Part of the Crowd that came to tell MLB Commissioner Selig: "Move the 2011 All-Star Game."

New York, NY: If Commissioner Bud Selig wanted to keep his non-decision on the whole Arizona SB 1070 bill issue quiet, he had another thing coming yesterday when several hundred people came to his doorsteps. It looked more like an entire section from a baseball game that came to 46th St & Park Avenue to let the commissioner know that they are not happy with major league’s desire to have the 2011 All-Star game in Arizona. People were in a baseball spirit singing a different version of  “Take Me Out To The Ball Game,” song, baseball soundtracks and many creative signs urging the commissioner to pull the 2011 game out of Arizona.

T-shirt say's it all. (Photo LSV)

Congressman José Serrano (D-Bx), Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-Harlem), Assemblyman Peter Rivera & Councilwoman, Melissa Mark Viverito were among several of the elected official that were on had to speak and remind the commissioner that baseball is more than a national pastime because of the support that they receive from the government. They also reminded the commissioner that approximately 30% of the active players are Latinos and that a great percentage of those players are immigrants. Therefore, he should be mindful of his non-action and think about baseball’s future base of support.

Back of shirt with a clear message. (Photo LSV)

In addition there were many representative of organized labor present as well as many community grass-root organizations that were very critical of baseball’s non-decision. “How does the commissioner think many of the Latino players who would attend the 2011 All-Star game would feel about playing in a state that can arbitrarily stop them and ask them for Identification?” Who makes the decision that one “might look” like an undocumented immigrant? How about the many Latino fans that would come from all over the country as well as the many Latinos that would come from the Caribbean and other Central and South American countries would feel when they all might be subject to being stopped and asked for identification because of this ridiculous law? These were many of the comments that were mentioned and repeated over and over driving in the point that MLB’s 2011 All-Star game in Arizona could be in jeopardy from a major Boycott by all sectors present in the rally.

Assemblyman Peter Rivera (D-Bx) and Estella Vásquez, from 1199 reminded and invited everyone to be present at the next rally scheduled for Friday July 30th, 2010 at Citi-Field (Mets Stadium) when the Arizona Diamondbacks come to New York for the first time this season to play the NY Mets.

What’s ironic is that on that same day, July 30th the Mets will be celebrating, “Flushing Day” with special discount tickets to the local Flushing Business Improvement District. Flushing is one of the most diverse communities in New York City and the perhaps the country and they will be playing a team  from Arizona, a state that  fears diversity. How about that!

New Version of Take Me Out To The Ball Game:

Take me out to the ball game

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks

I don’t care if I ever get back

Let me root, root root for the home team

If they don’t win it’s a shame

For it’s one , two three strikes your out

In the old ball game!

Take the game out of Phoenix

Move the All-Star Game now!

Until their government shows some tact,

We don’t think you should ever go back.

So let’s give respect to the people

Who come to the U-S- of A!

We’ll give one, two, three cheers to you

If you move the game!

Take the game out of Phoenix

Move the All-Star Game now!

To a state where there’s equal rights

That doesn’t treat immigrants with a fight

For it’s root, root, root for the justice

Zona’s laws are a shame

For its one, two three strikes

They’re out

Move the All Star Game!

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