Montreal Expos, what's next? UPDATE 3/25 - Stephen Bronfman says “I think we’re close.”

[BigMac1212]

Continues to mention Montreal would be a good candidate. Also mentions Charlotte. Likes Mexico City or somewhere in Mexico.

Monterey would be a better location than Mexico City. Closer to the border and the Sultans (sorry, too lazy to look up the actual Mexican name) has been good.

 

[Fenway]

http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/...r-fiasco-doesnt-bode-well-for-return-of-expos

Coupled with the bridge lighting and the granite tree stumps and all the rest of it, the Formula E debacle ought to spell electoral disaster for Coderre in November. Unfortunately, it’s hard to unseat the incumbent. The real question is whether a new ballpark would be feasible, no matter who is in the mayor’s office. First of all, the plan shouldn’t get off the ground without a guarantee from Major League Baseball, because you don’t want to get caught like Quebec City, with a state-of-the-art arena and no team to play in it.

Once that guarantee is in hand, the litmus test for a new ballpark should be simple: If the project is financially viable, then it makes sense for private investors to bear the brunt of the cost, as Molson did with what is now the Bell Centre. If it isn’t, then it doesn’t make sense to sink anyone’s money into it, public or private.

With the very real problems we face in this city and this province, this is not the place to squander millions on tree stumps or hundreds of millions on a baseball stadium. One Olympic-sized stadium debacle in this city was quite enough, thank you very much.

Look, I very much want to see the Expos return to Montreal, but not at any cost. Perhaps we can’t rule out some level of public investment — but Montrealers are not going to sit still for anything like the heist Jeffrey Loria pulled off with the Miami Marlins, a piece of chicanery that left Dade County taxpayers with a tab comparable to our own Olympic Stadium debt.

One shudders to think what Coderre would consider a viable stadium project. A ballpark with a praying mantis tower from which a retractable roof could be suspended, maybe? Surrounded by millions of dollars worth of ugly granite stumps?

Hey, but maybe the Formula E race could wind around the infield.

 

[Bjorn Le]

The Formula E controversy is being blown out of proportion and to be honest it's the Montreal Gazette, Montreal's only English daily (with a fairly neo-liberal/pro-business perspective, running most of the negative articles about it (in English at least, national outlets in Montreal have more or less ignored it). People are mad mostly because it inconvenienced part of the down for a few weeks, especially businesses. All the other complaints follow from that, and $24 million is honestly pennies a city like Montreal.

The financial concern is absolutely a roadblock to building a stadium, but there's zero chance it's going to be wholly publically funded anyway. I don't think the ePrix hurts the chance for a new Expo team, it just confirms the already present roadblocks.

 

[Melrose Munch]

https://ballparkdigest.com/2017/08/...-site-emerging-in-channel-district-ybor-city/

Might tampa be saved just yet?

 

[Mightygoose]

https://ballparkdigest.com/2017/08/...-site-emerging-in-channel-district-ybor-city/

Might tampa be saved just yet?

Did this article come on the heels of Manfred's comments yesterday?

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/manfred-says-tampa-bay-must-pick-pace-new-stadium/

Tampa Bay must....pick up pace....

Their agreement to look outside of St. Petes but within the region is valid for another 17 months.

 

[Bjorn Le]

https://ballparkdigest.com/2017/08/...-site-emerging-in-channel-district-ybor-city/

Might tampa be saved just yet?

The problem is the same as it always was. Even if they got their ideal spot which went to the medical school instead, who would have paid for it? Sternberg doesn't have the money, and after Miami did that whole nasty thing with their stadium.

 

[Mightygoose]

Reports that Montreal reach out to MLB to host the Astros-Rangers series

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/report-montreal-officials-reached-host-astros-rangers-series/

Logistically, I'm not sure how soon they could get the field installed in short notice so in that sense Tampa Bay was a better fit.

Since it just came out now, it's probably not a big PR stunt publicly but it's more keeping themselves good in MLB's books as the offer was 'well received' by that office.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Montreal keeps reaching out to MLB but keeps getting rebuffed.

Until Montreal gets a new stadium there is no conversation.

MLB wont help build it

 

[LeHab]

Montreal keeps reaching out to MLB but keeps getting rebuffed.

Until Montreal gets a new stadium there is no conversation.

MLB wont help build it

Unlike a hockey arena which usually hosts other events year long, baseball stadiums are pretty useless outside of baseball games. No one is going to take the risk of building a stadium without guarantee of a franchise.

Team would have to commit to building a new one but could play at the big O until construction is completed. In any case good luck finding private investors interested in funding a new stadium. They want to own an appreciating asset (team) and not depreciating one (stadium).

 

[No Fun Shogun]

As I've said in the past, there are probably a dozen or so markets that would catapult to the top of an expansion/relocation list if they built an MLB ballpark. MLB's not going to play favorites over anyone so long as they A) have an owner with loads of cash, and B) have an MLB stadium built/being built/financed.

 

[razor ray]

Designs of a new Montreal Expo stadium released

https://globalnews.ca/news/3757342/multiple-montreal-baseball-stadium-designs-being-considered/

http://ballparkdigest.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Montreal-ballpark-rendering-2.jpg

 

[gordie]

https://globalnews.ca/news/3757342/multiple-montreal-baseball-stadium-designs-being-considered/

http://ballparkdigest.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Montreal-ballpark-rendering-2.jpg

Abstract concept just like where the money is going to come from to build a new ballpark for a team that MLB has not committed.Need people with money willing to spend it on the MLB before any new MLB park can be built in Montreal

 

[cutchemist42]

I've always wonder if MLB would make the Expos pay money to the Jays if they came?

 

[rent free]

marlins should move to montreal

 

[Bjorn Le]

Abstract concept just like where the money is going to come from to build a new ballpark for a team that MLB has not committed.Need people with money willing to spend it on the MLB before any new MLB park can be built in Montreal

If they formally announce they are building a stadium, there is a very close to 100% chance that 1) the Rays are sold to a Bronfman/BCE/Molson group 2) the MLB begins a formal expansion process. This is not only because the MLB would want to expand/ return to Montreal, but because if a team has announced this, it has already been worked out behind the scenes already.

For a couple years now, people who would know something about this have been hinting their is a ownership group working behind the scenes (likely a group which includes as the major invests Bronfman, BCE., Inc and possibly even Molson). This isn't nothing, it's very significant. They wouldn't contract one of Quebec's largest architecture firms to draw them concept pictures. In all likelihood, Provencher Roy made up actual plans (which of course they're not going to publish at this time).

I'd say that for anyone hoping Montreal comes back, this is the biggest and brightest news in a very long time.

 

[Jumptheshark]

couple of quick responses to a few posts in this thread

1) Using the ticket sold for a 2 or 3 game series is a doubled edged sward-- selling lots of tickets to 2 or 3 games vs 81 games in a different story

2) Montreal has offered several times to host games--MLB gave a "polite" no. I get the feeling MLB does not want to go back to Montreal full time anytime soon

3) Announcing plans and actually building the stadium is two different things. So far, all the articles I have seen suggests that the guys who want to bring MLB back to Montreal would move back into the Big O for a few years, get financing for a new Stadium, build it and then move into it. The plan hinges on getting MLB to allow the a team to move back and into the Big O--a stadium they had trouble with when it was used for MLB towards the end the Spos run.

4) While many ball players have said publicly they loved their time in Montreal. Others were glad to leave. Montreal with some baseball players had the same problem that Vancouver had with Basketball players. Time has erased that bad memories for some

5) A rough estimate to get a team and build a new stadium is 2 billion dollars. To do things properly.

 

[Bjorn Le]

couple of quick responses to a few posts in this thread

1) Using the ticket sold for a 2 or 3 game series is a doubled edged sward-- selling lots of tickets to 2 or 3 games vs 81 games in a different story

2) Montreal has offered several times to host games--MLB gave a "polite" no. I get the feeling MLB does not want to go back to Montreal full time anytime soon

3) Announcing plans and actually building the stadium is two different things. So far, all the articles I have seen suggests that the guys who want to bring MLB back to Montreal would move back into the Big O for a few years, get financing for a new Stadium, build it and then move into it. The plan hinges on getting MLB to allow the a team to move back and into the Big O--a stadium they had trouble with when it was used for MLB towards the end the Spos run.

