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Fox News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Georgia governor celebrates MLB All-Star Game's return to Atlanta after 2021 voting law controversy
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is heading back to Atlanta, four years after outcry over a Republican-backed election integrity law led the league to pull the event from the Peach State. Now, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says Major League Baseball has "righted" its decision, creating opportunities for vendors and local businesses, as well as Truist Park's hosting franchise, the Atlanta Braves. "We're excited about the game finally being here. It should have been here several years ago. They never should have pulled it to start with, but thankfully the game's coming back," Kemp told "Fox & Friends" on Monday. "It's good for the Braves organization. It's good for all the vendors and small business people in and around the ballpark and in the city of Atlanta up in Cobb County and really for our whole state." Kemp said such businesses were devastated as the COVID-19 pandemic drew to a close at the time. The 2021 All-Star Game, which was slated to take place at Truist Park, was moved to Denver after Georgia lawmakers placed new restrictions on voting by mail, added voter ID requirements and limited ballot drop boxes with the Election Integrity Act of 2021. The law also expanded weekend voting and banned outside groups from handing out food or water to those in line for the polls. Critics accused the law of suppressing the votes of racial minorities. Then-President Joe Biden called the law "Jim Crow on steroids." At the time, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the decision to move the game was "the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport." Kemp, on Monday, cited "increased participation" among minority voters in Georgia and criticized Democrats and the national media for "overplay[ing]" the election integrity measures with their criticism. "They didn't know what was in the bill, and we did, and we stood our ground, and we stood for our values of having secure, accessible and fair elections in Georgia and making it easy to vote and hard to cheat, and they were just wrong on this issue…" he said, suggesting the league should apologize for its prior decision. "It's really a tragedy it [pulling the game] ever happened. But, in some ways, it helped galvanize our state. It helped to galvanize our local community for people to say, 'You know what? We're tough Georgians, we're going to fight through this, we're not going to bow down to corporate greed or corporate boardrooms that are worried about getting targeted by groups like Stacey Abrams,'" he continued. Kemp anticipates a "great economic week" for his state as baseball fans gather to watch the sport's top stars take the field. The 95th Midsummer Classic is scheduled for July 15th and will mark the third time Atlanta has hosted the game.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thousands pack The Battery as fans get ready for MLB All-Star game
While thousands pack The Battery, enjoying all the festivities before the MLB All-Star Game, Cobb County DOT crews and police are monitoring the traffic, making sure everything runs smoothly. With five parking decks to choose from and more beyond the battery, getting to each All-Star Game event hasn't been too challenging for families we spoke with. Advertisement 'It's been one full week of fun and priceless memories for some of the biggest baseball fans,' said Tammy Moore. 'It's been pretty good.' Up to 61,000 people are expected in and around Truist Park for the big game Tuesday night. Cobb County DOT crews have staff on site monitoring traffic conditions and making adjustments. RELATED STOREIS: Some fans traveled from another country for the game. Channel 2's Michele Newell spoke to one person from Tokyo. Much closer to home, fans showed up in style to watch their favorite players walk the Red Carpet. 'I'm loving the outfit here,' Moore said. 'The glitz and glam.' Advertisement Outside of all the fun, Moore is just happy to continue the longstanding tradition of America's pastime. 'I raised my son at Turner Field and now I'm raising this one at Truist, three generations. We've been here all week,' Moore said. pastime
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB All-Star Game happening today. Here's what you need to know.
