ATLANTA (WBTW) — Major League Baseball announced Friday that it is moving the 2021 All-Star game out of Atlanta over new voting restrictions in Georgia.
The league said it is finalizing a new host city and will make an announcement “shortly.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes any restrictions to the ballot box.
The Atlanta Braves released the following statement on the move:
The league engaged in conversations with clubs, former and current players, the Players Association and The Players Alliance over the last week to listen to their views, Manfred said.
Read the full statement below:
“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 fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. 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.
“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.”