Major League Baseball on Friday pulled this year’s All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s new election law that critics call the modern day Jim Crow.
The July 13 “Midsummer Classic” was to be held at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. The MLB did not announce a new venue on Friday.
“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,” Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said in a statement. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”
“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 All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly,” Manfred said.
MLB’s action follows statements from the Georgia-based companies Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines blasting the state’s law. President Biden also called for the game to move out of Georgia earlier this week.
