1915 - When Cleveland Naps became the Indians

Just the other day, when someone heard that I attend the demonstrations against the Cleveland Indians, I was told - yet again - that the Cleveland Indians were named in honor of "Chief Sockalexis" by some fan in a contest, I literally called bullshit. He did a Google search in front of me (literally googling "Cleveland Indians named after Sockalexis") and then showed me the number of sites that backed him up.  This one from Wikipedia was what he zoomed in on:

It says: When the Cleveland Naps changed their name to the Indians in 1915, the franchise did so to honor Sockalexis. The Indians' official media guide says that the owners solicited sportswriters to ask fans for their favorite nickname, and the name Indians was chosen by a young girl who wrote to one of the sportswriters whose column requested suggestions. She specifically mentioned Sockalexis and his heritage. A brief story in the February 28, 1915, issue of the Plain Dealer states that the Cleveland Indians would wear the depiction of an Indian head on the left sleeves of their uniforms to "keep the Indians reminded of what the Braves did last year."  Sockalexis had died two years earlier.

          The newspaper is sourced at: "Indians to Follow Example of Braves". Cleveland Plain Dealer. February 28, 1915. and click here to see the Wikipedia entry.

The Wikipedia page for the Cleveland Indians is a bit more loosey-goosey:  With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians. The name referenced the nickname "Indians" that was applied to the Cleveland Spiders baseball club during the time when Louis Sockalexis, a Native American, played in Cleveland (1897–99). 

First of all, I looked and looked and looked. I could not find one shred of evidence of any newspaper contest, fan entries, or the Feb 28, 1915 "Indians to Follow Example of Braves" article, or anything else that stated, in any way, that a fan named the team or that it had anything, at all, to do with a Native American person, tribe or former Cleveland player. And only a few references that year to Sockalexis in the thousands of newspapers I search. I found a few, which I will post in a bit. 

Now, I DID find a reference to that quote: "Indians to Follow Example of Braves." This here has a twinge of truth to it. Here's the article: 

                                                      Indians Follow Suit

Following the example of the Boston Braves, the management of the Cleveland Indians intends to have an Indian head on the left sleeve of each of the suits of the Cleveland American League Club players. In this way, the officials hope to keep the Indians reminded of what the Braves did last year, jumping last place to first. Source: 1915, April 4  Star Tribune

1915, April 4  Star Tribune 

So let's examine what is on the Cleveland Indian page, and what was really said: 

[Title of article:] "Indians to Follow Example of Braves."  ---  

Following the example of the Boston Braves,

[... the Cleveland Indians would wear the depiction of an Indian head on the left sleeves of their uniforms to...]

the management of the Cleveland Indians intends to have an Indian head on the left sleeve of each of the suits of the Cleveland American League Club players. In this way, the officials hope to... 

 "keep the Indians reminded of what the Braves did last year."  Sockalexis had died two years earlier.

 keep the Indians reminded of what the Braves did last year, jumping last place to first.

 See it? See what they did there? So what is on the Wikipedia page, and every time this story is repeated, it is a lie. The February article is a hoax, and they based it on the real article from April 4, 1915. 

Plus, there's this: 

1915, March 8. The Boston Daily Globe. 

So there's that. This is not true. Next.

As I said before, I could find no mention of a contest or fan input. There were a LOT of articles that pretty much looked like this: 

1915, Jan 17   Pittsburgh Daily Post 

Nearly every article says it was decided by "a committee of local sporting writers." 

1915, Jan 22   Reno Gazette Journal 

1915, Jan 23.  The Public Ledger, Ky 

Q) Why was the name chosen?

A) This article says: "THE NEW NAME WAS SELECTED IN RECOGNITION OF THE "FIGHTING" SPIRIT OF THE TEAM."

1915, Jan 16. The Topeka Daily Capital 

Q) What were some of the suggestions, other than Indians?
A) Colts, Black Sox, Bucks, Hustlers, and Grays.

Q) So what did the fans think of the name?
A) "But you'll notice that the fans and scribes outside of Cleveland are calling 'em Naps, because "Indians" doesn't strike one as appropriate in any way." - Source: 1915, Feb 5. Chicago Tribune 

1915, Feb 5. Chicago Tribune 

Do you think they wondered what the actual American Indians might think about this?
A) "The fact that the Cleveland Naps are to be called Indians may result in another redskin uprising. Surely, it proves that the aborigines have to stand for almost anything."  [ Oh! Is this an early cultural appropriation remark?} - Source: 1915, Jan 21. The Pittsburgh Press. 

1915, Jan 21. The Pittsburgh Press. 

Now why would sportswriters - who make money from selling newspapers - and who usually write attention-grabbing headlines, want to name a team after Native Americans?

Oh... Okay. For the headlines, cliches, and colorful terminology. And here I thought all sports teams were chosen out of tributes and honor. You mean, it was to actually make money and sell newspapers??

Well, at least no one didn't make those horrid comments about how the only good Indian is a dead Indian, because that's just awful.

Oh, wait...

1915, Jan 28.  The Evening Review. 

1915, Jan 29. The Record Argus

For those who can't read this, it says:

No longer is the Cleveland team

by fandom called the Naps --

(They also called it other things)

For it got many raps.

But now it is the Indians

And let it not be said

That only is an Indian good

When he is good and dead. 

- Source: 1915, Jan 29. The Record Argus

And this? What is this? 

1915, Jan 20   The Wichita Daily Eagle 

1915, Jan 18  Greensboro Daily News 

Next: So where's Sockalexis?