James Hartnett

The Atlanta Braves will no longer be hosting the Midsummer Classic this July, instead, the Colorado Rockies will have the All-Star game at Coors Field for this first time since 1998.

Major League Baseball officials made the decision last week to strip the game from the city of Atlanta after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed new and controversial voter regulations into law.

Many people are not happy with the Republican-led initiative in Georgia that many feel is directed at citizens of color in order to make it more difficult to vote.

Georgia politician and voting rights activist Stacy Abrams has not been shy in voicing her opinion about the recent signing of Senate Bill 202, even describing the new legislation as “nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0.”

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred had queried many former and current players about their attitudes towards the situation and ultimately concluded that it would be inappropriate for the All-Star game to remain in Atlanta.  Manfred stressed that ultimately, “[this was] the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport.”

Although many people agree with the MLB’s decision to pull the All-Star game out of Atlanta, there are also economical consequences that many businesses, fans and employees will face.

Current President and CEO of Cobb Travel and Tourism Holly Quinlan expressed her concerns about the economic impact of relocating the All-Star game and has estimated that the city will lose out on over $100 million.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms agrees with Quinlan and believes that this is the first of many boycotts that the state will face in response to the new legislation.

For now, MLB fans can expect a star-studded matchup between the best in all of baseball on July 13, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.  A game that is sure to feature the long-ball over pitching may contend for the highest scoring game in All-Star game history, where the American League beat the National League 13-8, at the very same stadium that will host this years Midsummer Classic.