| Cleveland Guardians | |||||
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 2025 Cleveland Guardians season | |||||
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| Major league titles | |||||
| World Series titles(2) | |||||
| ALPennants(6) | |||||
| AL Central Division titles(13) | |||||
| Wild card berths(2) | |||||
| Front office | |||||
| Principal owner | Dolan family | ||||
| President | Paul J. Dolan (Owner/Chairman / CEO) | ||||
| President of baseball operations | Chris Antonetti | ||||
| General manager | Mike Chernoff | ||||
| Manager | Stephen Vogt | ||||
| Website | mlb.com/guardians | ||||
TheCleveland Guardians are an American professionalbaseball team based inCleveland. The Guardians compete inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of theAmerican League (AL)Central Division. Since1994, the team has played its home games atProgressive Field (originally known as Jacobs Field after the team's then-owner). Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 13 Central Division titles, sixAmerican League pennants, and twoWorld Series championships (in1920 and1948). The team's World Series championship drought since 1948 is thelongest active among all 30 current Major League teams.[2][3] The team's name references theGuardians of Traffic, eight monolithic 1932Art Deco sculptures byHenry Hering on the city'sHope Memorial Bridge,[4] which is adjacent to Progressive Field.[5][6] The team's mascot is named "Slider".[7] The team'sspring training facility is atGoodyear Ballpark inGoodyear, Arizona.[8]
The franchise originated in 1896 as theColumbus Buckeyes (also known as theColumbus Senators), a minor league team based inColumbus, Ohio that played in theWestern League. The team relocated toGrand Rapids, Michigan midseason in 1899, where they were known as theGrand Rapids Furniture Makers.[9] In 1900, the franchise moved to Cleveland and was called theCleveland Lakeshores.[10] The Western League itself was renamed the American League prior to the 1900 season while continuing its minor league status. When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Cleveland was one of its eight charter franchises. Originally called theCleveland Bluebirds orBlues, the team was also unofficially called theCleveland Broncos in 1902. Beginning in 1903, the team was named theCleveland Napoleons orNaps, after team captain and managerNap Lajoie.
Lajoie left after the1914 season, and club ownerCharles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose the nameCleveland Indians. That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. Commonnicknames for the Indians were "the Tribe" and "the Wahoos", the latter referencing their longtime logo,Chief Wahoo. After the Indians namecame under criticism as part of theNative American mascot controversy, the team adopted the current name, Guardians, starting with the2022 season.
From August 24 to September 14, 2017, the team won 22 consecutive games, thelongest winning streak in American League history and the second longest winning streak in MLB history.
As of the end of the 2025 season[update], the franchise's overall major league record is9,940–9,443–91 (.513).[11]
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According to one historian of baseball, "in 1857, baseball games were a daily spectacle in Cleveland's Public Squares. City authorities tried to find an ordinance forbidding it; to the joy of the crowd, they were unsuccessful."[12]
From 1865 to 1868 Forest Citys was an amateur ball club. During the1869 season, Cleveland was among several cities that established professional baseball teams following the success of the 1869Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully professional team.[13][14] In the newspapers before and after 1870, the team was often called theForest Citys, in the same generic way that the team from Chicago was sometimes called The Chicagos.
In 1871 the Forest Citys joined the newNational Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), the first professional league. Ultimately, two of the league's western clubs went out of business during the first season and theChicago Fire left that city'sWhite Stockings impoverished, unable to field a team again until 1874. Cleveland was thus the NA's westernmost outpost in 1872, the year the club folded. Cleveland played its full schedule to July 19 followed by two games versus Boston in mid-August and disbanded at the end of the season.[15]
In 1876, theNational League (NL) supplanted the NA as the major professional league. Cleveland was not among its charter members, but by 1879 the league was looking for new entries and the city gained an NL team. A new Cleveland Forest Citys were recreated, but by 1882 were known as theCleveland Blues, because the National League required distinct colors for that season. The Blues had mediocre records for six seasons and were ruined by a trade war with theUnion Association (UA) in 1884, when its three best players (Fred Dunlap,Jack Glasscock, andJim McCormick) jumped to the UA after being offered higher salaries. The Cleveland Blues merged with the St. Louis Maroons UA team in 1885.
Cleveland went without major league baseball for two seasons until gaining a team in theAmerican Association (AA) in 1887. After the AA'sPittsburgh Alleghenys jumped to the NL, Cleveland followed suit in 1889, as the AA began to crumble. The Cleveland ball club, called theSpiders (supposedly inspired by their "skinny and spindly" players), slowly became a power in the league.[16] In 1891, the Spiders moved intoLeague Park, which would serve as the home of Cleveland professional baseball for the next 55 years. Led by native OhioanCy Young, the Spiders became a contender in the mid-1890s, playing in theTemple Cup Series (that era's World Series) twice and winning it in 1895. The team began to fade after this success, and was dealt a severe blow under the ownership of theRobison brothers.
Prior to the1899 season, Frank Robison, the Spiders' owner, bought theSt. Louis Browns, thus owning two clubs at the same time. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Cy Young,Jesse Burkett andBobby Wallace.[17] The roster maneuvers failed to create a powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and1900. The Spiders were left with essentially a minor league lineup, and began to lose games at a record pace. Drawing almost no fans at home, they ended up playing most of their season on the road, and became known as "The Wanderers".[18] The team ended the season in 12th place, 84 games out of first place, with an all-time worst record of 20–134 (.130 winning percentage).[19] Following the 1899 season, the National League disbanded four teams, including the Spiders franchise. The disastrous 1899 season would actually be a step toward a new future for Cleveland fans the next year.
The Cleveland Infants competed in thePlayers' League, which was well-attended in some cities, but club owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season. The Cleveland Infants finished with 55 wins and 75 losses, playing their home games atBrotherhood Park.[20]
The origins of the team date back to 1896, when the team was founded as theColumbus Buckeyes, a team based inColumbus, Ohio and competing in theWestern League. The club was owned byTom Loftus, a close friend of both league presidentBan Johnson andCharlie Comiskey, owner of the league'sSt. Paul Saints.[21] In July 1899, the franchise swapped cities and names midseason with the Grand Rapids franchise of the Interstate League, becoming theGrand Rapids Prodigals while remaining in the Western League.[22][9]
In 1900, the team moved to Cleveland and was named the Cleveland Lake Shores, coinciding with Ban Johnson's change of the league name from the Western League to the American League.[23][24] In 1900, the American League was still considered a minor league. In 1901, the team was called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues when the American League broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members, and is one of four teams that remain in its original city, along withBoston,Chicago, andDetroit.
