Communism and Baseball ?
Politics and Our National Pastime
The recent CBS programming of Goodnight and Good Luck, the portrayal of news reporter Edward Murrow’s criticism of Senator Joe McCarthy’s attack on organizations and individuals who he perceived as communist sympathizers, brings to mind the change of name of the Cincinnati Reds to the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1953.
“It was at the height of the fear of communism taking over the world,” said Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame. “The Reds didn’t want the headline with the ‘Cincinnati Reds. .” The change of names lasted until 1959 before changing back to the Reds. Possibly, they feared a potential World Series with the New York Yankees and a headline of “Reds Versus Yanks” (David Schoenfield)
Of course, this was not the only time we have seen politics and baseball collide. Since President Taft in 1910, presidents have often enjoyed the political goodwill earned from throwing out the first pitch to open the season. Franklin D. Roosevelt prohibited baseball owners from canceling baseball seasons due to the many WWII drafted players, stating it was in the nation’s best interest to keep the spirit of the game alive during difficult times. Many refer to the impact of the signing of Jackie Robinson had in regards to passing civil rights legislation in the 1950s.
More recently, in 2021, the All Star game was removed from Atlanta to L.A. in protest of newly passed election regulations passed by the Georgia Senate. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a sweeping, Republican-sponsored bill, that included new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run.
President Joe Biden supported the decision to move the game to another locale.
In a statement, former President Donald Trump blasted the move and urged his supporters to "boycott baseball and all of the woke companies that are interfering with Free and Fair Elections.'' Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, lauded the decision as honoring the legend of Braves great Hank Aaron.
Just a month ago, we learned that the President met with and encouraged MLB Commissioner Manfred to change the elibility requirements for the Hall of Fame admission of players who had been banned for life, to be eligible post humorously.
It is a shame that politics has injected itself into almost every avenue of our lives. Why can’t we just “Play Ball”.