Odds on Cleveland Indians' New Team Name Favor Spiders at +250

The New York Times reports that the Cleveland Indians will change their team name to Spiders. The team's nickname has been controversial for years. It was changed in July after protests from Native American groups.  Odds on the new team nickname favor Spider at +250.

The new team name is likely to be "Cleveland Indians" and the current favorite is "Spiders". The name "Indians" was the nickname for the baseball franchise in Cleveland from 1887 to 1899. The team recorded the worst record for a single season in MLB history, going 20–134 in 1899, so the name has some bad memories. Other names with good memories include "Wild Things" (from the 1989 baseball cult-classic movie "Major League") and "Guardians".

The name "Crows" is an interesting name, but it's not a good choice for a new team name. "Naps" comes from former Cleveland player Nap Lajoie, who was a player-manager when the franchise was known as the "The Naps".

Odds on Cleveland Indians' New Team Name Favor Spiders at +250. The Final Five are Rockers +1200, Buckeyes +1300, Dobys +1500, Cuyahogas +2000, and Rocker +2500.

The name of the team that is being named after a famous Cleveland native is either "Guardians" or "Wild Things". The team is looking for a name that has a connection with the city and is easy to market and sell.