Baseball in foul ground on Arizona immigration laws

Among the litany of problems that seem to make front page headlines throughout newspapers and websites across the country was the recent new immigration laws in Arizona.  The laws state that the failure to carry immigration documents is a crime and it gives the police broad power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.  Several major league baseball players and managers have spoken out against the laws, including Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.  They have called for Major League Baseball to take action, such as moving spring training out of Arizona or changing the site of the 2011 All-Star game, to be held in Arizona.

It seems like all too long ago the former Senator George Mitchell was standing in front of a podium releasing to the nation the dirty secrets of America's pastime.  I didn't enjoy the federal government in the game of baseball ... the MLB should pass on returning the favor.  Let this one go Bud Selig.  It's a losing proposition.  If players as individual entities want to make a vocal stand, that's their prerogative.  But any team or MLB as a whole has no business taking action.  This is not your fight.  Let government police themselves.  Doesn't baseball have enough to worry about?

The decisions that baseball must make are those that are in the best interest of the game, not American society.  And while it is the people in that society that pay their dollars to go to the ballparks around the country, until there is an effect on baseball itself, remain neutral and protect borders of your game, not the country.

Zinno