CLEVELAND — In the weeks prior to Opening Day, the topic of social justice has been a huge story around the Cleveland Indians.
While the team is considering the future of its nickname, Tribe players are making sure their stance on racism is well known. Prior to Friday's season opener against the Kansas City Royals, Indians players were seen wearing t-shirts that said "End Racism" in the front, with "It's Time" on the back.
In addition, there was a 'Black Lives Matter' message on the outfield scoreboard before the game.
In their preseason opener against Pittsburgh last week, Indians players stood with their right hands over their hearts and their left hands on the right shoulder of their teammates during the national anthem. Shortstop Francisco Lindor said the display was a sign of support for social justice. The team held a lengthy meeting about what to do and came up with a plan they believe helps the call attention to the situation without being disrespectful to the American flag.
Rather than donning their traditional white or red jerseys for Friday's opener, the Indians will be wearing their navy road alternate that reads "CLEVELAND" across the chest. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor said the team's decision to wear the navy road jerseys at home came after a team meeting that was held earlier this week to discuss a number of topics, including the team's name.
This comes as the Tribe is moving ahead with conversations about the future of its nickname. Owner Paul Dolan provided an update on the process on Thursday.
"Earlier this week, I had a candid and productive meeting with Terry [Francona] and our players, where they expressed their desire to help our organization in this process. Our players care about the organization and feel strongly about social justice and racial equality. I support their interest in using their platform to unite our city and our nation through their actions," he said.
Dolan went on to reveal that the organization plans to hold meetings with Native American leaders, among others, to discuss the matter.
Dolan's statement comes one week after the Washington Redskins of the NFL announced that they'd be retiring their name and logo. After the Indians initially announced that they would be holding discussions regarding a potential name change, Francona publically that he believed it was the right move and his son, Nick Francona, later wrote a column for GQ calling on the team to do more.
More Coverage: