Politics commonly influence all of the sports industries no matter the topic. Politics is a shared aspect of life and almost a functionality of our lives as it influences opinions and views on global issues and whether you like it or not it affects partially everything you or others do. With baseball being one of the most popular sports in America, I took it upon myself to look behind the scenes of the politics of the sport. Many decisions are made in Major League Baseball surrounding the 30 teams. Fans are often very opinionated about the decisions their favorite team makes. However, the reasoning behind these decisions never get published in the media.The topic of sports and politics colliding may seem unreasonable, yet I believe politics are very commonly seen in the sport. There are lots of instances of political ideas being shown in the sport in modern times. One topic discussed in the MLB every year is the “All-Star Game,” which is the biggest prime time event of the spring. The league announces the location of the “All-Star Game” almost two years ahead of occurrence. With our country constantly adapting, it’s very common to see laws being changed or made across states and such, a prime example of this was the “All-Star Game” in 2021. Originally, the decision was to hold this ceremonial game at Atlanta’s Truist Park but a couple months prior to the game the state of Georgia and its recent passing at the time of its “Republican-sponsored voter suppression law”. The MLB ultimately decided to move the game out of Atlanta and take it to Colorado. MLB received a lot of negative feedback regarding this decision because of the laws sponsored by Republicans. This whole conversation was seen as the MLB siding with Democrats and led to a spike in media coverage regarding politics in baseball.

 The whole argument of politics not affecting sports is something I find false. People need to remember that while we watch sports for entertainment, the players are real people too. A more recent controversy that occurred during 2016-2018, MLB’s response to a Lawsuit from a large group of Minor League players saying that the MLB allegedly “illegally fixed” their salaries. In response to this allegation, the MLB spent 2.6 million to quiet lobby congress in order to  free themselves from these legal charges. To the exploitation of these poorly-paid Minor League players, Congress then added a provision sarcastically named “Save America’s Pastime Act” in the 2,232 paged bill that Donald Trump signed back in 2018. It discounts minor league players from the federal minimum wage and overtime pay rules. With this set in place, MLB teams as a whole organization can get away with not paying minor leaguers during the off-season and spring training during the summer. 

 Over the years, MLB players began to express their opinions on politics in addition to major multi-billion dollar baseball clubs. We have seen many different political movements spark along with the players expressing these views. Whether it’s taking a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice or sparking conversations about the role of activism in sports, these actions have prompted discussions about the right to free expression within the sport of baseball and its fans. 

Moreover, the political landscape has influenced the way teams and leagues engage with their communities. Initiatives focused on social justice, inclusivity, and community outreach have become integral parts of the baseball community and many baseball organizations. Teams now use their platforms to address issues among society, and so forth leveraging their word to create a positive environment in and beyond just the ballpark. 

In response to the question regarding politics in baseball, yes, politics do exist in baseball.With  the constant fluctuation of political movements spiking across the world about hundreds of topics, the game can be influenced by its players’ voicing their opinions, common media reactions to such opinions, MLB clubs reactions to statements and more. But in a game where politics and sport consistently intersect, it ultimately ends up shaping the game in the long run to culture to economics or even inspiring movements. In the long run, politics not being in sports we wouldn’t have had all the advancements or achievements we see in baseball and in sports as a whole to this day.