Major League Baseball leaders went out of their way to be political. They will probably end up paying for it.
The league decided to move its All-Star game and 2021 draft out of Georgia in response to the state enacting an election reform bill. The problem for the MLB is that red states and blue states pass laws all of the time. Usually, pro sports leagues don’t react to them. Whether or not one agrees with this particular voting bill, this situation could have been no different. Instead, MLB gave former President Donald Trump a reason to go after them, just like he did with the NFL and anthem kneeling. Oh, and the MLB’s fanbase is older, whiter, and more right-wing than the general population.
Trump has now sent out a pair of statements calling on people to boycott MLB, among other businesses. This is someone who over 74 million people voted for in 2020. Trump has more fervent supporters than any politician in recent memory. And as the NFL has learned, Trump’s words carry impact: His boycott mantra likely helped contribute to NFL rating declines. The league’s TV ratings dropped by more than 17% over the two seasons. The national anthem protests were the top reason for those rating declines, according to a JD Power poll and a UBS poll. In the sports business, where ad revenue and ticket sales are key, MLB now has reason to be concerned. The league’s leadership have taken on a very controversial political stance in an environment where fans just want to watch their favorite teams.
Unfortunately for MLB, it’s already probably too late for them to undo their mistake. Trump has spoken, and some of his supporters will follow his lead.
Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is a freelance writer who has been published in USA Today, the Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, the Detroit Free Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Federalist, and a number of other media outlets.
