Cleveland Indians Tickets

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians, a professional baseball team, are based in Cleveland, OH and are in the MLB’s American League Central Division. They have played in Progressive Field, formerly Jacobs Field, since 1994. Their name comes from a request by the club owner to come up with a new name after the 1914 season. In 1915, their name changed from the “Naps” to the “Indians;” some think the team honored Louis Sockalexis (who played in the city from 1897-99) with the name, but that’s untrue. The media chose the name as a play on the Boston Braves’ name (then the “Miracle Braves” and now Atlanta Braves). Supporters said the NL’s Cleveland Spiders were sometimes informally called “the Indians” during Sockalexis’ career, which reinforced the idea. Their nicknames are “the Tribe” and “the Wahoos,” which refers to their mascot, Chief Wahoo, who appears in their logos.

The team changed hands quite a bit: in 1966, they were sold to Vernon Stouffer of Stouffer Foods, who rejected offers from George Steinbrenner, who went on to buy the New York Yankees, and former Indian Al Rosen and sold the team to Nick Mileti in 1972, who then sold the team 5 years later to trucking magnate Steve O’Neill; O’Neill’s death in 1983 meant the team was going on the market again, but his son, Patrick O’Neill, didn’t find buyers until Richard and David Jacobs came along in 1986. After a winning season in 1986, Sports Illustrated, with Joe Carter and Cory Snyder on the cover, predicted the team would win the AL East in 1987; the team lost 101 games, finishing last in the AL East. This was credited to Sports Illustrated and their cover jinx.