In 1897, a new player made his debut for the Cleveland Spiders of the National League.
Louis Sockalexis, a member of Penobscot Nation, so entranced Cleveland fans and sports writers that his team was colloquially referred to as “the Indians.” Sockalexis’ time in baseball was brief (just 94 games, as he was undone by alcoholism) and the Spiders were blinked out of existence.
He returned to his native Maine and died on Christmas Eve, 1913, according to The Plain Dealer. By then, Cleveland was home to a 1903-formed American League team, known as the Naps in honor of player-manager Napoleon Lajoie.
But Lajoie was traded after the 1914 season, and a new name was needed. On January 16, 1915, the new name, Indians, was announced following a summit between team officials and representatives of the city’s four daily newspapers.
The name “also serves to revive the memory of a single great player who has been gathered to his fathers in the happy hunting grounds,” The Plain Dealer wrote, referring to Sockalexis, the day after.
In recent years, team media guides have even mentioned the importance of Sockalexis. While there were other factors — the most recent World Series winners were the Boston Braves — Sockalexis’ influence and recent death likely played a part. The Chief Wahoo logo came years later and isn’t believed to be connected to him.
“Without Sockalexis, it’s unlikely the team would be called the Cleveland Indians,” says Morris Eckhouse, a Cleveland baseball historian and author.
Status: Undecided
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CLE Myths: Cleveland Indians Name Origins
Is the Tribe's name based on a former Cleveland Spiders player?
