Teams settle lawsuit over Cleveland Guardians name — they both will use it
The city of Cleveland will have two Guardians.
Cleveland's Major League Baseball franchise and roller derby team announced a resolution from the latter's lawsuit in a joint statement on Tuesday morning.
“The Cleveland Guardians Baseball Company, LLC and Guardians Roller Derby are pleased to announce an amicable resolution of the lawsuit filed by Guardians Roller Derby, whereby both organizations will continue to use the Guardians name," the statement read.
Neither side has made any further comment beyond the joint statement.
The Guardians roller derby team was alleging in a lawsuit that the baseball franchise infringed on certain rights while going through the trademark and name-change processes.
The Guardians baseball club released a statement at that time, saying, "We have been and continue to be confident in our position to become the Guardians. We believe there is no conflict between the parties and their ability to operate in their respective business areas."
The official drop of Guardians merchandise has not yet taken place but is expected soon.
The renovations at Progressive Field to reflect the name change have already begun, starting with the taking down of the 80-foot, script "Indians" logo above the scoreboard.
The first regular season game as the Guardians is set for March 31, 2022 at Progressive Field when, barring any setbacks or new injuries, Shane Bieber will deliver the first pitch against the Kansas City Royals.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Indians at www.beaconjournal.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Teams reach deal so both can use Cleveland Guardians name
