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N.J. Senator Bob Menendez Urges MLB Players To Boycott All Star Game in Arizona

Posted May 10, 2010 by Ted Hesson
Categories: National

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the Major League Baseball Players Association calling for baseball players to boycott next year’s All Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona, in response to a draconian immigration bill that recently passed in the state.

In addition to his public opposition of the Arizona bill, SB 1070, Menendez is one of three Democrats who recently issued a blueprint for immigration reform.

The Associated Press reports on Menendez’s letter to MLB players:

WASHINGTON (AP)—Sen. Robert Menendez is urging the Major League Baseball Players Association to boycott next year’s All Star Game in Phoenix over the recently passed Arizona law to crack down on illegal immigrants.

The New Jersey Democrat says in a letter that 27 percent of Major League players are Latinos and they shouldn’t be subjected to a law Menendez says codifies racial profiling.

Rep. Jose Serrano, a New York Democrat, has similarly asked the players to boycott the 2011 event, noting that in 1993 the National Football League rescinded its offer to host the Super Bowl in Arizona because it didn’t then recognize Martin Luther King day.

Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner has come out against the law, saying it could negatively impact hundreds of players.

Here’s the full letter, courtesy of The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room:

May 10, 2010

Dear Mr. Weiner:

I first want to thank you for taking a public stand and expressing your opposition to Arizona law SB1070. I would also respectfully ask that you and your players consider boycotting the 2011 All Star Game until SB1070 is repealed or the game is moved to an another location. The Arizona law is offensive to Hispanics and all Americans because it codifies racial profiling into law by requiring police to question anyone who appears to be in the country illegally.

As you and I both know, Major League Baseball (MLB) is truly a multicultural, international sport. In fact, Latinos represent 27 percent of all MLB players and 28 percent of MLB players are foreign born. These players come to the United States legally and should not be subjected to the humiliation and harassment that SB1070 would inflict. Imagine if your players and their families were subjected to interrogation by law enforcement, simply because they look a certain way. Imagine if MLB fans – many of whom are Hispanic – were subjected to that same type of interrogation if they were to attend the All Star Game. That would truly be an embarrassment and an injustice, not only to MLB, but to the values and ideals we hold as Americans.

In every century and generation, immigrants have contributed to the progress, prosperity and vitality of this nation. This law undermines that shared history by promoting discrimination against one group of people. As someone who has and continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, I believe the Arizona law is a call to action for reform of our nation’s broken immigration system. However, while I understand the frustration about the failures of our current system, states should not be permitted to enact their own discriminatory immigration laws while the federal government works to reform our laws. The Arizona law is an embarrassment to our country and a call to action to our communities to stand up against injustice.

For these reasons, I ask that you consider boycotting the All Star Game in Arizona until SB1070 is repealed or the League decides to move the game to an alternate location. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. It is my hope that we can work together now and in the future.

Tags : arizona, baseball, menendez, mlb, sb 1070

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