Players Alliance

The Players Alliance was created in June 2020, in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, MN, as a non-profit organization that brings together current and former players who want baseball to play a larger role in promoting racial justice and equality, while promoting an inclusive culture within baseball. It played a significant role in shaping baseball's response to the events that rocked the United States during that summer, for example by encouraging voter registration and participation in that fall's elections. In 2021, it pushed for Commissioner Rob Manfred to move the 2021 All-Star Game away from Atlanta, GA, following the state of Georgia's adoption of a law ained at making it harder for minorities to vote.

In addition to its political work, the Alliance is working to promote baseball in disadvantaged communities, not just for young players, but also to create opportunities for employment of minorities in baseball. On July 12, 2021, in a joint press conference with Commissioner Manfred around the All-Star Game, that had been moved to Denver, CO, Major League Baseball announced a commitment of up to $150 million over the next ten years to support the Alliance's programs. The Alliance is also active in promoting Black baseball history and was instrumental in convincing MLB in January 2021 to recognize the principal Negro Leagues from the period of 1920-1948 as being major leagues.

The head of the Players Alliance is former major league player Curtis Granderson. It has the full backing of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Further Reading

• Mark Feinsand: "MLB commits up to $150M to Players Alliance", mlb.com, July 12, 2021. [1]

Related Sites

• Official website
• Announcement by the MLBPA