Quote:
Originally Posted by frankbmd
The Cleveland Eeries (not a typo)
An Eerie closer would scare the visitors to death.
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It gets even better than that Frank. The historically prominent Terminal Tower building and complex was completed in 1927, and at that time was the 2nd tallest building in the world. The old, longstanding joke has been: Cleveland.....the only city in the world with a tower that is terminal, overlooking a lake that is (e)erie.
And of course, don't forget one of our unofficial city anthems, Randy Newman's iconic "Burn on Big River" song.
The supposed honoring of Louis Sockalexis, the first ever native American MLB player in history, is likely more myth than pure fact. Though his name was mentioned by the still surviving till today, Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper as a source for the new "Indians" name starting in 1915, the truth is Sockalexis was a drunken alcoholic. He ended up appearing for the then Cleveland Spiders in only 94 games over a three-season period from 1897-1899, after which the Spiders permanently disbanded. If anything, because of his well-known issues with alcoholism and poor MLB level of performance, choosing him as the primary source of the name for the Indians doesn't really make sense. Especially when his life and actions appear to support some of the more negative connotations supposedly associated with native Americans back in the day.
Instead, the true thinking behind the Indians name is thought to be derived from the fact that Cleveland/Northeastern Ohio was at one time the home of Iroquoian speaking tribes, like the Wyandotte and Mingo. The Cuyahoga River runs through the heart of the City of Cleveland, which is also located in Cuyahoga County. The word "cuyahoga" is derived from native American languages and generally means "crooked river". In fact, the state name "Ohio" is actually based on an Iroquoian word from the Seneca tribe used to name/describe the Ohio River. The native American meaning is "it is beautiful". So, it is also felt that that native American past and history was then coupled with the then very recent historical success of the Boston Braves who won the 1914 World Series. And since Boston already had dibs on the Braves name, Cleveland then grabbed the Indians as their new moniker, which was considered acceptable at the time.
And by historical, I refer to the fact that the "Miracle" Braves were in last place in the National League on July 4, 1914 yet ended up winning the NL pennant by 10-1/2 games. They then went on to become the first ever team to win a World Series in a four-game sweep, beating the Philadelphia A's. And this was all done with a team and roster that included only one single future HOFer on it. A 33-year-old Johnny Evers, who's stats were average or pedestrian, at best, in 1914. Cleveland may have been looking/hoping for some of that Braves good fortune to rub off on them by picking the somewhat related Indians name as the new team moniker, while also recognizing the city's/area's native American roots.
Meanwhile, the new "Guardians" name is supposedly in tribute to the carved figures on the four pylons helping to support the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge as it crosses over the Cuyahoga River, right outside and next to where the team currently plays in Progressive Field. The bridge was completed in 1932 and the "Guardians of the Traffic" carvings have a decidedly art-deco look to them (think Diamond Stars cards). The bridge was officially renamed the "Hope Memorial Bridge" then in 1983, but is still considered the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge by many older locals. There are varying versions as to who, or what, the bridge was actually renamed for. Some media have claimed it was renamed in honor of William Henry "Harry" Hope, a local stonemason who took part in building the bridge, or his son, the famous comedian Bob Hope, the Hope family as a whole, or for all the people who built the bridge with Harry Hope as the designated representative of them. And there is a big Cleveland Indians connection as well. Bob Hope, though born in England, grew up in Cleveland and was a Naps/Indians fan, and who's favorite player growing up was Tris Speaker. He actually became a minority owner of the Indians when Bill Veeck took control off the team, and kept a minority ownership in the Tribe for over 40 years. He even made the cover of Sports Illustrated back in June of 1963, dressed in an Indians uniform.
So there may be a little more to the Guardians name than some thought.