The new team was owned by coal magnateCharles Somers and tailor Jack Kilfoyl. Somers, a wealthy industrialist and also co-owner of theBoston Americans, lent money to other team owners, includingConnie Mack'sPhiladelphia Athletics, to keep them and the new league afloat. Players did not think the name "Bluebirds" was suitable for a baseball team.[25] Writers frequently shortened it to Cleveland Blues due to the players' all-blue uniforms,[26] but the players did not like this unofficial name either.[27] The players themselves tried to change the name to Cleveland Bronchos in1902, but this name never caught on.[25]
Cleveland suffered from financial problems in their first two seasons. This led Somers to seriously consider moving to eitherPittsburgh orCincinnati. Relief came in 1902 as a result of the conflict between the National and American Leagues. In 1901,Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, thePhiladelphia Phillies' star second baseman, jumped to the A's after his contract was capped at $2,400 per year—one of the highest-profile players to jump to the upstart AL. The Phillies subsequently filed an injunction to force Lajoie's return, which was granted by thePennsylvania Supreme Court. The injunction appeared to doom any hopes of an early settlement between the warring leagues. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was only enforceable in the state of Pennsylvania.[25] Mack, partly to thank Somers for his past financial support, agreed to trade Lajoie to the then-moribund Blues, who offered $25,000 salary over three years.[28] Due to the injunction, however, Lajoie had to sit out any games played against the A's in Philadelphia.[29] Lajoie arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and was an immediate hit, drawing 10,000 fans to League Park. Soon afterward, he was named team captain, and in 1903 the team was called the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps after a newspaper conducted a write-in contest.[25]
Lajoie was named manager in1905, and the team's fortunes improved somewhat. They finished half a game short of the pennant in 1908.[30] However, the success did not last and Lajoie resigned during the 1909 season as manager but remained on as a player.[31]
After that, the team began to unravel, leading Kilfoyl to sell his share of the team to Somers.Cy Young, who returned to Cleveland in 1909, was ineffective for most of his three remaining years[32] andAddie Joss died from tubercular meningitis prior to the 1911 season.[33]
Despite a strong lineup anchored by the potent Lajoie andShoeless Joe Jackson, poor pitching kept the team below third place for most of the next decade. One reporter referred to the team as the Napkins, "because they fold up so easily". The team hit bottom in 1914 and 1915, finishing last place both years.[34][35]
1915 brought significant changes to the team. Lajoie, nearly 40 years old, was no longer a top hitter in the league, batting only .258 in 1914. With Lajoie engaged in a feud with managerJoe Birmingham, the team sold Lajoie back to the A's.[36]
With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians.[37][38][39] The name referred to the nickname "Indians" that was applied to theCleveland Spiders baseball club during the time whenLouis Sockalexis, aNative American, played in Cleveland (1897–1899).[40]
At the same time, Somers' business ventures began to fail, leaving him deeply in debt. With the Indians playing poorly, attendance and revenue suffered.[41] Somers decided to trade Jackson midway through the 1915 season for two players and $31,500, one of the largest sums paid for a player at the time.[42]
By 1916, Somers was at the end of his tether, and sold the team to a syndicate headed by Chicago railroad contractorJames C. "Jack" Dunn.[41] Manager Lee Fohl, who had taken over in early 1915, acquired two minor league pitchers,Stan Coveleski andJim Bagby and traded for center fielderTris Speaker, who was engaged in a salary dispute with theRed Sox.[43] All three would ultimately become key players in bringing a championship to Cleveland.
Speaker took over the reins asplayer-manager in1919, and led the team to a championship in 1920. On August 16, 1920, the Indians were playing theYankees at thePolo Grounds in New York. ShortstopRay Chapman, who often crowded the plate, was batting againstCarl Mays, who had an unusual underhand delivery. It was also late in the afternoon and the infield was completely shaded with the center field area (the batters' background) bathed in sunlight. As well, at the time, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see."[44]
In any case, Chapman did not move reflexively when Mays' pitch came his way. The pitch hit Chapman in the head, fracturing his skull. Chapman died the next day, becoming the only player to sustain a fatal injury from a pitched ball.[45] The Indians, who at the time were locked in a tight three-way pennant race with the Yankees andWhite Sox,[46] were not slowed down by the death of their teammate. RookieJoe Sewell hit .329 after replacing Chapman in the lineup.[47]
In September 1920, theBlack Sox Scandal came to a boil. With just a few games left in the season, and Cleveland and Chicago neck-and-neck for first place at 94–54 and 95–56 respectively,[48][49] the Chicago owner suspended eight players. The White Sox lost two of three in their final series, while Cleveland won four and lost two in their final two series. Cleveland finished two games ahead of Chicago and three games ahead of the Yankees to win its first pennant, led by Speaker's .388 hitting, Jim Bagby's 30 victories and solid performances fromSteve O'Neill and Stan Coveleski. Cleveland went on to defeat theBrooklyn Robins 5–2 in theWorld Series for their first title, winning four games in a row after the Robins took a 2–1 Series lead. The Series included three memorable "firsts", all of them in Game 5 at Cleveland, and all by the home team. In the first inning, right fielderElmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam. In the fourth inning,Jim Bagby hit the first Series home run by a pitcher. In the top of the fifth inning, second basemanBill Wambsganss executed the first (and only, so far) unassisted triple play in World Series history, in fact, the only Series triple play of any kind.
The team would not reach the heights of 1920 again for 28 years. Speaker and Coveleski were aging and the Yankees were rising with a new weapon:Babe Ruth and the home run. They managed two second-place finishes but spent much of the decade in last place. In 1927 Dunn's widow, Mrs. George Pross (Dunn had died in 1922), sold the team to a syndicate headed byAlva Bradley.
The Indians were a middling team by the 1930s, finishing third or fourth most years.1936 brought Cleveland a new superstar in 17-year-old pitcherBob Feller, who came fromIowa with a dominatingfastball. That season, Feller set a record with 17 strikeouts in a single game and went on to lead the league in strikeouts from 1938 to 1941.
On August 20, 1938, Indians catchersHank Helf andFrank Pytlak set the "all-time altitude mark" by catching baseballs dropped from the 708-foot (216 m)Terminal Tower.[50]
By1940, Feller, along withKen Keltner,Mel Harder andLou Boudreau, led the Indians to within one game of the pennant. However, the team was wracked with dissension, with some players (including Feller and Mel Harder) going so far as to request that Bradley fire managerOssie Vitt. Reporters lampooned them as the Cleveland Crybabies.[51][better source needed] Feller, who had pitched ano-hitter to open the season and won 27 games, lost the final game of the season to unknown pitcher Floyd Giebell of theDetroit Tigers. TheTigers won the pennant and Giebell never won another major league game.[52]
Cleveland entered 1941 with a young team and a new manager;Roger Peckinpaugh had replaced the despised Vitt; but the team regressed, finishing in fourth. Cleveland would soon be depleted of two stars.Hal Trosky retired in 1941 due to migraine headaches[53] and Bob Feller enlisted in theNavy two days after theAttack on Pearl Harbor. Starting third basemanKen Keltner and outfielderRay Mack were both drafted in 1945 taking two more starters out of the lineup.[54]
In1946,Bill Veeck formed an investment group that purchased the Cleveland Indians from Bradley's group for a reported $1.6 million.[55] Among the investors wasBob Hope, who had grown up in Cleveland, and former Tigers slugger,Hank Greenberg.[56]A former owner of a minor league franchise in Milwaukee, Veeck brought to Cleveland a gift for promotion. At one point, Veeck hired rubber-faced[57]Max Patkin, the "Clown Prince of Baseball" as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box was the sort of promotional stunt that delighted fans but infuriated the American League front office.
