Friday, April 2, 2021

MLB Removes All-Star Game From Atlanta; Will It Be Played in Milwaukee to Honor Hank Aaron?

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced both the 2021 All-Star Game and the 2021 MLB Draft would not take place in Atlanta this year due to Georgia's repressive voter legislation. 

This decision comes following considerable public pressure with President Biden making his views known on the subject yesterday

I, for one, support the move even though I live in Atlanta. Some things are more important than baseball and voting is one of them.

The question now is where the Midsummer Classic will take place.

I took to Twitter and suggested it be held at Dodger Stadium. It was to be held there last year but was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. The only problem is that it will be held at Chavez Ravine next year. 

Woops!!!

Manfred made a point of saying that Hank Aaron, who passed away in January, would still be honored. It wasn't long before Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett wrote to Manfred asking him to consider his city to host the game. Aaron, of course, played for a dozen seasons with the Milwaukee Braves before the team moved to Atlanta prior to the 1966 season. He would play his final two seasons in Milwaukee - this time in a Brewers uniform. 

Milwaukee last hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 2002 when the game ended in a tie after 11 innings. This resulted in the game becoming a contest to determine home field advantage in the World Series through the 2016 season. So I'm sure Milwaukee would like another time at bat and make this All-Star Game one with a better outcome.

Now it should be said there were some voter suppression measures introduced in the state legislature back in February. But even they were to pass those measures would be vetoed by Wisconsin's Democratic governor Tony Evers. So Miller Park should be safe.

If MLB chooses not to play the game in Milwaukee they could play it at Boston's Fenway Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Camden Yards in Baltimore, Coors Field in Denver or Rogers Centre in Toronto. All of these cities last hosted an All-Star Game prior to 2000 which is when Atlanta hosted its last All-Star Game. Atlanta is going to have to wait in a long time before it is elected to host an All-Star Game again.

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