NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A New York state senator wants Major League Baseball to hold the 2021 All-Star Game at the Mets' Citi Field after the league pulled the game from Atlanta over Georgia's new voting law, which critics have condemned as being too restrictive.
Sen. Michael Gianaris penned a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred with the suggestion after the MLB announced Friday that it was yanking the July 13 game from Atlanta's Truist Park.
In the letter, Gianaris said he commended the MLB for "taking this important stand in favor of democratic principles."
"This game is a beloved annual tradition for baseball fans across the nation and I would like to encourage Major League Baseball to hold the 2021 All Star game at Citi Field in Queens, New York," the senator wrote.
"There is no place in America that better symbolizes what our country stands for than Queens - home of CitiField and the New York Mets," Gianaris wrote. "The most diverse county in the United States was also among the hardest hit during the covid-19 pandemic, and this would be a fitting tribute to honor the all-stars of our community."
Gianaris said the borough stands "ready to welcome MLB to our community warmly and safely."
Manfred made the decision to move the All-Star events and the amateur draft from Atlanta after discussions with individual players and the Players Alliance, an organization of Black players formed after the death of George Floyd last year, the commissioner said in a statement.
A new ballpark for the events wasn't immediately revealed.
Georgia Republicans said changes were needed to maintain voter confidence in the election system, but Democrats and voting rights groups said the new law will disproportionately affect communities of color.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
