New York congressman calls for Major League Baseball to pull 2011 All-Star Game from Arizona

[scandal 951]

Consequences could follow illegal immigration law

New York congressman calls for Major League Baseball to pull 2011 All-Star Game from Arizona

By Kevin Baxter, Tribune newspapers

10:01 p.m. CDT, April 29, 2010

Anger over Arizona's new immigration law spread to baseball Thursday with a congressman's call to pull next year's All-Star game out of the state and a protest outside Wrigley Field, where the Diamondbacks opened a four-game series against the Cubs.

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-New York) said baseball "should not pass up the opportunity" to oppose legislation critics believe will lead to racial profiling and other civil-rights violations.

"Baseball and the Latin community, it's a close relationship," Serrano said in a telephone interview from the House floor. "Latinos, they will be the ones, more than anyone else, who will be stopped on the street in violation of their constitutional rights. … States (that) make those decisions need to know that there are consequences to those decisions."

The law Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed last week makes it a state crime to be in Arizona illegally and requires police to check suspects for immigration paperwork. The state is home to an estimated 460,000 undocumented immigrants. The legislation is scheduled to go into effect 90 days after Arizona's legislative session ends, probably next month.

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A spokesman for Major League Baseball, which awarded the 2011 All-Star game to Phoenix a year ago, said Commissioner Bud Selig would not comment on the issue.

Pulling baseball's annual showcase out of Phoenix could cost the state more than $40 million, a baseball spokesman estimated. Arizona lost out on another treasured sporting event when the the NFL pulled the 1993 Super Bowl from Tempe after the state rescinded the federal holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. Since voters reinstated the holiday, two Super Bowls have been played in Arizona.

Serrano said issues such as immigration and racial profiling should be important to baseball because 27 percent of the players on Opening Day rosters were born outside the United States.

"These are the folks who would be walking down the streets and have their rights violated," he said.

Serrano said he might reach out to club owners and even ask players to boycott the All-Star game if the law is implemented and the game remains in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, a coalition of immigrant-rights groups in Arizona called for protests and boycotts wherever the Diamondbacks play. The first rally took place before Thursday's game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, where one fan ripped up his ticket rather than watch the game.

"With this being right in our backyard, it's hard not to go out and say something when the bill is so egregious," said Fiona McEntee, a Chicago-based immigration lawyer who attended the protest.

Organizers of the boycott, who have received promises of support from organizers in five states the Diamondbacks will visit this season, say they targeted the team for its visibility and because owner Ken Kendrick is a major financial backer of Republican politicians who promoted the bill.

"For the Kendrick family to support people who are engaged in this kind of repression against a segment of the population without actually supporting other efforts, that's why they're a target," said Tony Herrera of Unidos en Arizona.

The Diamondbacks issued a statement acknowledging Kendrick's support of Republican candidates but noting his personal opposition to the new law.

Herrera said the coalition is not contemplating actions against any of the other 14 teams that have spring training or player development facilities in Arizona.

Spring training, the six-team Arizona Fall League and the 12-team Arizona League combine for an estimated half-billion dollars in economic activity.

Angels owner Arte Moreno, an Arizona native and the first Hispanic to own a major sports franchise in the U.S., declined to comment through a team spokesman. But some players and coaches spoke out.

"I don't agree with that. That's not cool," Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee said of the law. "I don't know about boycotting the All-Star game, but that's not a cool law if that's the case."

Asked what players should do, he said: "We can express our disagreement. That's not right. It's surprising that it's that blatant."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who was born in Venezuela and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, went further.

"That's no respect of human rights," he said. "Being illegal in any country, that's not good, period. But the immigration (service) has to be careful about how they treat people.

"I want to see one day with Latin Americans — it can be Mexican, Costa Rican — I want to see this country two days without them to see how good we're doing. Everyone comes to this country to work, and I don't think they're going to do bad stuff here. They just come here to make things happen, to make a better life. I guarantee you whoever comes to this country and they don't have their papers, they're straight and narrow. They're scared to be deported."

[Danno 1,228]

Another politician trying to drag something unrelated... into a political situation.

It wouldn't surprise me if

A. they did move the game out of Arizona

B. a Sizable number of fans inturn boycott the game where ever it is located.

[scandal 951]

From today's protest at the Cubs vs. Diamondbacks game at Wrigley Field.

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

From today's protest at the Cubs vs. Diamondbacks game at Wrigley Field.

where did they get all the 5th columnists?

[scandal 951]

where did they get all the 5th columnists?

Chicago, man.

We're different than the rest of America. When we protest, you'd almost think it was the 60s again.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

where did they get all the 5th columnists?

Borrowed them from a teabaggers rally.

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

Chicago, man.

We're different than the rest of America. When we protest, you'd almost think it was the 60s again.

free love and weed, eh?

[scandal 951]

free love and weed, eh?

Not all hippies were in California and Woodstock, y'know.

The 1968 Democratic convention was right here in Chitown. They're the inspiration for the anti-AZ protests today at Wrigley.

[Ban Hammer 12,835]

Not all hippies were in California and Woodstock, y'know.

The 1968 Democratic convention was right here in Chitown. They're the inspiration for the anti-AZ protests today at Wrigley.

i thought that was a folk tale, people misbehaving at the dem convention.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I was living in Arizona back when our beloved Guv. Ed Mecham refused to recognize the MLK holiday, prompting boycotts and costing the state $300 million in lost revenue. Arizona has always been a magnet for Right Wing Nuts, but for outsiders who've never lived there, don't write off the entire state as there are many reasonably minded zonies there too. We are the state that had great people like Mo Udall, Bruce Babbit, Janet Napolitano and Rose Mofford.

[scandal 951]

I was living in Arizona back when our beloved Guv. Ed Mecham refused to recognize the MLK holiday, prompting boycotts and costing the state $300 million in lost revenue. Arizona has always been a magnet for Right Wing Nuts, but for outsiders who've never lived there, don't write off the entire state as there are many reasonably minded zonies there too. We are the state that had great people like Mo Udall, Bruce Babbit, Janet Napolitano and Rose Mofford.

Barry Goldwater.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Barry Goldwater.

LOL...he actually mellowed out in his later years. He went on record as being supportive of gays and was an environmental conservationist. Next to Utah, Arizona has the largest concentration of Mormons in the U.S. but not all of them are dye-in-the wool Right Wingers. Mo Udall, for example, was Mormon and a moderate Democrat.

[Danno 1,228]

From today's protest at the Cubs vs. Diamondbacks game at Wrigley Field.

Yeah, the Left..... you got'to admire their organization and ground work.

With the Tea Party crowd you have to make your own signs and pay for bus fare.

LAst time someone ran busses up to DC they actually had it pretty reasonable like 25-30 per head from Charlotte.

[Niels Bohr 72]

AZ, never heard of it.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Insert Racial comment about the guy holding the Mexican flag wanting legalization of illegals. F that Mofo.

Seriously though, these idiots need to chill the hell out.

This NY congressman needs to get his head out of his a$$ and realize we have a problem in this country and AZ has the balls to do something about it.