Betting On the Cleveland Indians New Name

In what some feel is a move that’s long overdue, the Cleveland Indians have announced they will be changing their name. That means no more Chief Wahoo running around the diamond riling up the fans at Progressive Field.

The Cleveland Indians new name won’t take effect until after the 2021 MLB season has been completed – at the earliest. Nevertheless, it’s certainly not too soon to start tossing around some ideas. Heck, even the top sportsbooks have installed odds for the Indians new name.

Some of these monikers are obvious choices; others are just downright silly. I mean, I love me some Major League, but honoring Ricky “Wild Thing Vaughn” and naming the franchise after Charlies Sheen’s character seems like a bit of a stretch.

Lurking at +1200, honoring Nap Lajoie and going with the “Naps,” figures to come up in discussion.

The Tribe were officially called the Cleveland Naps from 1903-1914 before adopting the “Indians” as their mascot. Lajoie is not only one of the best Indians of all time; he also managed the Naps for five seasons during his playing career.

The Fellers would be a nod to Indians legend Bob Feller – arguably one of the best right-handed pitchers of all-time.

With that being said, this is an opportunity for Paul Dolan to give his franchise a clean slate. I’m going to fade the Naps and fade the Fellers and target some other choices.

Terry Francona won a couple of World Series in Boston with the Red Sox. Perhaps his next title comes in Cleveland as the skipper of the Blue Sox. It’s got a funny ring at first, but the more you say it, the easier it rolls off your tongue.

The one hang-up I see with the Blue Sox as the Indians new name is the simple fact that Cleveland plays in the AL Central with the Chicago White Sox. Too many “Sox” in one division might lead to some confusion. It’s probably best avoided.  

The “Spiders” are the favorite to become the new name for the Cleveland Indians, according to the safest betting sites. With a logo this cool, I’m already on board.

Find a better logo than the #ClevelandSpiders logo from the 1800’s. You can’t. pic.twitter.com/D8x9YWxpls

— Jay Barbuto ? (@JayBarbuto) December 14, 2020

The Cleveland Spiders existed from 1887-1899, although the name loses its lust when you realize its origin. Cleveland’s baseball team was called the Spiders back then due to many slender players donning what were black-and-gray uniforms.

Interestingly enough, no organizations in the major professional sports in America have adopted this nickname. Currently, the Richmond Spiders “crawl” alone.

No, this has nothing to do with honoring former relief pitcher John Rocker, a member of the Indians in 2001. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located in downtown Ohio just a stone’s throw away from where Cleveland plays its games.

The museum is not only one of the epicenters in the city – it’s a national landmark that’s synonymous with Cleveland.

It’s a cool name, it makes a ton of sense, and there are all sorts of stylish logos and graphics that could be emblazoned on the front of the jersey.

Cuyahogas and Burning River pay homage to the city of Cleveland. At the same time, neither sound very appealing to the casual fan who’s not in tune with what has transpired in Ohio.

As someone who has no ties to the city, my favorite option is the Rockers. It’s been nearly 18 years since the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA were in existence; let’s bring the name back!

For those planning on betting on the Cleveland Indians new name, latching onto the Rockers at the handsome price of +2000 isn’t a bad idea. It’s a heck of a lot smarter than backing “Wild Things” at +1200, that much I can assure you.