Major League Baseball announced Friday it is moving the 2021 All-Star Game and draft out of Atlanta in response to the state's new voting law.
"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," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "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," the statement continued. "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."
Whoa. MLB announces it is pulling this year's All-Star game and the amateur draft from Georgia. pic.twitter.com/QqJzR3lAcy
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) April 2, 2021
The decision comes after President Biden weighed on the issue, saying he “would strongly support” the MLB moving the game, referring to the Georgia law as “Jim Crow on steroids,” while repeating false claims about it.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp called those remarks “ridiculous.”
"When the President of the United States says something, you know a lot of people pay attention. But what Joe Biden needs to do is look at the side-by-side of Georgia and Delaware," Kemp told Fox News. "He's focused on trying to get Major League Baseball to pull the game out of Georgia, which is ridiculous."
On Twitter, people began calling for a boycott.
.@JoeBiden gives them the green light, so MLB pulls the All-Star game out of Atlanta. Based on a LIE. #BoycottMLB pic.twitter.com/4Ji1z3fRFa
— Brent Bozell (@BrentBozell) April 2, 2021
I'm a lifetime @Orioles fan. And they will never sell another ticket, hotdog or piece of merchandise to me again. I hope every last player and owner in @MLB goes bankrupt. #BoycottMLB
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) April 2, 2021
Manfred said the MLB is "finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly."