‘We stood our ground’ | Politics, race collide in Atlanta’s All-Star Game history

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Even though it’s hosted only two of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Midsummer Classics, Atlanta’s history of hosting the All-Star Game is complicated and controversial.

The most recent one came in 2021, when MLB pulled its All-Star Game after Georgia lawmakers passed a series of new voting laws that Democrats - including then-President Joe Biden - decried as “Jim Crow 2.0.”

But in every state and national election since those laws went into effect, Georgians have turned out in record numbers, particularly in early voting, a fact Gov. Brian Kemp pointed out Monday morning on “Fox and Friends.”

“The game never should have been pulled,” Kemp said. “Biden, Stacey Abrams and the left overplayed their hand; they didn’t know what was in the bill.

“But we stood our ground and held our values of making it easier to vote and harder to cheat, and we’ve seen an increasing number of minority votes here in Georgia.”

1972 | MLB’s All-Star Game comes to Dixie

In 1972, Atlanta became the first city south of the Mason-Dixon Line to host the game. The contest was held in Atlanta Stadium, a facility built in the mid-1960s that razed numerous downtown Black neighborhoods to make room for its construction.

Then-Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. convicted local business and city leaders to finance and build a stadium. As Allen put it, “on land we didn’t own, with money we didn’t have, for a team we hadn’t signed.”

But Allen and the city lured the Milwaukee Braves to commit to a deep South relocation, and the Braves opened their first season in Atlanta in 1966.

In the 1972 All-Star Game, Henry Aaron - well on his way to becoming baseball’s home run king and a Cooperstown, New York, hall of fame resident - went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

Aaron was the only Brave on the NL All-Star roster in 1972, as the National League won 4-3 in 10 innings against the American League.

In 1976, Fulton County leaders threatened to withdraw financial support if the stadium’s name wasn’t changed to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

On Aug. 2, 1997, the stadium was imploded to the cheers of local community advocates who said the stadium, its parking lots and crowds had decimated their neighborhoods. Georgia State University is building a new, 3,000-seat collegiate ballpark for its Panthers baseball team, using the stadium’s original outfield wall.

2000’s midseason classic was originally set for Miami

The 2000 All-Star Game was originally set for Pro Player Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami, home of the then-christened Florida Marlins. The Marlins had been awarded the game in July 1995, two years after they and the Colorado Rockies joined the league.

But National League president Len Coleman revoked the game in December 1998 because the Marlins were drawing poorly at the stadium, despite the franchise’s 1997 World Series title. Amid concerns over south Florida’s overall viability as a professional baseball market, Coleman awarded the 2000 game to Atlanta.

That game was played at Turner Field, which had been converted into a baseball stadium after its origins as Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic stadium.

An election unlike any in American history

Then came 2021, and the Braves were looking forward to hosting its third All-Star Game in the brand-new Truist Park.

But only weeks before the scheduled July 13, 2021, game, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the contest was being pulled in the wake of Senate Bill 202, a 98-page set of election law revisions adopted after Biden defeated then-President Donald Trump in 2020 in an election unlike any in American history.

On his way to the White House, Biden also became the first Democrat to carry Georgia - or any other deep Southern state - since Bill Clinton in 1992.

The election law revisions:

• Expanded early voting in most counties
• Required identification for in-person and mail-in voting;
• Mandated at least one drop box per county, but restricted their locations and accesses
• Banned food and drink distribution to voters in line by non-poll workers, but allowed “self-service” water stands
• Established a system that facilitates faster election results
• Established a hotline to report voter intimidation or other activity
• Shortened the state’s runoff election period to five weeks

The bill stirred a nationwide debate over voting rights, and was condemned by President Biden and other local, state and national Democrats as “Jim Crow 2.0.”

But in every state and national election since SB 202 went into effect, Georgians have turned out in record numbers, particularly in early voting.

‘Longest instant replay of all time’

In announcing the 2025 All-Star Game at Truist Park, Manfred and Major League Baseball did not comment as to why the game is returning to the region despite no changes made to Georgia’s voting laws.

In response to MLB’s decision, Kemp tweeted: “Georgia’s voting laws haven’t changed, but it’s good to see the MLB’s misguided understanding of them has. We look forward to welcoming the All-Star Game to Georgia.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger tweeted, “In the longest instant replay review of all time, MLB’s head office finally overturned a bad call. Georgia’s elections are safe, secure, and accessible to serve our voters.”

Manfred said the Braves are “a model of success on and off the field,” making them deserving to host the All-Star Game.

“Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta will provide fans a world-class experience in 2025,” Manfred said. “We look forward to working with the Braves and local leaders to deliver a memorable All-Star Week that brings people together and benefits the community in many ways.”

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