MLB will move the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft out of Atlanta as a consequence of Georgia\u2019s restrictive new election laws,\u00a0Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 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,\u201d Manfred said in a statement. \u201cI have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year\u2019s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMajor League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear where the All-Star Game, originally scheduled for July 13 at Atlanta\u2019s Truist Park, might be held now.<\/p>\n
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms met the news with grim resignation.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust as elections have consequences, so do the actions of those who are elected,\u201d she tweeted Friday. \u201cUnfortunately, the removal of the MLB All Star game from GA is likely the 1st of many dominoes to fall, until the unnecessary barriers put in place to restrict access to the ballot box are removed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Atlanta Braves said they were \u201cdeeply disappointed\u201d by MLB moving events from their city, but came out in support of voting rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was neither our decision, nor our recommendation and we are saddened that fans will not be able to see this event in our city,\u201d the team said in a statement. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an interview with ESPN on Wednesday, President Joe Biden told SportsCenter host Sage Steele he would be supportive if MLB decided to decamp for a more hospitable state.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe very people who are victimized the most are the people who are leaders in these very sports,\u201d Biden told ESPN. \u201cAnd it\u2019s just not right. This is Jim Crow on steroids, what they\u2019re doing there in Georgia and 40 other states.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Georgia\u2019s Republican-controlled government pushed through sweeping new restrictions that limit access to the ballot box. Among other things, the law\u00a0imposes strict voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, limits ballot drop-box locations, gives the legislature greater control over elections, and criminalizes offering food and water to voters standing in line.<\/p>\n
The heads of Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, which are both headquartered in Georgia, have denounced the legislation.<\/p>\n
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey called the law \u201ca step backwards\u201d in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. \u201cThis legislation is wrong and needs to be remediated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees in a memo\u00a0that \u201cthe entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 elections.\u201d<\/p>\n