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DENVER – Hours before the baseball all-star game at Coors Field in Denver, Commissioner Rob Manfred did not say if he would rule out any events in Texas if a law was passed there to change state election laws.
The 2021 game, which will be played Tuesday night, was awarded to Atlanta in May 2019. In April of this year, Manfred moved it from Truist Park due to a voting law in Georgia which critics say will negatively affect communities of color. His decision was generally denounced by the Conservatives and hailed by the Liberals.
“I think the Atlanta decision has probably been the most difficult thing I’ve been asked to do so far,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Tuesday. “I kind of hope this will be the hardest thing I’m asked to do, period.”
Texas Republicans have proposed legislation that would ban 24-hour polling stations, ban drop boxes for mail-in ballots, and empower supporters of poll observers. Republicans say action is needed to tackle fraud. Democrats counter that fraud is very rare and say the bills target their supporters.
MLB has previously awarded the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, which was scheduled to host the 2020 Game which was canceled due to the pandemic, and the 2026 Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of the 250th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.
“I’m not going to speculate on who is going to pass which law and where we might be hosting jewelry events,” Manfred said. “It’s hard enough to manage in real time. I just don’t think it’s productive for me.”
Manfred also wouldn’t say what would have to happen for Atlanta to receive an All-Star Game.
“I’m not going to go into what I need to see change,” he said. “Atlanta is a big market for us, and that will definitely be an option at some point in the future.”
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