Why Is Cleveland Baseball Called Guardians?

Guardians, as they are commonly known as, is a United State professional baseball team located and based in Cleveland, the team is an incumbent member of the American League and competes in Major league baseball, the team has its home field at the progressive field, the ballpark is located in Ohio, Cleveland, the stadium also combines with the rocket mortgage fieldhouse to jointly own and be part of the gateway sports and entertainment complex.

Why Is Cleveland Baseball Called Guardians?

The Cleveland has been called guardians ever since the beginning of this new season and it references the Guardians of Traffic in baseball, which is a 1932 art deco by Henry Hering in the city’s Hope Memorial Bridge, Hering was an American sculptor who died in 1949, his other similar works include the Hering’s pere, Marquette statue in Marquette Park, and the relief sculpture on the side of a bridge house of the Dustable bridge in Chicago. The guardian of traffic are 4 towering pylons, with each pylon bearing a massive statute on each side representing a Guardian of traffic, they also wear either winged helmets or winged laurel crowns with the major difference between the figures being that each of them holds a different vehicle.

The History of the Guardians of Traffic 

The art deco came to light in 1932 and has ever since stood guard over the east-west traffic of the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, the name Guardians of Traffic was first coined by Wilber Watson who wrote that the eight figures’ original purpose was to typify the spirit of progress in transportation, all of the guardians have custody of different vehicles which follow a history of ground transport, from a stagecoach, a covered wagon and hay rack to a 1930s featured automobile, to four different kinds of trucks.

The different names for Cleveland’s baseball team over the years 

the initial Cleveland franchise started back in 1894 as the Grand Rapids Rippers, the team played off in the minor leagues in Michigan, it was not until the team’s relocation in 1900 and the change of name to the Cleveland Lake shores that things began to shift in their favor, the western leagues they played in which was initially a minor league, was upgraded to a major league and renamed the American League before entering the 1900 season properly. In 1901 when the league declared that it had become a major league, the Cleveland lake shores were one of the few teams (8) that were charter franchises, and by 1902 the team became known as the Cleveland Bronchos and the Cleveland Napoleons in 1903, after Nap Lajoie who earned the team its previous name, left the team, the owner of the club told writers to get a new name for the club and the Cleveland baseball Indians came about, it used the name until 2021 when a controversy came up concerning the teams’ mascot, it was finally renamed the Guardians after 2022.

How the name Guardian came about?

The name Guardian pays homage to the Henry Hering 1932 sculpture, the name was most likely chosen because of the proximity of the Guardians of Traffic statues to the progressive field, which is the home field for the team, the statues are located at the hope memorial bridge, the owner stated that the name was picked to unify the city and the baseball club fans together. Coming up with the name Guardians was no small fit for the management of the team, however, the club spent 7 months looking for the perfect name to carry them through this season and the guardian was not the only one considered, a name that gained significant traction if the Cleveland Spiders, which was one of the names they had previously gone by in previous years, although it was more of a nickname during those years.

The Guardian’s official colors and uniform

Although the guardians had the name of their franchise changed, the change only affected their logo and name, they still maintain their previous colors which were nay blue, red, and white.

Home kits

When at home games at the progressive field, the team maintains a white with a navy-blue uniform, the uniform has piping around the sleeve and the widely known winged G logo on the right sleeve, there is also a written script on the front of the uniform, the script carries the team’s name in a red and blue outline. Team members are also supposed to wear a navy-blue shirt underneath, belts, and socks. The team, however, has two home jerseys for games, the difference is just the alternative is a red jersey having a navy-blue script “guardians “trimmed in white right on the front of the jersey, which also has navy blue piping on either side of the sleeves and the normal winged g on the right side of the sleeve. The cloth is still to be worn with a navy-blue undershirt, belt, and socks.

Away kit

The main away jersey for the team is gray with Cleveland in navy blue although the C is written in diamond fonts and the whole letters are written in red across the face of the jersey, the winged G is still on the right side of the sleeve, the cloth also has the same navy blue piping round the sleeves, the alternative is a navy blue jersey with red lettered Cleveland written across it with diamond font letter c as well as the G on the right side of the sleeve, with blue under shirts, socks, and belt.

Conclusion

The franchise also has a universal uniform although, this is more like an accessory than a full uniform, the navy-blue batting helmet. Whether for home or away games this is a constant, the club changed its name initially due to criticism of the franchise saying it perpetuates Native American Stereotypes, this causes the franchise to swap out both its logo and its name to Guardian.

FAQs

What were the guardians previously known as?

They were previously known as the Cleveland Indians.

Are the Cleveland guardians also known as Cleveland’s spiderman?

Yes, they are, they got the name back in the ’90s while the still bore the name Indians.