Recognizing that he had acquired a solid team, Veeck soon abandoned the aging, small and lightless League Park to take up full-time residence in massiveCleveland Municipal Stadium.[58] The Indians had briefly moved from League Park to Municipal Stadium in mid-1932, but moved back to League Park due to complaints about the cavernous environment. From 1937 onward, however, the Indians began playing an increasing number of games at Municipal, until by 1940 they played most of their home slate there.[59] League Park was mostly demolished in 1951, but has since been rebuilt as a recreational park.[60]
Making the most of the cavernous stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed, which he could move in or out depending on how the distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following the 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. The massive stadium did, however, permit the Indians to set the then-record for the largest crowd to see a Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of theWorld Series against theBoston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until theLos Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the1959 World Series at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum against theChicago White Sox.
Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements was breaking thecolor barrier in theAmerican League by signingLarry Doby, formerly a player for the Negro league'sNewark Eagles in1947, 11 weeks afterJackie Robinson signed with theDodgers.[58] Similar to Robinson, Doby battled racism on and off the field but posted a .301 batting average in 1948, his first full season. A power-hitting center fielder, Doby led the American League twice in homers.
In 1948, needing pitching for the stretch run of the pennant race, Veeck turned to theNegro leagues again and signed pitching greatSatchel Paige amid much controversy.[58] Barred from Major League Baseball during his prime, Veeck's signing of the aging star in 1948 was viewed by many as another publicity stunt. At an official age of 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League baseball history, and the first black pitcher. Paige ended the year with a 6–1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 45 strikeouts and two shutouts.[61]
In1948, veterans Boudreau, Keltner, andJoe Gordon had career offensive seasons, while newcomers Doby andGene Bearden also had standout seasons. The team went down to the wire with theBoston Red Sox, winning a one-game playoff, the first in American League history, to go to theWorld Series. In the series, the Indians defeated theBoston Braves four games to two for their first championship in 28 years. Boudreau won theAmerican League MVP Award.
The Indians appeared in a film the followingyear titledThe Kid From Cleveland, in which Veeck had an interest.[58] The film portrayed the team helping out a "troubled teenaged fan"[62] and featured many members of the Indians organization. However, filming during the season cost the players valuable rest days leading to fatigue towards the end of the season.[58] That season, Cleveland again contended before falling to third place. On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field the day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race.[58]
Later in 1949, Veeck's first wife (who had a half-stake in Veeck's share of the team) divorced him. With most of his money tied up in the Indians, Veeck was forced to sell the team[63] to a syndicate headed by insurance magnate Ellis Ryan.
In1953,Al Rosen was an All Star for the second year in a row, was namedThe Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and won theAmerican League Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote playing for the Indians after leading the AL in runs, home runs, RBIs (for the second year in a row), and slugging percentage, and coming in second by one point in batting average.[64] Ryan was forced out in 1953 in favor of Myron Wilson, who in turn gave way to William Daley in1956. Despite this turnover in the ownership, a powerhouse team composed of Feller, Doby,Minnie Miñoso,Luke Easter,Bobby Ávila,Al Rosen,Early Wynn,Bob Lemon, andMike Garcia continued to contend through the early 1950s. However, Cleveland only won a single pennant in the decade, in 1954, finishing second to theNew York Yankees five times.
The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when theIndians finished the season with a record of 111–43 (.721). That mark set an American League record for wins that stood for 44 years until theYankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162-game regular season record of 114-48/.704). The Indians' 1954 winning percentage of .721 is still an American League record. The Indians returned to theWorld Series to face theNew York Giants. The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep. The series was notable forWillie Mays'over-the-shoulder catch off the bat ofVic Wertz in Game 1. Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959,George Strickland's last full year in the majors.
From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991).
The Indians hired general managerFrank Lane, known as "Trader" Lane, away from theSt. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Lane over the years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years.[65] In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded awayRed Schoendienst andHarvey Haddix.[65] Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make.[66]
One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland was to sendRoger Maris to theKansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958. Indians executiveHank Greenberg was not happy about the trade[67] and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane.[67] After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange.[67]
After the Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-oldNorm Cash from the White Sox forMinnie Miñoso and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians receivedSteve Demeter in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland.[68]
In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favoriteRocky Colavito to theDetroit Tigers forHarvey Kuenn just before Opening Day in1960.[69]
It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the1959 AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in1965. Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for the Indians before departing forSan Francisco in a trade for an agingJohnny Antonelli andWillie Kirkland.Akron Beacon Journal columnistTerry Pluto documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his bookThe Curse of Rocky Colavito.[70] Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane.[71]
Lane also engineered a unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sendingJoe Gordon to the Tigers in exchange forJimmy Dykes. Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcherTommy John, who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the YearTommy Agee to the White Sox to get Colavito back.[71]
However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led the league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed.
The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, includingGraig Nettles,Dennis Eckersley,Buddy Bell and 1971 Rookie of the YearChris Chambliss,[72] for a number of players who made no impact.[73]
Constant ownership changes did not help the Indians. In 1963, Daley's syndicate sold the team to a group headed by general managerGabe Paul.[25] Three years later, Paul sold the Indians toVernon Stouffer,[74] of theStouffer Corporation empire. Prior to Stouffer's purchase, the team was rumored to be relocated due to poor attendance. Despite the potential for a financially strong owner, Stouffer had some non-baseball related financial setbacks and, consequently, the team was cash-poor. In order to solve some financial problems, Stouffer had made an agreement to play a minimum of 30 home games inNew Orleans with a view to a possible move there.[75] After rejecting an offer fromGeorge Steinbrenner and former IndianAl Rosen, Stouffer sold the team in 1972 to a group led byCleveland Cavaliers andCleveland Barons ownerNick Mileti.[75] Steinbrenner went on to buy the New York Yankees in 1973.[76]
Only five years later, Mileti's group sold the team for $11 million to a syndicate headed by trucking magnate Steve O'Neill and including former general manager and owner Gabe Paul.[77] O'Neill's death in 1983 led to the team going on the market once more. O'Neill's nephew Patrick O'Neill did not find a buyer until real estate magnatesRichard E. and David H. Jacobs purchased the team in 1986.[78]
The team was unable to move out of last place, with losing seasons between 1969 and 1975. One highlight was the acquisition ofGaylord Perry in1972. The Indians traded fireballer"Sudden Sam" McDowell for Perry, who became the first Indian pitcher to win theCy Young Award. In1975, Cleveland broke another color barrier with the hiring ofFrank Robinson as Major League Baseball's first African American manager. Robinson served as player-manager and provided a franchise highlight when he hit a pinch-hit home run on Opening Day. But the high-profile signing ofWayne Garland, a 20-game winner inBaltimore, proved to be a disaster after Garland suffered from shoulder problems and went 28–48 over five years.[79] The team failed to improve with Robinson as manager and he was fired in1977. In 1977, pitcherDennis Eckersley threw a no-hitter against theCalifornia Angels. The next season, he was traded to theBoston Red Sox where he won 20 games in 1978 and another 17 in 1979.
