MLB will move its All-Star Game out of Atlanta as backlash to Georgia voting law continues

Supporters of the Georgia law say the changes it makes to the state’s voting system are necessary to bolster confidence in elections. Opponents, including many high-profile activist groups, believe it will lead to longer lines, partisan control of elections and more difficult logistics for voters trying to cast their ballots by mail.

They believe the bill’s objective is making voting more difficult for people of color, something Democrats see as a direct response to the outcome of last November’s presidential and senatorial elections. Led by a large turnout of Black voters, who voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden, the state voted for a Democrat in a presidential race for the first time in nearly two decades and eventually elected two Democrats to the Senate, too.

Friday afternoon, MLB became the next significant entity to take a position.

“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. 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 Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” he added. “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.”

The move did not have universal support throughout the league, particularly in Atlanta where the Braves quickly issued a statement saying they “are deeply disappointed” in 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 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,” the statement read. “Our city has always been known as a uniter in divided times and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community. Unfortunately, businesses, employees, and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision.”

Georgia lawmakers and public figures channeled anger, disappointment and approval Friday in their responses to the announcement.

Freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said MLB needed to “stop listening to their corporate communist sponsors and remember the little guys who buy their tickets.”

“Keep the politics off the field and stop ruining everything!” she tweeted.

“In light of @MLB’s stance to undermine election integrity laws, I have instructed my staff to begin drafting legislation to remove Major League Baseball’s federal antitrust exception,” he wrote.

Former candidate for Georgia governor and voting rights champion Stacey Abrams also had mixed feelings about the move.

“Disappointed @MLB will move the All-Star Game, but proud of their stance on voting rights,” Abrams tweeted. “GA GOP traded economic opportunity for suppression.”

Abrams added that she urged events and productions to “come & speak out or stay & fight” on behalf of people of color who now stood to lose wages because of boycotts.

Newly elected Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) took a similar stance in a statement his office provided Thursday, opposing all such boycotts and suggests corporations stop supporting the Republican Party instead. Several Major League Baseball owners are regular contributors to Republican and Democratic candidates, as is Major League Baseball’s political action committee.

“I absolutely oppose and reject any notion of boycotting Georgia. Georgia welcomes business, investment, jobs, opportunity, and events. In fact, economic growth is driving much of the political progress we have seen here,” Ossoff said. “Georgia welcomes the world’s business. Corporations disgusted like we are with the disgraceful Voter Suppression bill should stop any financial support to Georgia’s Republican Party, which is abusing its power to make it harder for Americans to vote.”

MLB suspended all political donations after the Jan. 6 Capitol invasion, but the decision to move the All-Star Game still constitutes a surprise.

Relative to other professional sports leagues such as the NBA and WNBA, baseball has avoided placing itself at the center of politicized issues. Last year, the league deviated from that course with its decision to paint a tribute to Black Lives Matter on the back of its pitcher’s mounds in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd — a small, but noticeable statement from a largely white league that has struggled to build appeal and a sense of belonging for Black players in recent years.

“Proud to call myself part of the @mlb family today @morethanavote #BlackLivesMatter,” tweeted NBA star LeBron James, who was active and outspoken in support of voting rights ahead of the November election and officially joined the Red Sox ownership group this week.

Activist groups largely praised the decision. LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright, founders of the group Black Voters Matter, which utilized its vast grass-roots operation to get Black voters to the polls in November, expressed their support in a statement issued Friday afternoon.

“We are pleased to see Major League Baseball join Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and other members of the business community in standing up against Georgia’s unprecedented voter restrictions,” they wrote. “Thanks to the relentless advocacy of civil rights, election integrity, and racial justice activists, this decision from the sports community will send a powerful message to Georgia officials: what’s happening in Georgia is racist and un-American, and it’s time for the nation to take a stand.”

The league has not announced a replacement venue. The Los Angeles Dodgers were supposed to host the game last year, but missed their assigned turn last year due to the covid-19 when the game was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league assigned the 2022 game as a replacement, but may decide to turn Los Angeles, which likely will be more prepared than a city that hadn’t been expecting it previously.