Basebal Returning to Montreal in 2009?

[Breakwood]

Why bother. The Expos are gone. Why celebrate the 40th anniversary when they don't exist anymore!!!!!!!!!!! Dumb

That's a good point. What's the purpose of celebrating what could have been? But really, it ain't no different to what Expos fans have always done, like constantly bragging about being the best team in Baseball in 1994, when they never really won the world series...nor did they even get the chance to do so.

It's too bad because if they had won it, I might have ended up being a baseball fan.

That's the spirit. Screw the local team until they win something then jump on the bandwagon

[njmeadowlanders]

Where is this speculation coming from?

[NoHoJoe]

How many people do they expect to draw to this game? I wouldn't think many people in Montreal would come out to see it based on how MLB shafted them.

Montreal, thanks to the ineptness of Bud Selig, is, more or less, on the verge of becoming a sports ghost town. The Canadeins have a 15 year drought since last winning Lord Stanely, and The Als have had spotty attendance at Moslon Atadium. Montrealers have to travel to Ottowa, Toronto, or even into the states to see a baseball game. SOmething needs to be done to have Pro Baseball return in some form to Montreal!

[Gothamite]

The lack of baseball in Montreal is solely their own doing.

Montreal could have kept the Expos. All they needed to do was built a new park, which has been the cost of being in the majors for over half a century.

Every other city has found a way to do it - not baseball's fault that Montreal couldn't put Labatt Park together....

[Breakwood]

How many people do they expect to draw to this game? I wouldn't think many people in Montreal would come out to see it based on how MLB shafted them.

Montreal, thanks to the ineptness of Bud Selig, is, more or less, on the verge of becoming a sports ghost town. The Canadeins have a 15 year drought since last winning Lord Stanely, and The Als have had spotty attendance at Moslon Atadium. Montrealers have to travel to Ottowa, Toronto, or even into the states to see a baseball game. SOmething needs to be done to have Pro Baseball return in some form to Montreal!

Montreal sells out every Canadiens game and have for the past 10 years. They also have the best attendance for all USL teams and are a leading candidate for a MLS franchise.

I'd like hear why you say that the Als have spotty attendence. Last year the Als average attendance was 22,903. Molson Stadium's capacity is 20,202 (Yes that include a couple games at Olympic Stadium, because it's impossible to get a ticket to Molson Stadium. Spotty attendance indeed.

[CC97]

The lack of baseball in Montreal is solely their own doing.

Montreal could have kept the Expos. All they needed to do was built a new park, which has been the cost of being in the majors for over half a century.

Every other city has found a way to do it - not baseball's fault that Montreal couldn't put Labatt Park together....

I may be wrong about this, but when the Province du Québéc finally agreed to pony up the money for a new stadium didn't Jeffrey Loria turn it down?

[Gothamite]

I'm not familiar with such an offer. Nothing springs up on the New York Times database, but I'll keep searching.

I'd tend to doubt it, though. Wouldn't fit with what they had been saying since 1997.

[CC97]

I'm not familiar with such an offer. Nothing springs up on the New York Times database, but I'll keep searching.

I'd tend to doubt it, though. Wouldn't fit with what they had been saying since 1997.

For some reason I'm recalling something like that -- maybe they donated the land for the stadium and he declined it?

[TampaBayEverybodyLovesRays]

The proposed stadium for the Expos was absolutely sick. Would have been one of the best looking parks in all of baseball.

I would love for (permanent) baseball to return to Montreal- but if it does, it won't be for a long time. At least not during Bud Selig's administration, afterall, they probably lost a lot of faith in the population of Quebec. However, maybe this exhibition could possibly be a ploy by MLB to "test the waters" in Montreal...

[pollux]

I don't recall any level (federal, provincial, or municipal) being ready to put money for the Expos. The main reason was that they were still paying for the Big-O at the time, and that they wouldn't pay for 2 stadiums.

And this is the ballpark that could've been...

[Gothamite]

There were actually two different plans, as seen here. The first, in 1998, was a more traditional structure, with a brick facade, while the 2000 plan was all glass and steel.

I don't recall any public assistance forthcoming at all, even just the land.

And to get back to the original post, just where is this "speculation" coming from?

