Russell A. Carleton

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

45/ Again from from the Plain Dealer on May 9th, 1901 There's a callback to "Tebeau's Indians" because the players argued with the umpire.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

43/ In 1900, the Grand Rapids Rustlers moved and became the Cleveland Lake Shores, filling the vacuum left by the Spiders. This is the franchise that still operates as the Guardians. Something worth noting happens in their game reports: Callbacks to the Indians... of 1895. (PD, 5/13/1900)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

41/ In the 1899 sham trades that broke the Spiders, Patsy Tebeau was one of the players sent to St. Louis and he also assumed managerial duties there. Suddenly, St. Louis was the "Indians." (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 3/26/1900)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

39/ Within a year, Sockalexis's name was being used as a by-word for a cautionary tale. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/30/1900).

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

37/ The 1899 Spiders were a historically bad 20-134 for the season. Sockalexis appeared in seven games for the team that year and was released. By May, he was playing for a team in Hartford, CT. Neither the Spiders nor Sockalexis appeared in MLB again.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

35/ As this became the most notable storyline of the team and Sockalexis faded from view, the Cleveland papers began calling them the Wanderers, because they wandered from town to town.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

33/ After the 1898 season, he was arrested, charged with, and fined on charges of public intoxication. (Cleveland Leader, 9/10/1898)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

31/ Prior to the 1898 season, Sockalexis was reported to have missed the train taking the team to Hot Springs, Arkansas for Spring Training, on account of being intoxicated. (Niles Daily Star, 3/9/1898)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

29/ Sockalexis played in 66 of Cleveland's 132 games in 1897. In 1898, his performance suffered and he lost his starting job and appeared in only 22 games.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

27/ He did return in 1897, but there were reports that he was becoming a problem. Sporing Life, July 31, 1897: "Too much popularity bas ruined Sockalexis, from all accounts. It is no longer a secret that the Cleveland management can no longer control Sockalexis."

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

25/ Sockalexis was a genuine phenomenon among fans, both in Cleveland and in other cities in the National League. He was seen as a new star. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, 6/14/1897)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

23/ Sockalexis, interviewed in June 1897, recounted a story in Brooklyn where fans came to shout racist abuse even after the game had been canceled, meaning they likely stood in the rain to do so.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

21/ By now, "Indians" was being used exclusively for the team and most of what was written about Sockalexis featured some awful stereotypes. And this was all before he did anything of note on the baseball field.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

19/ On April 9th, the Plain Dealer printed a fan's poem about the upcoming season that contained this stanza about Sockalexis.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

17/ On April 3rd, Tebeau organized a pre-season intra-squad game between the "Indians" and the "Papooses." It was Sockalexis's first appearance in a game in Cleveland. The article says the origin of "Indians" was disputed among Tebeau, franchise owner Robison, and some writers. (PD, 4/3/1897)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

15/ On March 15th, the Plain Dealer re-printed this. The casual racism it indulges in is cringy to read now, but this sort of thing was routinely printed in major papers and no one thought it strange.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

13/ The newspapers at the time regularly referred to Tebeau's teams as "Warriors" and "Howlers" but also according to the ethnic prejudices of the time as "Hibernians" and "Indians." It was meant to point out how rowdy and uncivilized the players were. (Tennesseean, 10/3/1895).

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

11/ It wasn't a compliment. Tebeau was widely known as a dirty player and manager. He got into fights with other players, umpires, and even fans. And his teams often reflected their manager.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

9/ The 1897 Spiders also included Charles "Chief" Zimmer, a man who had no Native ancestry, but had gotten his nickname from being the player/manager (thus, chief) of a team in Poughkeepsie in 1886 that was called "Indians." They were called this because they had several fast runners.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

7/ On March 14th, we see the first reference after Sockalexis's signing to "Indians." Notably, the article says that Sockalexis wasn't in Cleveland yet, much less doing anything honorable for the team. The article introduces us to the real source of the name: Manager Patsy Tebeau. (Plain Dealer)

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

5/ Sockalexis eventually enrolled at Holy Cross College, and was enshrined as a charter member of the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.

3/ The first mention we see of Sockalexis is in 1889 in the Lewiston (Maine) Sun-Journal (7/29/1889).

1/ Time for an update on this thread. If you've come across people who claim that Cleveland's MLB team was formerly called "Indians" as an honor to Louis Sockalexis, the record shows that this is a polite fiction made up after the fact. Let's look at the contemporary historical evidence.