Alvinston minor ball doing what the pros won’t by changing Indians team name

Alvinston Minor Baseball is doing what the major league teams won’t.

The association getting rid of the team name – The Indians.

President Andy Triest says the association has been considering the change for a number of years because the minor ball teams have faced criticism for the name

But when an indigenous person went to court to try to stop Cleveland from wearing their logo and using the name The Indians during the Toronto Blue Jays playoff run, Triest says it struck a cord with him and the other members of the association – so they are  making the change now..

“We can’t keep going like this; the pros aren’t changing, maybe we will. We’re going to start it…(and) try to be leaders in this,” Triest tells The Independent.

A new name hasn’t been chosen yet and the changeover will cost money. Triest says about $29,000 will be needed for new team uniforms. The association has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise the cash.

Since the fund was launched two days ago, over 20,000 people have viewed Alvinston Minor Baseball’s video about why they’re getting rid of the Indians name and logo. Triest says the response has been positive, even though the Indians name has been used for decades.

“We have to be able to respect each other, respect our opponents and every community we visit; that’s more important to me than the word Indians.”

For more on this story, pick up the Nov. 3 edition of The Independent.

To see the campaign click here https://www.gofundme.com/renameourindians