The 1970s also featured the infamousTen Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The ill-conceived promotion at a 1974 game against theTexas Rangers ended in a riot by fans and a forfeit by the Indians.[80]
There were more bright spots in the 1980s. In May 1981,Len Barker threw aperfect game against theToronto Blue Jays, joining Addie Joss as the only other Indian pitcher to do so.[81]"Super Joe" Charboneau won theAmerican League Rookie of the Year award. Charboneau was out of baseball by 1983 due to back injuries[82] and Barker, who was also hampered by injuries, never became a consistently dominant starting pitcher.[81]
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Eventually, the Indians traded Barker to theAtlanta Braves forBrett Butler andBrook Jacoby,[81] who became mainstays of the team for the remainder of the decade. Butler and Jacoby were joined byJoe Carter,Mel Hall,Julio Franco andCory Snyder, bringing new hope to fans in the late 1980s.[83]
Cleveland's struggles over the 30-year span were highlighted in the 1989 filmMajor League, which comically depicted a hapless Cleveland ball club going from worst to first by the end of the film.
Throughout the 1980s, the Indians' owners had pushed for a new stadium. Cleveland Stadium had been a symbol of the Indians' glory years in the 1940s and 1950s.[84] However, during the lean years even crowds of 40,000 were swallowed up by the cavernous environment. The old stadium was not aging gracefully; chunks of concrete were falling off in sections and the old wooden pilings were petrifying.[85] In 1984, a proposal for a $150 million domed stadium was defeated in a referendum 2–1.[86]
Finally, in May 1990,Cuyahoga County voters passed anexcise tax on sales of alcohol and cigarettes in the county. The tax proceeds were to be used for financing the construction of theGateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, which would includeJacobs Field for the Indians andGund Arena for theCleveland Cavs basketball team.[87]
The team's fortunes started to turn in1989, ironically with a very unpopular trade. The team sent power-hitting outfielderJoe Carter to theSan Diego Padres for two unproven players,Sandy Alomar Jr. andCarlos Baerga. Alomar made an immediate impact, not only being elected to theAll-Star team but also winning Cleveland's fourthRookie of the Year award and aGold Glove. Baerga became a three-time All-Star with consistent offensive production.
Indians general managerJohn Hart made a number of moves that finally brought success to the team. In1991, he hired former IndianMike Hargrove to manage and traded catcherEddie Taubensee to theHouston Astros who, with a surplus of outfielders, were willing to part withKenny Lofton. Lofton finished second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting with a .285 average and 66stolen bases.
The Indians were named "Organization of the Year" byBaseball America[88] in 1992, in response to the appearance of offensive bright spots and an improvingfarm system.
The team suffered a tragedy during spring training of1993, when a boat carrying pitchersSteve Olin,Tim Crews, andBob Ojeda crashed into a pier. Olin and Crews were killed, and Ojeda was seriously injured. (Ojeda missed most of the season, and retired the following year).[89]
By the end of the 1993 season, the team was in transition, leaving Cleveland Stadium and fielding a talented nucleus of young players. Many of those players came from the Indians' newAAA farm team, theCharlotte Knights, who won theInternational League title that year.
Indians General ManagerJohn Hart and team ownerRichard E. Jacobs managed to turn the team's fortunes around. The Indians openedJacobs Field in 1994 with the aim of improving on the prior season's sixth-place finish. The Indians were only one game behind the division-leadingChicago White Sox on August 12 when aplayers strike wiped out the rest of the season.
Having contended for the division in the aborted 1994 season, Cleveland sprinted to a 100–44 record (the season was shortened by 18 games due to player/owner negotiations) in 1995, winning its first-ever divisional title. VeteransDennis Martínez,Orel Hershiser andEddie Murray combined with a young core of players includingOmar Vizquel,Albert Belle,Jim Thome,Manny Ramírez,Kenny Lofton andCharles Nagy to lead the league in team batting average as well as team ERA.
After defeating theBoston Red Sox in theDivision Series and theSeattle Mariners in theALCS, Cleveland clinched the American League pennant and aWorld Series berth, for the first time since 1954. TheWorld Series ended in disappointment, however: the Indians fell in six games to theAtlanta Braves.
Tickets for every Indians home game sold out several months before opening day in 1996.[90] The Indians repeated as AL Central champions but lost to thewild cardBaltimore Orioles in theDivision Series.
In 1997, Cleveland started slow but finished with an 86–75 record. Taking their third consecutive AL Central title, the Indians defeated theNew York Yankees in theDivision Series, 3–2. After defeating theBaltimore Orioles in theALCS, Cleveland went on to face theFlorida Marlins in theWorld Series that featured the coldest game in World Series history. With the series tied after Game 6, the Indians went into the ninth inning of Game Seven with a 2–1 lead, but closerJosé Mesa allowed the Marlins to tie the game. In the eleventh inning,Édgar Rentería drove in the winning run giving the Marlins their first championship. Cleveland became the first team to lose the World Series after carrying the lead into the ninth inning of the seventh game.[3]
In1998, the Indians made the postseason for the fourth straight year. After defeating the wild-cardBoston Red Sox 3–1 in theDivision Series, Cleveland lost the1998 ALCS in six games to theNew York Yankees, who had come into the postseason with a then-AL record 114 wins in the regular season.[91]
For the1999 season, Cleveland added relief pitcherRicardo Rincón and second basemanRoberto Alomar, brother of catcher Sandy Alomar Jr.,[92] and won the Central Division title for the fifth consecutive year. The team scored 1,009 runs, becoming the first (and to date only) team since the 1950 Boston Red Sox to score more than 1,000 runs in a season. This time, Cleveland did not make it past the first round, losing theDivision Series to theRed Sox, despite taking a 2–0 lead in the series. In game three, Indians starter Dave Burba went down with an injury in the 4th inning.[93] Four pitchers, including presumed game four starterJaret Wright, surrendered nine runs in relief. Without a long reliever or emergency starter on the playoff roster, Hargrove started bothBartolo Colón andCharles Nagy in games four and five on only three days rest.[93] The Indians lost game four 23–7 and game five 12–8.[94] Four days later, Hargrove was dismissed as manager.[95]
In 2000, theIndians had a 44–42 start, but caught fire after the All Star break and went 46–30 the rest of the way to finish 90–72.[96] The team had one of the league's best offenses that year and a defense that yielded three gold gloves. However, they ended up five games behind theChicago White Sox in the Central division and missed the wild card by one game to theSeattle Mariners. Mid-season trades broughtBob Wickman andJake Westbrook to Cleveland. After the season, free-agent outfielderManny Ramírez departed for theBoston Red Sox.
