Major League Baseball announced Friday afternoon that it was rolling out the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft out of Atlanta that recently passed voting laws by the Georgia Legislature and Gov. It is signed by Brian Kemp.
A new location has not been announced yet. Senate Bill 202 – Which you can read here in its entirety – has been widely criticized by voting rights advocates.
a New York Times piece , Summarizing the bill, calling it a vigorous display of partisan power in “…” elections, making sanctions and complications in view of tough absentee voting and narrow losses to Democrats. The New York Times has examined and interpreted the law, identifying 16 provisions that impede the right of state and local election officials to vote for certain Georgian or strip power and pass it on to legislators. “
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This line from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, in his statement, echoed Bill’s interpretation: “Major League Baseball basically supports the right to vote for all Americans and opposes the ballot box ban.”
Nevertheless, this is a somewhat surprising move for MLB, shifting the All-Star Game location based on legislation passed by politicians, although this is not unprecedented in sports in this country.
In response to House Bill 2, the NBA dropped its All-Star Game out of Charlotte in 2017, which was passed by North Carolina politicians and limited anti-discrimination measures in the state. Due to pressure brought by groups such as the NBA, the league hosted its All-Star Game in Charlotte in 2019. Shaping the 2020 Georgia Senate Election, the result of which has been seen as an inspiration for legislation prompting MLB’s recent action.
The NBA and the WNBA have long been more progressive, active leagues on social issues. This action for MLB, the day after Opening Day and just three and a half months before the All-Star Game, is a major step forward for the league.
Is here Full statement from manfred :
“Since last week, we have engaged in discussions with clubs, past and present players, players association and other players to hear their views. I have decided that the best way to showcase our values as a sport is to move this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.
“Major League Baseball basically supports the right to vote for all Americans and opposes the ballot box ban. In 2020, the MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help create a future in which everyone participates in shaping America. We used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities across our country to fulfill their civic duty and to participate actively in the voting process. Proper access to voting is unwavering support of our game.
“We will continue our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star celebration. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy projects will go forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced soon. “
The events of the All-Star Game were already a little different this year, wherever it is held. In addition to the Futures Game (July 11), the Home Run Derby (July 12) and the All-Star Game (July 13), MLB was hosting its draft for the first time in conjunction with the celebration.
The draft was held in mid-June for decades, but the change in date was designed to pay a little more attention to the annual schedule. The July draft also means that players will not be drafted during the College World Series.
The news of Georgia’s exit immediately sent shock waves through the sports world, and the reactions – applauding and condemning the move – would not stop anytime soon. Let’s see how MLB handles.
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