CLEVELAND — On Friday, the Cleveland Indians made headlines when the franchise announced it was having discussions that could ultimately result in the team changing its name.
And while the first round of betting odds favored the Indians becoming the "Naps," an updated betting board now lists the "Spiders" as a +300 favorite and includes several other new options you can wager on becoming the new name of Cleveland's baseball team.
The full list of odds, provided by BetOnline.ag, includes the following:
- Spiders +300
- Naps +400
- Guardians +500
- Buckeyes +600
- Dobys +700
- Wild Things +800
- Blue Sox +900
- Rocks +1000
- Cuyahogas +1500
- Crows +2000
- Rockers +2000
- Unions +2500
- Fellers +3300
- Great Lakers +4000
Of the options listed, the Spiders, Naps and Buckeyes would each qualify as nods to Cleveland baseball history.
Prior to being renamed to the Indians in 1915, the franchise was called the Naps from 1903-1914 in honor of star second baseman and future Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Spiders played in the National League from 1889-1899 before being contracted and the Buckeyes served as the city's Negro League team from 1943-1948.
Betting odds aside, the Indians haven't given any indication as to what direction they will go in if -- or when -- they ultimately change their name. On Monday, the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition released a series of statements endorsing the Indians changing their name, a move that has also received public support from team manager Terry Francona.
"I think it's time to move forward," Francona said. "Even at my age, you don't want to be too old to learn or realize that maybe I've been ignorant of some things and to be ashamed of it and to try to be better."