[CC97]

There were actually two different plans, as seen here. The first, in 1998, was a more traditional structure, with a brick facade, while the 2000 plan was all glass and steel.

I don't recall any public assistance forthcoming at all, even just the land.

And to get back to the original post, just where is this "speculation" coming from?

I'm going to slink back and assume I either mis-remembered and have over-the-years changed a memory of a rumour into a memory of a fact.

Those renderings of the stadium with the skyline right there are beautiful... just imagine what could have been if it were able to happen somehow.

[Waffles]

Does anyone know if the city of Montreal, or an individual or group in Montreal, got a Cleveland Browns/Seattle SuperSonics-type deal to keep the Expos identity and history?

[CC97]

Does anyone know if the city of Montreal, or an individual or group in Montreal, got a Cleveland Browns/Seattle SuperSonics-type deal to keep the Expos identity and history?

I don't think so -- the general feeling around the city at the time seemed to be that it didn't really care that the team was leaving... the Nationals have the Expos logo and their statistics up as their own on their history page... http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/history/index.jsp

[Gothamite]

The history is definitely in Washington, but if Montreal ever put a team together I suspect that'd be easy to fix. Then again, I also suspect that they'd want a clean start.

It is a shame - either one of those two stadia would have been beautiful. I love Montreal - would have been great.

[rams80]

How many people do they expect to draw to this game? I wouldn't think many people in Montreal would come out to see it based on how MLB shafted them.

Montreal, thanks to the ineptness of Bud Selig, is, more or less, on the verge of becoming a sports ghost town. The Canadeins have a 15 year drought since last winning Lord Stanely, and The Als have had spotty attendance at Moslon Atadium. Montrealers have to travel to Ottowa, Toronto, or even into the states to see a baseball game. SOmething needs to be done to have Pro Baseball return in some form to Montreal!

Why don't they put together an ownership group for the Can-Am League?

[NDwas]

The Nationals are treating most Expos history like it is none of their own. No references to "franchise history," and sadly, no chance the Nats will ever wear Expos uniforms. In all honesty, that's the way it should be. I'm a big fan of those Expos unis, but I'm angrier by the fact that they haven't worn any Senators gear since the team came to DC.

They don't even fly a Canadian flag at Nationals Park anymore (thanks to really dumb requests by fans). I personally find that offensive, especially since two Nationals players - Shawn Hill and Pete Orr - are Canadian.

Statistics are handled in a different manner. I remember when Alfonso Soriano hit 46 homers in 2006, the Nationals treated it as a franchise record (MON/WAS), a Nationals record, and referred to Soriano's season as the second-best in Washington baseball history (behind Frank Howard's 48 for the Senators in 1969).

[njmeadowlanders]

It would've been an awesome park--but--for the third time by my count--where is this speculation coming from?

[njmeadowlanders]

The Nationals are treating most Expos history like it is none of their own. No references to "franchise history," and sadly, no chance the Nats will ever wear Expos uniforms. In all honesty, that's the way it should be. I'm a big fan of those Expos unis, but I'm angrier by the fact that they haven't worn any Senators gear since the team came to DC.

They don't even fly a Canadian flag at Nationals Park anymore (thanks to really dumb requests by fans). I personally find that offensive, especially since two Nationals players - Shawn Hill and Pete Orr - are Canadian.

Statistics are handled in a different manner. I remember when Alfonso Soriano hit 46 homers in 2006, the Nationals treated it as a franchise record (MON/WAS), a Nationals record, and referred to Soriano's season as the second-best in Washington baseball history (behind Frank Howard's 48 for the Senators in 1969).

Since when? I was there on June 3rd vs. St. Louis, and it was there...I could post a picture when I switch computers later if nobody beats me to the punch...

Then again, I shouldn't talk...the Mets don't fly it at Shea...and even when Montreal was in the division, I can't recall ever seeing it, nor do I see it in any photos I have of the Expos @ Shea when the American flag IS visible...

[oddball]

Ignore this rumor. It would be like the NFL having a game in Baltimore after the Colts left, Anaheim after the Rams left, or the NBA having game in Seattle now that the Sonics have left. It's a stupid idea, and won't happen. Why would you have a game there? For what reason? To gauge interest? There is none among the fans, there is none because there won't be a new stadium. It's the same thing as with Quebec and the NHL.