One of the biggest surprises that came out of this year’s MLB All Star Game festivities was Commissioner Bud Selig’s statement that Montreal might be a viable location for a major league team in the not-so-distant future.
If you have followed baseball over the last few years, you probably know that the MLB team formerly known as the Montreal Expos is now sporting its “curly W” and #natitude down the coast in D. C. as the Washington Nationals. The Nats began play in 2005 after relocating from Quebec.
The last few years the Expos played at the old, cavernous Olympic Stadium were depressing. Dwindling crowds and middling interest doomed the club to failure. At one point, they were even on a short list of teams bound for ‘contraction.’
Many baseball aficionados will tell you the bi-lingual ballclub was doomed after the strike-shortened 1994 season. At that point, the Expos were riding high; rolling to first place in the N.L. East when the season was abruptly halted in August. By the time the games returned the following season, it’s like the last bit of enthusiasm for the game had been drained from the Montreal fans.
Efforts to develop a new, modern downtown stadium were met with an air of N'importe quoi…
By the time we visited Montreal in ’96 and saw them lose a Sunday afternoon game to the Dodgers, the atmosphere was surreal.
Costumed characters roamed the stands, patrons were treated to a unique collection of jarring sound-effects via the public address system and many fans in attendance were more interested in following the action of their beloved Canadiens hockey club than watching the game on the field.
It was hard to believe, at that point, that On va aux Expos!
Fast forward to 2014 and it seems there is a groundswell of grass roots support to bring the game back to the city. Led by former Expo star Warren Cromartie, the Montreal Baseball Project has rallied interest. Two exhibition games this spring – featuring the near-by Toronto Blue Jays – brought more than 95,000 enthusiastic Quebecois to the ballpark.
The Commish took notice.
With the Tampa franchise failing to draw fans to its own cavernous dome – and also failing to draw interest for a new ballpark – it could be a candidate for relocation. Enter the enthusiastic Quebeccers. We’ve not reached the point of saying it’s a home run, yet, but let’s just say MLB is in the “It might be, it could be…” phase.
I didn’t realize what a rich baseball tradition the city held. The Montreal Baseball Project website outlines the details. Apart from the Expos, which did have some reasonable success over the years, the city has definitely supported the game for quite a long period of time.
Maybe it could do so again? Peut-être.
JG
Originally posted 6/17/2014
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