As huge businesses in the United States, it’s impossible for major sports to avoid being intertwined in some way with “politics,” which in turn means it is impossible for sports to ignore significant national events. Eventually, it all becomes connected, whether by way of direct policy impact or by way of taxes or by way of people voting with their feet, so to speak.
In response to the horrifying events last week at the U.S. Capitol, Major League Baseball is ceasing donations from its political action committee, pending a review of their policies. The exclusive comes via the AP:
AP EXCLUSIVE: MLB is suspending all political contributions in the wake of last week's invasion of the U.S. Capitol by a mob loyal to President Donald Trump.https://t.co/GjsZwInMF1
— Jake Seiner (@Jake_Seiner) January 13, 2021
MLB is the first of the major American pro sports leagues to suspend its PAC following the DC riots.
— Jake Seiner (@Jake_Seiner) January 13, 2021
You may recall that MLB’s lobbying efforts were in the news most recently as part of the “Save America’s Pastime Act,” exempting minor league players from various wage laws. For now, though, MLB as an institution will not be spending politically.
None of this is to say that MLB’s owners will be suspending their donations. The Cubs-owning Ricketts family has historically been exceptionally political, with only team Chairman Tom staying out of the fray publicly. Todd is the RNC Finance Chairman, Laura is a political activist, and Pete is the Governor of Nebraska. I don’t know that MLB’s decision will have an impact on the Cubs’ owners or those of other clubs, individually.