Georgia Republicans press MLB commissioner over All-Star Game response to election law

Republican Reps. Barry Loudermilk (Ga.) and Buddy Carter (Ga.) sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday demanding answers about the organization’s decision to move its 2021 All-Star Game out of Georgia because of a more restrictive election law the state passed last year.

The Georgia congressmen said the MLB’s decision to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver last year cost the state more than $100 million and had a negative impact on Georgians financially.

“The MLB let the liberal mob dictate business decisions in a shameful and despicable manner,” they wrote in a letter shared on Twitter. “It is shameful that MLB caved to cancel culture and punished the residents and business owners of Georgia. This decision by the MLB was predicated on a lie — it is only right for you to make amends.”

Loudermilk and Carter said they want answers on when the MLB will return the All-Star Game to Atlanta, whether the organization will remedy the harm it caused, and if the MLB will commit to “depoliticize” baseball in the future and consult all parties involved before making future decisions with a big impact.

Georgia passed the Election Integrity Act last spring in response to former President Trump’s false claims the 2020 election was stolen. The law limited the use of ballot drop boxes and enacted photo ID requirements for absentee voting.

Opponents of the law called it an attack on voting rights and said it would disenfranchise minority voters.

In response to the law, the MLB in April 2021 officially moved that year’s All-Star Game from the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park to the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field in Denver.

At the time, Manfred said the decision was “the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport.”

“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” Manfred added.

Despite the law, the May primaries in Georgia this year actually saw record early voting turnout, according to the Georgia secretary of state’s office.

Loudermilk and Carter, who have both falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen, argued the record turnout showed the law did not disenfranchise voters.

They accused the MLB of pandering to “baseless attacks” from the left instead of reviewing the legislation and making an informed decision.

“Based on these facts and the lack of any specific criticism in your statements, it is evident that you either did not fully review the text of the Election Integrity Act or willfully mischaracterized the law,” the congressmen wrote.

“This carelessness contributed to the further politicization of sports — America’s ‘pastime’ that has long served as a unifying force — and harmed Georgians,” they said.