MLB says the city of Denver and the Colorado Rockies will now host the 2021 All-Star Game after the game was moved from Atlanta, Georgia following the new voter suppression laws which were signed a couple of weeks ago. The game is coming to Denver at a time when the state itself remains relatively closed to big events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, city and state officials are optimistic that Denver will be completely open by the time the first pitch of the “Mid-Summer Classic” is tossed.
Open or closed, it’s going to be cold as hell for a July MLB game. The high for the 12th-14th is 58 degrees. Yes, social activism and fighting oppression has a cost.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock held a press conference following the announcement to discuss the many ways the city and state are prepping for All-Star week festivities in and around Denver, and Coors Field. The big sticking point in the presser centered around just how “OPEN” Denver and the state of Colorado will be come July, as some other big events such as the Great American Beer Festival, have already canceled festivities for the 2021 year.
In the last seven days, the state has seen a slight uptick, one of many indicators health officials monitor to determine the prevalence and trends of the virus.
But overall the COVID-19 levels appear to be leveling off as more people get vaccinated. Gov. Jared Polis mentioned the opening availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to the general public should bring community immunity by late June — which is a few weeks prior to the All-Star festivities kicking off.
MLB to Move All-Star Game to Colorado, Which Has Voter ID and Fewer Early Voting Days than Georgia https://t.co/ep6NeH26pf
— Kyle Morris (@RealKyleMorris) April 6, 2021
Colorado will be moving away from the current dial system as mandatory guidance by April 16th. This may mean no variances will be required for the July 13 All-Star Game and businesses and event centers will be given the okay to operate at full capacity.
The plan is for the state to pull back on restrictions in mid-April, and that should bode well for Major League Baseball and its fans. As a full capacity, Coors Field will become even more likely, as long as numbers continue to decrease and vaccinations continue to increase.
Both Mayor Hancock and Gov. Polis have echoed the same sentiments with the belief that the city will be ready by July.
Also, they’re encouraging people to get vaccinated so both Coors Field and Denver businesses can operate at full capacity with little to no restrictions.
The state and city are committed to pulling this off. That scene at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX really bothered me for the Rangers home opener. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a super-spreader.
