Atlanta Braves not considering name change after Cleveland, Washington begin discussions
The Cleveland Indians may be considering changing their name, but the Atlanta Braves — at least for now — are content with staying put.
The Indians announced on Friday night that the team was already having internal discussions about a possible name change — which came just hours after Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder announced they were conducting a review of the team’s name following severe backlash over the use of what is widely considered to be a racial slur.
The Braves, though, gave no indication that they were considering making a similar change, according to the Associated Press.
“[The organization] honors, supports and values the Native American community,” the Braves said in a statement, via the Associated Press. “That will never change.”
The Braves admitted that they have “much work to do on and off the field.” They did say that they were working to create “an even stronger bond with various Native American tribes” both in the Atlanta area and across the country.
“We have also held meetings with our Native American Working Group which will collaborate with us on cultural issues, education and community outreach to amplify their voices and show our fans that they are still proudly here,” the team said, via the Associated Press.
“The Atlanta Braves have a meaningful commitment to honor the Native American community and we are excited about working together to ensure this happens.”
The Indians have used that name since 1915, though has had several other names throughout the organization’s history — including the Broncos, Bluebirds and Naps. Cleveland also had a National League team called the Spiders from 1889-99.
The organization did stop using the Chief Wahoo logo in 2019, too.
It’s unclear if or when a name change in Cleveland would be implemented, however the organization seems extremely open to the idea.
“The recent social unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organization on issues of social justice,” the team said in a statement. “With that in mind, we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.
“While the focus of the baseball world shifts to the excitement of an unprecedented 2020 season, we recognize our unique place in the community and are committed to listening, learning and acting in the manner that can best unite and inspire our city and all those who support our team.”
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