It's just about time for some of baseball's best to play ball at Truist Park in the MLB All-Star Game. Tens of thousands of fans from across the country are flocking to metro Atlanta for Tuesday night's big game. Advertisement Cobb County officials said they expect 41,000 in the stadium and anywhere from 10,000 to possibly 20,000 outside the stadium in The Battery area and The Galleria area. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When is the game? First pitch for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for 8 p.m. What will traffic be like? Because up to 61,000 people are expected in and around Truist Park on Tuesday night, expect heavy traffic and major delays throughout the afternoon and evening. 'We will have staff on site monitoring traffic conditions, making adjustments in real time, as well as traffic control crews that are able to be out, boots on the ground, and make modifications to the roadways as needed as we go,' Drew Ressley, director of the Cobb Department of Transportation, told Channel 2 Action News. Advertisement Is it too late to get tickets? Tickets are still available on reseller sites like Ticketmaster and StubHub. When Channel 2 Action News checked prices on Tuesday morning, prices ranged from $220 for standing room only all the way to $6,300 for sections behind home plate. Who's playing? The teams are made up of players from both the American and National League teams nationwide and voted on by fans. Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will take the field with longtime former Brave Freddie Freeman for the National League team. Star Braves pitcher Chris Sale is one of the team's starting pitchers and first baseman Matt Olson is also on the roster. Advertisement What other events are happening before the game? The MLB All-Star Village opened up over the weekend for fans to have some fun, play some games and even see some MLB legends. The fan village opens back up at 10 a.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre and stays open until 6 p.m., giving you plenty of time to get over to Truist Park. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] What happened at the Home Run Derby? What's the All-Star Game without the annual Home Run Derby? Sluggers from across the country tried hitting as many home runs as they could on Monday night. Ronald Acuña Jr. was initially set to Rep the A, but chose to sit out over injury concerns, so teammate Matt Olson picked up the bat. Advertisement The hometown hero knocked 15 pitches out of the park after struggling through the first few. Sadly, it was just short of moving him past the first round. But Atlanta still got to their feet and gave Olson a standing ovation. Oneil Cruz from the Pittsburgh Pirates tied the record for the longest homer hit during the Derby that didn't happen at Coors Field at 513 feet. But it was Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh who won the Home Run Derby, making him the first catcher in history to do so. Throughout the three rounds, Raleigh hit a total of 54 home runs. RELATED STORIES:
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baseball fans ‘stoked' for All-Star festivities
Folks are descending to Atlanta, all for the love of the game to celebrate America's pastime. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Oh, it's just a fun time. It's just great to be in this atmosphere‚" Victor Moreno told Channel 2's Michael Doudna. Advertisement 'Everybody's a baseball fan, so you want to talk to everybody next to you,' Morgan Lenon said. And while this weekend has been busy, Cobb County officials only expect the crowds to grow for the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. 'You know, everybody's just stoked to be there, and it's usually, it is a good vibe,' Jody Davidson said. Lenon added, 'So you want to talk to everybody next to you, like, 'Did you see this? Oh, this is going on tonight. You want to come down to this? Oh, we're going there, you should come, too.'' Cobb County officials said they expect 41,000 in the stadium and anywhere from 10 to possibly 20,000 outside the stadium in The Battery area and The Galleria area. Advertisement So Cobb County and others have worked to make sure the process runs smoothly, from security to trying to optimize traffic. 'We will have staff on site monitoring traffic conditions, making adjustments in real time, as well as traffic control crews that are able to be out, boots on the ground, and make modifications to the roadways as needed as we go,' said Drew Ressley, director of the Cobb Department of Transportation. The idea is to make sure fans can focus on enjoying the events as America's pastime calls Atlanta home for the week. 'I feel bad for the people who are going to have work tomorrow morning after coming out here tonight,' Maureen Barnett said. Advertisement RELATED STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB mock draft 2025: Where are Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits projected to go?
