Cleveland’s baseball team got its name in 1915. It was the franchise’s fifth nickname in 15 years, and the new name was not news to lead the front page, or even to lead the first page of the sports section. The Cleveland Plain Dealer gave it just a few short paragraphs in the middle of the paper:
… a new name had to be selected for the Cleveland American League club. President Somers invited the Cleveland baseball writers to make the selection. The title of Indians was their choice, it having been one of the names applied to the old National League club of Cleveland many years ago.