MLB calls lawsuit over All-Star Game ‘political theatrics’

MLB responded to a recent lawsuit over its decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta by calling the suit “political theatrics” in a court filing, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday.

The Job Creators Network (JCN) last week sued MLB in a New York federal court, arguing it should pay $100 million in damages to local businesses in Georgia as a result of moving the All-Star Game to Colorado.

Lawyers for the league said in Monday’s court filing that the plaintiffs didn’t provide any basis for their claims and that JCN is engaged in a publicity stunt, citing billboards in Times Square and “inflammatory advertisements in The New York Times.”

MLB argued that the court’s time “should not be wasted on political theatrics.”

The annual All-Star Game was moved from the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park to the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field in Denver after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed an election bill in April that critics argued was reminiscent of Jim Crow laws.

The All-Star Game will now be played in Denver on July 13.

JCN is slated to reply to MLB’s court filing on Tuesday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.