Major League Baseball announced Friday it is pulling this summer’s All-Star game from Georgia in response to the state’s controversial new voting law.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred held a press conference to deliver the news.
“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating (the event),” Manfred said. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”
The high-profile sporting event was scheduled for July 13 at Truist Park.
The push to move the All-Star game gathered momentum after several major corporations condemned Georgia’s new voting law. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the voting bill into law last week. On Friday, he blasted MLB’s decision.
“Major League Baseball caved to fear, political opportunism and liberal lies,” Kemp said in a statement. “Georgians – and all Americans – should fully understand what the MLB’s knee-jerk decision means: cancel culture and woke political activists are coming for every aspect of your life, sports included.”
MLB named Georgia the host city for this year’s All-Star game two years ago. The Braves said Friday they were “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“This was neither our decision nor our recommendation, and we are saddened that fans will not be able to see this event in our city,” the Braves said in a statement. “The Braves organization will continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities, and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion. … Unfortunately, businesses, employees and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision.”
Voting rights activist and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said she was “disappointed” by the decision to move the game from Atlanta but proud of MLB’s stance on voting rights.
State Republicans, she said, “prioritized making it harder for people of color to vote over the economic well-being of all Georgians.” She urged events and productions to “come and speak out or stay and fight” through her #StopJimCrow2 campaign through Fair Fight Action.
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston issued a statement blaming Abrams for Major League Baseball’s decision.
“Stacey Abrams’ leftist lies have stolen the All-Star Game from Georgia,” Ralston said. “This decision is not only economically harmful, it also robs Georgians of a special celebration of our national pastime free of politics.”
Critics of Georgia’s new voting law counter Ralston and fellow Republicans predicated the law on lies of widespread voter fraud told by former President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump’s team never proved widespread fraud in court. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called last year’s presidential election one of the most secure in state history.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan also refuted allegations of voter fraud.
“It’s been difficult to watch folks willing to put their character and their morals out there just so they can spread a half-truth or a lie in an effort to maybe flip an election,” Duncan said at the time.
MLB is now “finalizing a new host city” for the game and will announce details “shortly,” according to Manfred. Wherever the game is played, it will include a tribute to the late Braves legend, Hank Aaron.
MLB’s amateur draft also was scheduled for July 11-13 in Atlanta. That, too, will be moved elsewhere, Manfred said.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this year would have been Georgia’s third time hosting the All-Star game after previously hosting it in 1972 and 2000.