In 2000,Larry J. Dolan bought the Indians for $320 million from Richard E. Jacobs, who, along with his late brother David, had paid $45 million for the club in 1986. The sale set a record at the time for the sale of a baseball franchise.[97]
2001 saw a return to the postseason. After the departures of Ramírez andSandy Alomar Jr., the Indians signedEllis Burks and formerMVPJuan González, who helped the team win the Central division with a 91–71 record. One of the highlights came on August 5, when the Indians completed the biggest comeback in MLB History. Cleveland rallied to close a 14–2 deficit in the seventh inning to defeat theSeattle Mariners 15–14 in 11 innings. The Mariners, who won an MLB record-tying 116 games that season, had a strong bullpen, and Indians managerCharlie Manuel had already pulled many of his starters with the game seemingly out of reach.
Seattle and Cleveland met in thefirst round of the postseason; however, the Mariners won the series 3–2. In the 2001–02 offseason, GM John Hart resigned and his assistant,Mark Shapiro, took the reins.
Shapiro moved to rebuild by dealing aging veterans for younger talent. He tradedRoberto Alomar to theNew York Mets for a package that included outfielderMatt Lawton and prospectsAlex Escobar andBilly Traber. When the team fell out of contention in mid-2002, Shapiro fired managerCharlie Manuel and traded pitching aceBartolo Colón for prospectsBrandon Phillips,Cliff Lee, andGrady Sizemore; acquiredTravis Hafner from theRangers forRyan Drese andEinar Díaz; and picked upCoco Crisp from theSt. Louis Cardinals for aging starterChuck Finley.Jim Thome left after the season, going to the Phillies for a larger contract.
Young Indians teams finished far out of contention in 2002 and2003 under new managerEric Wedge. They posted strong offensive numbers in2004, but continued to struggle with a bullpen that blew more than 20 saves. A highlight of the season was a 22–0 victory over theNew York Yankees on August 31, one of the worst defeats suffered by the Yankees in team history.[98]
In early2005, the offense got off to a poor start. After a brief July slump, theIndians caught fire in August, and cut a 15.5 game deficit in the Central Division down to 1.5 games. However, the season came to an end as the Indians went on to lose six of their last seven games, five of them by one run, missing the playoffs by only two games. Shapiro was namedExecutive of the Year in 2005.[99]The next season, the club made several roster changes, while retaining its nucleus of young players. The off-season was highlighted by the acquisition of top prospectAndy Marte from theBoston Red Sox. The Indians had a solid offensive season, led by career years fromTravis Hafner andGrady Sizemore. Hafner, despite missing the last month of the season, tied the single season grand slam record of six, which was set in1987 byDon Mattingly.[100] Despite the solid offensive performance, the bullpen struggled with 23 blown saves (a Major League worst), and the Indians finished a disappointing fourth.[101]
In2007, Shapiro signed veteran help for the bullpen and outfield in the offseason. VeteransAaron Fultz andJoe Borowski joinedRafael Betancourt in the Indians bullpen.[102] The Indians improved significantly over the prior year and went into the All-Star break in second place. The team brought backKenny Lofton for his third stint with the team in late July.[103] The Indians finished with a 96–66 record tied with the Red Sox for best in baseball, their seventh Central Division title in 13 years and their first postseason trip since 2001.[104]
The Indians began their playoff run by defeating theYankees in theALDS three games to one. This series will be most remembered for the swarm of bugs that overtook the field in the later innings of Game Two. They also jumped out to a three-games-to-one lead over theRed Sox in theALCS. The season ended in disappointment when Boston swept the final three games to advance to the2007 World Series.[104]
Despite the loss, Cleveland players took home a number of awards.Grady Sizemore, who had a .995fielding percentage and only two errors in 405 chances, won theGold Glove award, Cleveland's first since 2001.[105] Indians PitcherCC Sabathia won the secondCy Young Award in team history with a 19–7 record, a 3.21 ERA and an MLB-leading 241innings pitched.[106] Eric Wedge was awarded the firstManager of the Year Award in team history.[107] Shapiro was named to his secondExecutive of the Year in 2007.[99]
TheIndians struggled during the 2008 season. Injuries to sluggersTravis Hafner andVictor Martinez, as well as starting pitchersJake Westbrook andFausto Carmona led to a poor start.[108] The Indians, falling to last place for a short time in June and July, tradedCC Sabathia to theMilwaukee Brewers for prospectsMatt LaPorta, Rob Bryson, andMichael Brantley.[109] and traded starting third baseman Casey Blake for catching prospectCarlos Santana.[110] PitcherCliff Lee went 22–3 with an ERA of 2.54 and earned the AL Cy Young Award.[111]Grady Sizemore had a career year, winning aGold Glove Award and aSilver Slugger Award,[112] and the Indians finished with a record of 81–81.
