MLB pulls All-Star Game out of Atlanta
Decision made in response to Georgia’s voter-restriction laws
Major League Baseball is rarely a league to move quickly on the matter of civil rights, nor has it been on the forefront of handling hotbutton social issues.
But on the heels of Georgia’s newest laws intended to restrict voter access, MLB has decided to move the AllStar Game out of Atlanta, a decision that should cost the city millions of dollars. In the early-to-mid 2000s, an All-Star Game was generating an average of $70 million in revenue for the host city, according to CNBC.
Atlanta had been planning to host the festivities at Truist Park, newly built in 2017. MLB has not yet announced where the game will take place instead.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the decision on Friday afternoon.
“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views,” Manfred wrote. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.
“We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our AllStar Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly.”
The MLB Players Association was already planning to discuss the issue following Georgia’s new laws, which, among other ways to reduce voter access, outlawed the ability to give food or water to people waiting in long voting lines. The Globe reported last week that the head of the association, Tony Clark, was prepared to talk to Manfred about the issue.
It’s not unprecedented for a sports league to move its All-Star Game. The NBA moved its 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, N.C., after a bill that limited antidiscrimination protections.
MLB isn’t the first to have a problem with Georgia’s new laws. Iconic companies such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Porsche, MercedesBenz and Bank of America, among countless others, have already publicly denounced the laws.