The New York Times reported the MLB team will shed the monicker it adopted in 1915, becoming the latest professional to abandon Native American imagery, amid accusations its use is racist. Cleveland's nickname has long been a thorny issue, with Native American and campaign groups regularly organizing protests outside Progressive Field to urge the franchise to change its name. Read more In 2018, the team dropped Chief Wahoo from their uniforms, stating that the logo was no longer appropriate, and replaced it with a block C. When Washington's NFL franchise renamed itself Washington Football Team in July, Indians owner Paul Dolan vowed to explore a potential change of name. Five months later, the change is imminent.