The Indians began removing the team’s logo from the giant slate Tuesday at Progressive Field as part of the transition to the new Guardians name.
A crew of workers undertook to dismantle the letters, beginning with the “I”.
It is another step in the identity change for the Major League Baseball club, which has been known as the Indians since 1915.
Removal of the letters should take several days. The sign will be kept in a warehouse while the club looks for a permanent place for it.
A new sign with the name “Guardians” will replace the old one and will be ready for the opening day of the 2022 season.
The American League franchise announced at the beginning of the year the name change in the face of national repudiation of the use of racist names and symbols.
The team has already removed the other posters inside and outside the stadium located in downtown Cleveland. The official name change will take effect in a few weeks when the Guardians’ apparel goes on sale.
The change hit a snag last week when a roller derby team, calling itself Cleveland Guardians since 2013, sued the baseball club in federal court in Cleveland.
The lawsuit claims that the name change of the baseball team from Indios to Guardianes infringes on the trademark for the ensemble of roller derby, a sport that combines wrestling with roller skating racing.
In a statement, the Indians said they do not see a conflict between the parties and that they will be able to go ahead with the name change. (AP)