Prospects for the 2009 season dimmed early when theIndians ended May with a record of 22–30. Shapiro made multiple trades:Cliff Lee andBen Francisco to thePhiladelphia Phillies for prospectsJason Knapp,Carlos Carrasco,Jason Donald andLou Marson;Victor Martinez to theBoston Red Sox for prospectsBryan Price,Nick Hagadone andJustin Masterson;Ryan Garko to theTexas Rangers forScott Barnes; andKelly Shoppach to theTampa Bay Rays forMitch Talbot. The Indians finished the season tied for fourth in their division, with a record of 65–97. The team announced on September 30, 2009, that Eric Wedge and all of the team's coaching staff were released at the end of the 2009 season.[113]Manny Acta was hired as the team's 40th manager on October 25, 2009.[114]
On February 18, 2010, it was announced that Shapiro (following the end of the 2010 season) would be promoted to team President, with current PresidentPaul J. Dolan becoming the new Chairman/CEO, and longtime Shapiro assistantChris Antonetti filling the GM role.[115]
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On January 18, 2011, longtime popular former first baseman and managerMike Hargrove was brought in as a special adviser. The Indians started the 2011 season strong – going 30–15 in their first 45 games and seven games ahead of theDetroit Tigers for first place. Injuries led to a slump where the Indians fell out of first place. Many minor leaguers such asJason Kipnis andLonnie Chisenhall got opportunities to fill in for the injuries.[116] The biggest news of the season came on July 30 when the Indians traded four prospects forColorado Rockies star pitcher,Ubaldo Jiménez. The Indians sent their top two pitchers in the minors,Alex White andDrew Pomeranz along withJoe Gardner andMatt McBride.[117] On August 25, the Indians signed the team leader in home runs,Jim Thome off of waivers.[118] He made his first appearance in an Indians uniform since he left Cleveland after the 2002 season. To honor Thome, the Indians placed him at his original position, third base, for one pitch against the Minnesota Twins on September 25. It was his first appearance at third base since 1996, and his last for Cleveland.[119] The Indians finished the season in 2nd place, 15 games behind the division champion Tigers.[120]
The Indians brokeProgressive Field's Opening Day attendance record with 43,190 against theToronto Blue Jays on April 5, 2012. The game went 16 innings, setting the MLB Opening Day record, and lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes.[121]
On September 27, 2012, with six games left in the Indians' 2012 season,Manny Acta was fired;Sandy Alomar Jr. was named interim manager for the remainder of the season.[122] On October 6, the Indians announced thatTerry Francona, who managed the Boston Red Sox to five playoff appearances and two World Series between 2004 and 2011, would take over as manager for 2013.[123]
The Indians entered the 2013 season following an active offseason of dramatic roster turnover. Key acquisitions included free agent 1B/OFNick Swisher and CFMichael Bourn.[124] The team added prized right-handed pitching prospectTrevor Bauer, OFDrew Stubbs, and relief pitchersBryan Shaw andMatt Albers in a three-way trade with theArizona Diamondbacks andCincinnati Reds that sent RFShin-Soo Choo to the Reds, andTony Sipp to theArizona Diamondbacks[125] Other notable additions included utility manMike Avilés, catcherYan Gomes, designated hitterJason Giambi, and starting pitcherScott Kazmir.[124][126] The 2013 Indians increased their win total by 24 over 2012 (from 68 to 92), finishing in second place, one game behind Detroit in the Central division, but securing the number one seed in the American League Wild Card Standings. In their first postseason appearance since 2007, Cleveland lost the2013 American League Wild Card Game 4–0 at home to Tampa Bay. Francona was recognized for the turnaround with the 2013American League Manager of the Year Award.
With an 85–77 record, the 2014 Indians had consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1999–2001, but they were eliminated from playoff contention during the last week of the season and finished third in the AL Central.
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In 2015, after struggling through the first half of the season, the Indians finished 81–80 for their third consecutive winning season, which the team had not done since 1999–2001. For the second straight year, the Tribe finished third in the Central and was eliminated from the Wild Card race during the last week of the season. Following the departure of longtime team executiveMark Shapiro on October 6, the Indians promoted GMChris Antonetti to President of Baseball Operations, assistant general managerMike Chernoff to GM, and namedDerek Falvey as assistant GM.[127] Falvey was later hired by theMinnesota Twins in 2016, becoming their President of Baseball Operations.
The Indians set what was then a franchise record for longest winning streak when they won their 14th consecutive game, a 2–1 win over theToronto Blue Jays in 19 innings on July 1, 2016, atRogers Centre.[128][129] The team clinched the Central Division pennant on September 26, their eighth division title overall and first since 2007, as well as returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They finished the regular season at 94–67, marking their fourth straight winning season, a feat not accomplished since the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Indians began the 2016 postseason by sweeping theBoston Red Sox in the best-of-fiveAmerican League Division Series, then defeated the Blue Jays in five games in the2016 American League Championship Series to claim their sixth American League pennant and advance to theWorld Series against theChicago Cubs. It marked the first appearance for the Indians in the World Series since 1997 and first for the Cubs since 1945. The Indians took a 3–1 series lead following a victory in Game 4 atWrigley Field, but the Cubs rallied to take the final three games and won the series 4 games to 3. The Indians' 2016 success led to Francona winning his second AL Manager of the Year Award with the club.
From August 24 through September 15 during the 2017 season, the Indians set a new American League record by winning 22 games in a row.[130] On September 28, the Indians won their 100th game of the season, marking only the third time in history the team has reached that milestone. They finished the regular season with 102 wins, second-most in team history (behind 1954's 111 win team). The Indians earned the AL Central title for the second consecutive year, along with home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs, but they lost the2017 ALDS to theYankees 3–2 after being up 2–0.[131]
In 2018, the Indians won their third consecutive AL Central crown with a 91–71 record, but were swept in the2018 American League Division Series by theHouston Astros, who outscored Cleveland 21–6. In 2019, despite a two-game improvement, the Indians missed the playoffs as they trailed three games behind theTampa Bay Rays for the second AL Wild Card berth. During the 2020 season (shortened to 60 games because of theCOVID-19 pandemic), the Indians were 35–25, finishing second behind theMinnesota Twins in the AL Central, but qualified for the expanded playoffs. In the best-of-threeAL Wild Card Series, the Indians were swept by theNew York Yankees, ending their season.
In February 2025,Larry J. Dolan, who owned the team since the year 2000 and served as the longest owner in the history of the Cleveland franchise, died.[132] His sonPaul, who is listed as the team's "Owner/CEO/Chairman," has held ownership duties over the team since 2013, and is also the only of Larry J. Dolan's children who has held major leadership roles over the Guardians.[133]
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On December 18, 2020, the team announced that the Indians name and logo would be dropped after the 2021 season, later revealing the replacement to be the Guardians.[134][135][5][136] In their first season as the Guardians, the team won the 2022 AL Central Division crown, marking the 11th division title in franchise history. In the best-of-threeAL Wild Card Series, the Guardians won the series against theTampa Bay Rays 2–0, to advance to theAL Division Series. The Guardians lost the series to theNew York Yankees 3–2, ending their season. In June 2022, sports investorDavid Blitzer bought a 25% stake in the franchise with an option to acquire controlling interest in 2028.[137][138]
Following Francona's retirement at the end of the 2023 season, the Guardians namedStephen Vogt as their new manager on November 6, 2023. Vogt would lead the Guardians to a bounce-back season, winning the AL Central with a 92–69 record. The Guardians would beat their AL Central rival theDetroit Tigers in the AL Division Series in five games, but would lose to theNew York Yankees in the AL Pennant in five games.
In 2025, Vogt led the team back from a 15.5 game deficit in July, to overtake Detroit and win the second straight AL Central title under his watch.
