APRIL 5, 9:00pm: Colorado will indeed host the game, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
8:26pm: Coors Field in Colorado is expected to host this year’s All-Star Game, Buster Olney of ESPN tweets.
APRIL 2, 2:55pm: The Braves issued their own statement on the matter:
“The Atlanta Braves are deeply disappointed by the decision of Major League Baseball to move its’ 2021 All-Star Game.
“This was neither our decision, nor our recommendation and we are saddened that the fans will not be able to see this event in our city. The Braves organization will continue to stress the importance of equal voting opportunities and we had hoped our city could use this event as a platform to enhance the discussion. Our City has always been known as a uniter in divided times and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community.
Unfortunately, businesses, employees and fans in Georgia are the victims of this decision. We will continue to support the community legacy projects which have been planned and are in process.”
1:58pm: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday that the league will relocate the All-Star Game and 2021 Amateur Draft, which had been set to take place in Atlanta, Ga.
“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views,” Manfred said in a statement announcing the decision.
“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft. Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.
“We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly.”
