Cleveland Indians: 3 names the club needs to avoid if a change happens
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Barons
The Cleveland Barons is as terrible of a name as anything. It just is. A baron is some rich putz that’s on the bottom of the proverbial totem pole of British nobility. He’s not even a King or Queen. He’s the second-cousin of your Aunt Frida’s best friend. He’s the guy no one wants to hang out with because he’s constantly talking about his weird pet tarantula.
As a sport’s nickname, it has roots in Cleveland, sure. The name started it’s life in the ’30s, as the nickname for AHL’s minor league team. That team lasted from1937 to 1973. After that, the name, like the team, got sucked into the ether. For their credit, the team did win nine Colder Cups (the AHL’s version of the Stanley Cup). Something their descendants, the Cleveland Monsters, have only done once (2016) since then.
After the lame name died a death, there was an attempt to bring it back, twice. When the California Golden Seals got relocated to Cleveland, they changed their name to the Barons. It became the name of the only NHL team to ever play in Cleveland. The team lasted two seasons, eventually merging with the now-Dallas Stars. During its life, the team did next to nothing and was largely forgotten to time. The awful branding was brought back again in 2001 after the San Jose Sharks moved their AHL affiliate to Cleveland. That team lasted five years and did absolutely nothing in its time in Cleveland.
The team name sounds lame to the ear. There’s nothing awesome, cool, or marketable about being the lowest form of royalty. That’s like getting to pick your favorite relative and you pick the step-daughter who’s constantly trying to push you down the stairs.