The rivalry with fellowOhio team theCincinnati Reds is known as the Battle of Ohio or Buckeye Series and features theOhio Cup trophy for the winner. Prior to 1997, the winner of the cup was determined by an annualpre-season baseball game, played each year at minor-leagueCooper Stadium in the state capital ofColumbus, and staged just days before the start of each newMajor League Baseball season. A total of eight Ohio Cup games were played, with the Guardians winning six of them. It ended with the start ofinterleague play in 1997. The winner of the game each year was awarded the Ohio Cup in postgame ceremonies. The Ohio Cup was a favorite among baseball fans in Columbus, with attendances regularly topping 15,000.
Since 1997, the two teams have played each other as part of the regular season, with the exception of 2002. The Ohio Cup was reintroduced in 2008 and is presented to the team who wins the most games in the series that season. Initially, the teams played one three-game series per season, meeting in Cleveland in 1997 and Cincinnati the following year. The teams have played two series per season against each other since 1999, with the exception of 2002, one at each ballpark. A format change in 2013 made each series two games, except in years when the AL and NL Central divisions meet in interleague play, where it is usually extended to three games per series.[139] As of June 2025[update], the Guardians lead the series 77–64.[140]
The Guardians share a rivalry with theDetroit Tigers[141] fueled by geographic proximity between the two cities, and elements from theintense rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. The rivalry with came to a head on August 7, 2013, with the teams first and second in the AL Central standings. Many Tigers fans who made the short trip to Cleveland started a "Let's go Tigers!" chant while the game was tied in the nith inning. Cleveland fans countered with a "Detroit's bankrupt!" chant, in reference to thecity's 2013 bankruptcy. Footage of the chants fromSportsTime Ohio circulated online, with many baseball fans onsocial media criticizing Cleveland fans for the chant due to the circumstances ofDetroit's financial situation.[142] The Tigers ended up defeating Cleveland 6–5 in 14 innings.[143] The two teams have played almost evenly over their 125-year history with Detroit holding a narrow 1,168–1,167 lead. The teams have met twice in the postseason, with Cleveland winning the2024 AL Division Series and Detroit winning the2025 AL Wild Card Series.[144]
TheChicago White Sox are another rival, dating back to the 1959 season, when the Sox slipped past the Indians to win the AL pennant. The rivalry intensified when both clubs were moved to the newly created AL Central in 1994. During that season, the two teams challenged for the division title, with the Indians one game back of Chicago when the season ended in August due to the players' strike. During a game in Chicago, the White Sox confiscatedAlbert Belle'scorked bat, followed by an attempt by Indians pitcherJason Grimsley to crawl through theComiskey Park clubhouse ceiling to retrieve it. Belle later signed with the White Sox in 1997, adding additional intensity to the rivalry. In 2005, the White Sox led the division by 15 games in July, only to see the Indians trim the lead to a single game late in the season. However, the White Sox swept a three-game series to end the season to win the division by six games; the Sox later won that year's World Series.
On August 5, 2023, Cleveland third basemanJosé Ramírez and Chicago shortstopTim Anderson instigated abench-clearing brawl after Anderson applied a tag to Ramírez. Anderson then attempted to punch Ramírez, after which Ramírez wound up knocking Anderson to the ground with a right hook. Anderson and Ramírez were suspended five and two games, respectively, for their roles in the brawl.[145][146]
The official team colors are navy blue, red, and white.[5][147]
The primary home uniform is white with red and navy bluepiping around each sleeve. Across the front of the jersey inscript font is the word "Guardians" in red with a navy blue outline, with navy blue undershirts, belts, and socks.
The alternate home jersey is red with a navy blue "diamond C" font "Guardians" trimmed in white on the front, and white and navy blue piping on both sleeves, with navy blue undershirts, belts, and socks.
In 2024, the team introduced "City Connect" uniforms, primarily (but not exclusively) worn on Friday home dates. The jerseys are blue with red and white stripes going down the sleeve, featuring "CLE" on the front of the jersey and the player names and numbers on the back (all in a whiteart deco style font), with sandstone colored pants and red socks featuring a logo which was also introduced in 2024 (a "Guardians of Traffic" statue holding a baseball bat).[148]
The standard home cap is red with a navy blue bill, and features a navy blue "diamond C" on the front and is worn with the primary white uniforms. With the alternate red jerseys, the cap is navy blue with a red bill and red "diamond C". The "City Connect" home cap is similar to the alternate cap with the exception of the front section over the bill being white.[149]
The primary road uniform is gray, with "Cleveland" in navy blue "diamond C" letters, trimmed in red across the front of the jersey, red and navy blue piping around the sleeves, and navy blue undershirts, belts, and socks.
The alternate road jersey is navy blue with a red "diamond C" trimmed in white on the front of the jersey, red and white piping around the sleeves, and navy blue undershirts, belts, and socks.
With either road jersey, the team wears a navy blue cap with a red bill and red "diamond C".
