Opinion | Pulling the MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta was a great decision

Joe Perrino, Sports Editor

I was able to participate in my first presidential election this past fall; dropping my ballot in the ballot box at the post office on Tustin Avenue was the moment I finally felt like a true American.

Americans across the country should have the same rights, opportunities and ease of access to this feeling of being able to do their civic duty as a citizen. But after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp passed new legislation that restricts access to mail-in-voting, poor and minority Georgia voters may face less access to future elections. This can be attributed to the number of polling places removed in Atlanta counties and according to The New York Times, the law’s ability to “curtail ballot access for voters in booming urban and suburban counties.”

This bill moves polling places out of regions with higher African American populations and into rural areas, which voted disproportionately Republican. Furthermore, with fewer polling places in higher populated areas, there will be longer lines; but this law makes it illegal — that’s right, illegal — to hand out water and food in close proximity to those standing in line.

In response to the new legislation, the MLB decided April 3 to pull its All-Star Game, which takes place every July, out of its planned location in SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

I am not a fan of Rob Manfred, the MLB’s commissioner. But this was a terrific call. 

With this decision, the MLB made it clear where they stand and what rhetoric they support. It’s no secret that baseball has struggled with diversity over the past few seasons — receiving a “B-” grade in diversity initiatives prior to the 2019 season via the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida —  but with this decision as well as other actions put in place by Manfred, the league should now be up to an A on that same scale.

What does this move to support diversity and inclusion toward voting — a basic American right — mean for the league and its players?

Recently, despite slight signs of growth in African American representation across baseball, it’s safe to assume the MLB needs to show more care and inclusivity toward Black players — especially if the league wants to expand upon that percentage in the future.

Other leagues like the NFL and NHL have caught flak for not properly fostering diversity and inclusion. Normally, the MLB falls into this category as well, but appears to be headed in the right direction with moves like this.

Despite the knowledge that this move would alienate the MLB’s large Republican fanbase, I would’ve done the same thing as commissioner if I was put in his position. There’s no place for voter suppression in a democracy that’s as supposedly advanced as ours. Almost every citizen, barring a few specific cases, has the right to vote, so those in positions of power need to do everything they can to dispute this despicable act by Georgia lawmakers.

Hopefully this move will impact some sort of change. The All-Star Game — with SunTrust Park set to reach 100% fan capacity by June — would have brought incredible economic benefits to the city of Atlanta, something the local and state governments were surely looking forward to. Perhaps other businesses or events will pull themselves out of Georgia, forcing the governor’s hand to reverse laws promoting clear injustice.