Major League Baseball's draft finally arrives July 13 from Cobb County's Roxy Theater, and while it may not light up the Georgia skies like the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game to follow the next two nights, there's no shortage of intrigue. This much we know: Eight specific players are almost certain to go in the top 10 picks. Yet in what order and to which teams remains a game of dominos that will have to wait until the clock starts. Advertisement And 10 shortstops – from MLB legacies to high school stars to college All-Americas – will consume at least half of the top 20 picks, and while the game's premier position tends to be a draft premium, this class boasts dudes who will almost assuredly stick on that position – and play at a very high level. With that, USA TODAY Sports fires some darts one last time with a final mock draft before the pickin' party commences Sunday: REQUIRED READING: Ethan Holliday could be No. 1 in MLB Draft like his brother. Add it to their competition. This selection took on an entirely different level of intrigue when the Nationals blew out GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez just more than a week before the draft. They wisely left the remaining infrastructure intact, which should make their draft process flow smoothly, even as interim GM Mike DeBartolo is now the ranking voice in the room. We're sticking to our guns here, even if as many as four guys might lay claim to this spot. Ultimately, the Nationals side with a potential building block rather than a ready-made ace with little present value as the franchise faces a total facelift. Advertisement 2025 MOCK DRAFT EVOLUTION: First edition (May 6) || Second edition (June 10) What a finishing kick for Anderson, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Coastal Carolina in the championship round of the College World Series, which followed a three-hit, seven-inning effort to beat Arkansas. Good luck splitting hairs between Anderson, Jamie Arnold and Liam Doyle, but we'll side with Anderson's K rate (NCAA-best 180 in 110 innings) and devastating pitch mix (think Max Fried, only firmer) with a rapid promotion in the offing in Anaheim. 3. Seattle Mariners: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State Perhaps the most impactful pick in the top five, as plucking one of the top college arms or prep right-hander Seth Hernandez here would be a moderate disruption and likely introduce some exotic names into the overall top 10. But let's stay consistent with this one as the Mariners opt for the physical presence and lineup punch that Arquette would bring up the middle. Advertisement 4. Colorado Rockies: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS What do you get the franchise that needs everything? They drafted Chase Dollander and got him to Coors Field quickly, and doing the same with deluxe lefty and fellow Tennessee product Liam Doyle would be highly tempting. Yet Willits, still just 17, represents the high-end building block the franchise lacks. More: Eli Willits opted to reclassify in high school. Now, he could be a top MLB Draft pick. In this scenario, the Cardinals have their choice of remaining elite college lefties and opt for Doyle's greater swing-and-miss upside over Florida State's Jamie Arnold, though they may prove us wrong come draft night. Advertisement 6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS Hernandez represents the draft's other great wild card and a test case for how high clubs would be willing to draft a prep right-hander. We'll stop just shy of calling Hernandez's repertoire 'generational,' but his high-90s fastball and pro-caliber changeup give him a significant springboard to move quicker than your average high school arm. 7. Miami Marlins: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS Make it back-to-back Panthers here, with Carlson the last of the elite-elite prep shortstops off the board. Imagine a larger version of Masyn Winn, with a similar hose at shortstop and, at 6-1, potentially greater offensive upside. Advertisement 8. Toronto Blue Jays: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State A real coup here for Toronto, getting a mature college arm with a big league-ready fastball-slider mix. Paired with last year's No. 1, Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays have the potential to quickly backfill a rotation that could lose Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman to free agency in consecutive years. 9. Cincinnati Reds: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma The Reds may stray out of their comfort zone and go bat here, but Witherspoon could unlock an even higher level developing in their pitching program as he'll bring a high-90s fastball and low-90s slider into pro ball. Advertisement The White Sox quandary: Take the best of the next tier of prep shortstops or whichever advanced high-end college prospect almost mathematically certain to fall to them? In this case, it's Irish, who popped 18 home runs with a .469 OBP for Auburn, and will likely have a permanent home in the outfield. 11. Athletics: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara A nice value for the Athletics, getting a consensus top-five guy before Bremner got off to a slow start for UCSB. But he finished strong and could reach the majors quick enough to try out that much-maligned mound in the A's temporary Yolo County digs. Advertisement 12. Texas Rangers: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS The math makes it highly likely Texas lands a prep shortstop and Parker is still around, high enough to keep him away from a Mississippi State commitment. That's two years in a row a Mississippi prep shortstop goes in the top dozen picks, joining Konnor Griffin (No. 9, Pittsburgh). 13. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.) HS Let the run continue. Pierce is already 19, which may make some clubs shy away, but still has significant offensive upside and fits in what will be the first pick under the Buster Posey regime. 14. Tampa Bay Rays: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS We'll stick with Hall here, possessing the power upside and versatility the Rays value as the prep shortstop pool thins a bit. Advertisement 15. Boston Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, INF, Tennessee A Red Sox draftee out of high school, Kilen will do much better than the 13th round this time, with a strong offensive profile that saw him strike out just 27 times in 245 plate appearances, most of those against SEC pitching. 16. Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest The question is whether Houston's very sturdy defense and developing but incomplete offensive profile slots him higher than the prep stars slated to go before him. It's hard to see him dropping any further than the Twins. 17. Chicago Cubs: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas We'll stubbornly keep Aloy ticketed to the Cubs, even as a strong postseason that ended in Omaha further buttressed his profile. He might have smoother actions around the bag than Arquette, even if his offensive punch grades out a notch below the fellow Hawaiian collegiate star. Advertisement 18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS His offensive profile fits the Diamondbacks' ethos very nicely: Contact-based and, at 5-10, 180, a compact frame that has the potential to grow into decent power. 19. Baltimore Orioles: OF Ethan Conrad, Wake Forest The Orioles control three of the next 13 picks and can get creative with their bonus pool, certainly. We stick with Conrad and the classic O's college hitter profile here. 20. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, INF, Tennessee Bat first, figure out the position later. Fischer slammed 25 homers with a 1.205 OPS in an exuberant platform season, and is versatile enough defensively to move around some if the power doesn't support a first base profile. Advertisement 21. Houston Astros: Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M He's going to be a great value somewhere, probably, as Laviolette faded from top three talk after a season slowed by contact issues, slumps and health. Wouldn't be surprising if someone jumped on him sooner thanks to his elite raw power. 22. Atlanta Braves: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (Ore.) HS Quite a talent to land here, as the 6-8 prep lefty with a fastball that reached 97 mph gives them a daunting 1-2 punch with Cam Caminiti, currently thriving in low A one year after going 24h overall. 23. Kansas City Royals: Gavin Fien, INF, Great Oak (Calif.) HS The prep version of Laviolette, in that someone may jump on him sooner based on equity already banked as opposed to an uneven platform year. Advertisement 24. Detroit Tigers: Xavier Neyens, INF, Mt. Vernon (Wash.) HS Big frame and potential big power in a nimble and athletic 6-4 package. In terms of offense, one of the top prep lefty bats available. 25. San Diego Padres: Sean Gamble, INF/OF, IMG (Fla.) Academy Versatile and projectable, Gamble – at 6-foot-1, 190 – leveled up from Iowa to IMG Academy and is a potential impact player in the middle of the diamond. 26. Philadelphia Phillies: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit (Ore.) HS The run of late-round high school players takes a few Philly targets off the board but they can still fulfill their prep preference with de Brun, a potential center fielder of the future whose speed will likely always trump his power. Advertisement 27. Cleveland Guardians: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina The Guardians opt for Contact King, as Bodine finished the season with an absurd 24 strikeouts in 313 plate appearances while churning out a .915 OPS. As the Chanticleers reeled off 26 consecutive wins to reach the College World Series finals, Bodine's stock rose along with it. 28. Kansas City Royals*: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina Paired with Fien, this should be a bonus pool-friendly pick as the Royals opt for the steady Stevenson, two years after making prep catcher Blake Mitchell the eighth overall pick. 29. Arizona Diamondbacks**: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona Would be a coup getting Summerhill this late, as he can man all three outfield positions and put up a .343/.459/.556 line to lead Arizona to the College World Series. Advertisement 30. Baltimore Orioles**: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State The Dick Howser Trophy winner and ACC player of the year, Lodise is a solid defender who hit 19 home runs and should develop above-average pro power and likely stick at shortstop. *- Prospect promotion incentive pick**- Free agent compensation pick Note: The Mets, Yankees and Dodgers each received a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax and their first picks will be 38th, 39th and 40th overall, respectively. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: MLB mock draft 2025: Projections for Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits
