OFF THE WALL

We just couldn’t let this stuff go …

Indians about to play final home game with name

There’s no more debate or decisions forthcoming. There’s still some anger and disbelief, but also the excitement that comes along with change.

The Cleveland Indians are about to become history, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press.

On Monday, one of the American League’s charter members will play its final home game of 2021, and also its last at Progressive Field as the Indians, the team’s name since 1915, when “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was the starting right fielder on opening day.

Much more than the makeup of a rainout against the Kansas City Royals, the home finale will signify the end of one era and beginning of a new chapter for the team, which will be called the Cleveland Guardians next season.

That’s going to take some time getting used to. The Indians are all Clevelanders have ever known.

“I’m not a betting man,“longtime radio play-by-play broadcaster Tom Hamilton said, pondering what’s ahead. “But I have to guess the over-under on how many times we’ll say Indians is one million.”

After the Oct. 3 season finale in Texas and with no postseason for a team that hasn’t won the World Series since 1948, there will be a transition period before Indians — a name deemed racist by some — is dropped and Guardians appears on new uniforms with logos that were unveiled in July.

At some point, Guardians merchandise will go on sale and the massive script “Indians” logo crowning the ballpark’s massive left-field scoreboard will be taken down, a moment many Clevelanders could have never imagined possible.

While the end of Indians has been known for a while, it still seemed to sneak up on fans.

“It kind of hit us when we came in,” Kathy Wainwright of Elyria, Ohio, said as she and her husband, Mark, grabbed a bite to eat and a couple pregame beers before the Indians hosted the Royals.

Before entering the ballpark, the couple took the home plate entrance where a lighted “Indians” sign welcomes fans.

“I knew it was the last time I’d get to see it that way,” Mark said.

Trivia question

On this date in 1979, Atlanta’s Phil Niekro won his 20th game of the season, beating his brother, Joe Niekro of Houston, the National League’s only other 20-game winner that season. Phil finished 21-20 that season.

Prior to Niekro, who was the last pitcher to both win 20 decisions and lose 20 in the same year? They said it

• From Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times: “The Padres’ late-season freefall reached its tipping point when teammates Manny Michado and Fernando Tatis got into a shouting match in the San Diego dugout. What, did somebody forget to book their October golfing dates?”

• From retiring U.S. soccer star Carli Lloyd, 39, on the GOAL podcast, on why she won’t be playing at age 44 like QB Tom Brady: “Well, Tom Brady doesn’t have to have kids.”

Trivia answer

Fellow knuckleballer Wilbur Wood was 24-20 in 1973. Before that, you have to go back to Walter Johnson in 1916. He was 25-20 that season for the Washington Senators.