For all games, the team uses a navy bluebatting helmet with a red "diamond C" on the front.[149]
All jerseys (sans the "City Connect" version) feature the "winged G" logo on one sleeve, and every jersey has a patch fromMarathon Petroleum – in a sponsorship deal lasting through the 2026 season – on the other. The sleeve featuring the Marathon logo depends on how the player bats – left handed hitters have it on their right sleeve, as that is the arm facing the main TV camera when he bats, and vice versa for right handed batters.[150]
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The club name and its cartoon logo have been criticized for perpetuating Native American stereotypes. In 1997 and 1998, protesters were arrested after effigies were burned. Charges were dismissed in the 1997 case, and were not filed in the 1998 case. Protesters arrested in the 1998 incident subsequently fought and lost a lawsuit alleging that theirFirst Amendment rights had been violated.[151][152][153][154]
Bud Selig (then–commissioner of baseball) said in 2014 that he had never received a complaint about the logo. He has heard that there are some protesting against the mascots, but individual teams such as the Indians andAtlanta Braves, whose name was also criticized for similar reasons, should make their own decisions.[155] An organized group consisting of Native Americans, which had protested for many years, protestedChief Wahoo onOpening Day 2015, noting that this was the 100th anniversary since the team became the Indians. OwnerPaul Dolan, while stating his respect for the critics, said he mainly heard from fans who wanted to keep Chief Wahoo, and had no plans to change.[156]
On January 29, 2018, Major League Baseball announced that Chief Wahoo would be removed from the Indians' uniforms for the 2019 season, stating that the logo was no longer appropriate for on-field use.[157][158] The block "C" was promoted to the primary logo; at the time, there were no plans to change the team's name.[159]
In 2020,protests over themurder ofGeorge Floyd, a black man, by aMinneapolis police officer, led the United States into a period of social changes. This made Dolan reconsider use of the Indians name.[160][161] On July 3, 2020, on the heels of theWashington Redskins announcing that they would "undergo a thorough review" of that team's name, the Indians announced that they would "determine the best path forward" regarding the team's name and emphasized the need to "keep improving as an organization on issues ofsocial justice".[162]
On December 13, 2020, it was reported that the Indians name would be dropped after the 2021 season out of respect for the Native American community.[135][163] It had been hinted by the team that they may move forward without a replacement name (in a similar manner to the Washington Football Team, which used its name for two years until being named the Washington Commanders).[135][164] It was announced via Twitter on July 23, 2021, that the team will be named the Guardians, after theGuardians of Traffic, eight large Art Deco statues on theHope Memorial Bridge, located close to Progressive Field.[165]
The club, however, found itself amid a trademark dispute with a men's roller derby team called theCleveland Guardians.[166][167][168] The Cleveland Guardians roller derby team has competed in theMen's Roller Derby Association since 2016.[169] In addition, two other entities have attempted to preempt the team's use of the trademark by filing their own registrations with theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office.[166] The roller derby team filed a federal lawsuit in theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on October 27, 2021, seeking to block the baseball team's name change.[170][171][172] On November 16, 2021, the lawsuit was resolved, and both teams were allowed to continue using the Guardians name. The name change from Indians to Guardians became official on November 19, 2021.[173][174][5][175][176][135][136][excessive citations]
Cleveland radio stationsWTAM (1100AM and106.9FM) andWMMS (100.7FM), both owned byiHeartMedia, serve as flagship stations for theCleveland Guardians Radio Network.[177]Ford C. Frick Award winnerTom Hamilton andJim Rosenhaus comprise the announcing team and call all games on-site.[178]
Fellow sister stationWARF (1350AM) - while primarily an English language station - serves as the team's Spanish flagship, airing broadcasts of home games. Rafa Hernández-Brito serves as the primary Spanish announcer, alongside analyst and former IndianCarlos Baerga.[179]
Regular season games not broadcast by MLB's national TV partners are shown exclusively on Guardians TV, operated byMLB Local Media, which launched on February 11, 2025.[180] ClevelandNBC affiliateWKYC channel 3 simulcasts select games, plus airs a weekly team centered sportscast titledGuardians Tonight Sunday nights.[181]
Lead announcerMatt Underwood, analyst and former IndiansGold Glove-winning centerfielderRick Manning, and field reporter Andre Knott form the TV broadcast team, withAl Pawlowski hosting the pre- and postgame shows, alongside former IndianChris Gimenez serving as analyst, with various other former Indians/Guardians making guest appearances. Guardians TV airs on cable systems throughoutNortheast Ohio, as well as functioning as astreaming service.[182]
Notable former broadcasters include Tom Manning,Jack Graney (the first ex-baseball player to become a play-by-play announcer),Ken Coleman,Joe Castiglione,Van Patrick,Nev Chandler,Bruce Drennan,Jim "Mudcat" Grant,Rocky Colavito,Dan Coughlin, andJim Donovan.
Previous broadcasters who have had lengthy tenures with the team includeJoe Tait (15 seasons between TV and radio),Jack Corrigan (18 seasons on TV),Ford C. Frick Award winnerJimmy Dudley (19 seasons on radio),Mike Hegan (23 seasons between TV and radio), andHerb Score (34 seasons between TV and radio).[183]
Under the Cleveland Indians name, the team has been featured in several films, including:
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Numerous Naps/Indians players have had statues made in their honor:
(*) – Inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame as an Indian/Nap.
In July 2022, in honor of the 75th anniversary ofLarry Doby becoming the AL's first black player, a mural was added to the exterior of Progressive Field, honoring players who were viewed as barrier breakers that played for the Indians/Guardians. The mural features Doby,Frank Robinson, andSatchel Paige.[188]
A number of parks and newly built and renovated youth baseball fields in Cleveland have been named after former and current Indians/Guardians players, including:
| 40-man roster | Non-roster invitees | Coaches / other |
|---|---|---|
Pitchers Catchers Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitters | Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders Outfielders
| Manager Coaches
Restricted list
|
The Cleveland Guardiansfarm system consists of sevenminor league affiliates.[195]
| Home Attendance at Jacobs/Progressive Field[196] | ||||
| Year | Total attendance | Game average | AL rank | |
| 2000 | 3,456,278 | 42,670 | 1st | |
| 2001 | 3,175,523 | 39,694 | 3rd | |
| 2002 | 2,616,940 | 32,308 | 5th | |
| 2003 | 1,730,002 | 21,358 | 12th | |
| 2004 | 1,814,401 | 22,400 | 12th | |
| 2005 | 2,013,763 | 24,861 | 12th | |
| 2006 | 1,997,995 | 24,667 | 11th | |
| 2007 | 2,275,912 | 28,449 | 9th | |
| 2008 | 2,169,760 | 26,787 | 9th | |
| 2009 | 1,766,242 | 21,805 | 13th | |
| 2010 | 1,391,644 | 17,181 | 14th | |
| 2011 | 1,840,835 | 22,726 | 9th | |
| 2012 | 1,603,596 | 19,797 | 13th | |
| 2013 | 1,572,926 | 19,419 | 14th | |
| 2014 | 1,437,393 | 17,746 | 15th | |
| 2015 | 1,388,905 | 17,361 | 14th | |
| 2016 | 1,591,667 | 19,650 | 13th | |
| 2017 | 2,048,138 | 25,286 | 11th | |
| 2018 | 1,926,701 | 23,786 | 9th | |
| 2019 | 1,738,642 | 21,465 | 9th | |
| 2020 | 0* | 0 | T-1st | |
| 2021 | 1,114,368** | 13,758 | 10th | |
| 2022 | 1,295,870 | 15,998 | 12th | |
| 2023 | 1,834,068 | 22,643 | 10th | |
| 2024 | 2,056,264 | 25,703 | 9th | |
(*): There were no fans allowed in any MLB stadium in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
(**): At the beginning of the season, there was a limit of 30% capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions implemented by Ohio GovernorMike DeWine. On June 2, DeWine lifted the restrictions, and the team immediately allowed full capacity at Progressive Field.
So, with the Cubs finally on top, the longest championship drought in baseball now belongs to the team they beat – the Indians. Cleveland has not won a World Series since way back in 1948.
It is quite a general opinion among baseball men and baseball writers that the Grand Rapids team – the old Columbus team – will be transferred to this city.
We will maintain the red, white and navy color scheme that has been part of our organization for more than 80 years to honor our rich baseball heritage.
According to the MLB site, the Cleveland Indians may consider a new logo in the future, but will promote the capital letter C for now. There are no current plans to change the Indians' team name.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | World Series champions Cleveland Indians 1920 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | World Series champions Cleveland Indians 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 1920 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 1948 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 1954 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League champions Cleveland Indians 2016 | Succeeded by |
