CLEVELAND – Manager Terry Francona praised the Cleveland Indians for trying to “do the right thing” with an inevitable name change – and necessary.
On Friday, Francona flattered the team’s decision to remove its name after 105 years, a change that comes after months of internal discussions and meetings with numerous groups and which will represent a new beginning for the team of the American League.
“I’m proud of the fact that we’re going to do something that’s right,” Francona said in an interview for Zoom from her home in Arizona.
The team revealed its decision on Monday, ending a process that began even before the team’s owner, Paul Dolan, announced it in July –hours after the NFL’s Washington team eliminated his controversial nickname– and he said the Major League team would do a thorough review of his name.
Dolan told AP in an interview that the team will continue to call Indians at least during the 2021 season and would not adopt a temporary name before choosing a new one. Dolan also told the AP that the Tribe, the team’s popular nickname and favorite of many fans as the new name, is not an option and the club is completely away from any connotations of Native Americans.
However, this does not mean that the team will distance itself from its history.
“That’s not the idea behind it,” Francona said. “I’m just thinking of just saying, ‘Hey, we’ve always done it this way, so we’ll keep doing it.’
“No one was trying to be disrespectful, but that is no longer a sufficient response,” he added.