MUNI WATCH PART 3
By Phil Hecken, with James Lansdowne and William Weible
Good morning Uni Watch nation. Hope everyone is doing well and that you had a good week.
You fine readers may recall a few months back, we took an in-depth look at a proposed new identity for Cleveland’s baseball team, to be called the Cleveland Municipals (click here), which was followed shortly with a second post (click here) which addressed the development of the name “Municipals,” and discussed some of the other options which have been bandied about (Spiders, Guardians, Rockers, etc.).
That is just part of a project created by Will Weible and Jamie Lansdowne, who have continued to work on their project in the hopes the Cleveland baseball team will adopt their preferred moniker, “Municipals,” when the team finally announces a new identity sometime in the future. Will and Jamie are back again today, for Part III of this series, where they discuss possible mascot options for the Municipals.
Genetti: 'Municipals' is best name for Cleveland moving forward
“They’ve done all the work. They’re handing the top brass a golden opportunity — an opportunity that I believe can easily be implemented by the start of next season.”
Passion Project: Renaming Cleveland’s Baseball Team
By Sarah Jaquay
Originally published in Currents May 20, 2021
“The team is aware of our efforts but they’re playing it [the process of renaming the Cleveland Indians] close to the chest,” notes Will Weible, a writer and editor. Weible is referring to his and long-time friend, Jamie Lansd- owne’s, efforts to call the city’s Major League baseball team the Cleveland Municipals. Lansdowne and Weible make a compelling argument for why the Municipals (Munis for short) is an original, evocative name that can unite fans and represent a significant part of the city’s sports and cultural heritage. Lansdowne is a film and commercial editor, so this duo has quite a bit of professional experience to draw upon.
“We support the organization’s decision to change the name,” says Weible. The current name is divisive.” Lansdowne and Weible hope the organization selects a name that will be inclusive and believe “municipal” embraces all of Cleveland’s baseball fans. It also harkens back to the old Municipal Stadium, that behemoth on the Lakefront that for many decades was the country’s largest professional baseball venue. Lansdowne and Weible have developed a website where visitors can see all the reasons the Cleveland Municipals is an appropriate name for our team. Even if you don’t remember (or have good memories) of Municipal Stadium’s sketchy plumbing, uncomfortable seats or its cavernous, empty feel when few fans turned out, Weible contends, “even the bad stuff about the old stadium is part of a legacy.” He believes the tough times make Northeast Ohioans singularly dedicated. In addition to the good times, we’ve endured a lot that has only deepened our loyalty in ways other cities’ fans can’t relate to or fathom.
And what a legacy it was. Since Municipal Stadium opened in the 1930s, the Cleveland Browns had numerous winning seasons in it; five World Series were played there, including our last victory in 1948. It holds the top three All-Star Game attendance records and plays a huge role in Cleveland’s rock & roll history. The Beatles played Municipal Stadium in 1966 and it hosted the World Series of Rock from 1974 to 1980, attracting as many as 88,000 fans at one time. The term “muni” has other local references such as Muni parking lot, home of Browns’ legendary tailgating parties; and Muny Light, which refers to the city’s power company, n.k.a. Cleve- land Public Power.
Whatever the new name is, loyal fans will support it; but as Lansdowne wryly notes, “It should come from the fans, not a marketing consultant from California.”
When asked if people beyond Northeast Ohio will think the Cleveland Munis might refer to a type of security known as municipal bonds, Weible quipped “That’s [Muni bonds] what we can call season ticket holders.” Lansdowne adds, “Look, whatever we choose, we [Cleveland] will get clowned for it.” They don’t think we should choose a name to accommodate national opinion and should focus on what’s true to our region. Plus, they’re more interested in making sure local fans understand what a versatile, durable and original name it could be for the 21st century. Lansdowne and Weible believe it would be the first use of the Municipals for a sports team and point out that once the full name of New York City’s other baseball team was the Metropolitans (n.k.a. The Mets.)
Lansdowne and Weible have even designed a Munici- pals logo: a red C (the shape of old Municipal Stadium) with a white M in the middle. This is reminiscent of the Cleveland Buckeyes’ logo. That team won the 1945 Ne- gro League World Series played in part at the old stadium.
This is a passion project for them with a groundswell of support from other baseball buffs. Hopefully, the Indians organization will take note.
MUNI WATCH PART 2
By Phil Hecken, with James Lansdowne and William Weible
Good morning Uni Watch nation. Hope everyone is doing well and that you had a good week.Last weekend, we took an in-depth look at a proposed new identity for Cleveland’s baseball team, to be called the Cleveland Municipals (if you missed that, I’d recommend reading it before proceeding to today’s follow up). That is just part of a project created by Will Weible and Jamie Lansdowne, and as we conclude today, Will and Jamie will take us through the development of the name “Municipals,” and discuss some of the other options which have been bantered about (Spiders, Guardians, Rockers, etc.). Without further ado, please welcome back the boys as they discuss the Cleveland Municipals
MUNI WATCH PART 1
By Phil Hecken, with James Lansdowne and William Weible
Good morning Uni Watchers — hope everyone is staying safe and well, and that those of you who are eligible to get your COVID vaccination have done so.
I’ve got a really special lede for you guys today: A little less than a week ago, Mike Joseph (whose work has appeared on Uni Watch and who actually created the uniform template used below) introduced me to two gentlemen who have created a new visual identity and name for the Cleveland Indians: Cleveland Municipals co-founders Will Weible and Jamie Lansdowne will weigh the options and explain how the Cleveland Indians can “get it right.” It’s part one of two, and today will focus on Jamie and Will’s uniform vision for a redesign of the Cleveland baseball club, who have announced they will be jettisoning the name “Indians” (now expected in time for the 2023 season), and have yet to settle upon a new moniker. It’s quite an in-depth project, so let’s get to it straight away. Enjoy!
