When it comes to Texas, MLB strikes out.
The governor of Texas bravely informed Major League Baseball Monday that he will no longer throw the first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ first home game after they moved the All-Star game from Georgia.
In a letter, Gov. Greg Abbott thanked MLB’s chief operating officer Neil Leibman for the invitation, but respectfully declined.
“I was looking forward - until Major League Baseball adopted what has turned out to be a false narrative about the election law reforms in Georgia, and, based on that false narrative, moved the MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta,” he wrote.
“It is shameful that America’s pastime is not only being influenced by partisan political politics, but also perpetuating false political narratives,” he added.
Additionally, Texas will not seek to host any MLB special events, and Abbott is forgoing all future participation in league events.
This move comes just after MLB announced it was moving its All-Star game and 2021 draft from Atlanta to retaliate against the Peach State’s new voting law.
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. said it was “the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport,” adding that the league “fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”
But, Texas isn’t having it - and hopefully other states will follow suit.