4) While many ball players have said publicly they loved their time in Montreal. Others were glad to leave. Montreal with some baseball players had the same problem that Vancouver had with Basketball players. Time has erased that bad memories for some

5) A rough estimate to get a team and build a new stadium is 2 billion dollars. To do things properly.

1) The only people using the tickets for the exhibition games are fans. The real arguments are it being a large market, two local TV contracts, and historical support for baseball (using the last post-lockout attendance numbers are akin to using exhibition tickets as an argument)

2) You're making a bigger deal of this than oyu should. Manfred said pretty clearly that Mexico (whether that be Monterrey or Mexico City) and Montreal are his two frontrunners for expansion. Given that stadium is the most important factor for whether a city gets a team, this means that Manfred prefers those two markets. It was a very longshot to get a series, given that the Big O is a horrible venue. The temporary venues they did use were actually nice places.

3) True, but there is a direct linkages in this case. It is extremely expensive to draw up plan for a stadium, even if they're not full fledged blueprints just yet. There has to be behind closed doors discussions with MLB. Plus, I can't see why MLB wouldn't let Montreal use the Big O for a 1-3 seasons. It's not as if they would be there full time.

4) People used to say the exact same about Toronto, and now you have many players say it's one of the best cities to play in. International players always loved Montreal, and the American players are less judgemental to start with. Montreal is also arguably more cosmopolitan than it was 15 years ago.

5) If it's Bronfman, BCE, and Molson involved, $2 billion is chump change. BCE could do that on their own.

 

[BigMac1212]

Interesting roof design. Still in the planning phase.

 

[donghabs98]

couple of quick responses to a few posts in this thread

1) Using the ticket sold for a 2 or 3 game series is a doubled edged sward-- selling lots of tickets to 2 or 3 games vs 81 games in a different story

2) Montreal has offered several times to host games--MLB gave a "polite" no. I get the feeling MLB does not want to go back to Montreal full time anytime soon

3) Announcing plans and actually building the stadium is two different things. So far, all the articles I have seen suggests that the guys who want to bring MLB back to Montreal would move back into the Big O for a few years, get financing for a new Stadium, build it and then move into it. The plan hinges on getting MLB to allow the a team to move back and into the Big O--a stadium they had trouble with when it was used for MLB towards the end the Spos run.

4) While many ball players have said publicly they loved their time in Montreal. Others were glad to leave. Montreal with some baseball players had the same problem that Vancouver had with Basketball players. Time has erased that bad memories for some

5) A rough estimate to get a team and build a new stadium is 2 billion dollars. To do things properly.

Which offers of hosting regular season games are you refering to? The only ones I recall are the offers made to help the hurricane affected teams which itself was impractical considering the short notice and logistics of it happening.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Content would definitely drive BCE to at least seriously attempt to purchase a MLB team or an expansion team (probably $1 billion at least) and pay for part of a stadium as it would provide them with 160 plus days or evenings of tv coverage on their national or regional TSN stations. This would help their ratings immensely.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Tampa better get it together, the funding will come together soon in Montreal and Manfred's patience will run out.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Just a link but is Rogers stupid? No reason to block return of expos.

https://tipofthetower.com/2017/10/03/toronto-blue-jays-return-montreal-expos-bad-business/
Toronto wouldn’t be ‘ghettoize’ in Canada but a quick lock at the national demographics could be cause for concern for the Blue Jays.
As it stands Rogers essentially has a baseball monopoly over the more than 35 million people in Canada.
But Quebec makes up nearly a quarter of that population and if you add Canada’s four Atlantic provinces to that mix, there are nearly 10.5 million Canadians that would be at risk of jumping over to Canada’s eastern most team. And these numbers do not include other Francophones in Canada, that may be drawn to a team from French-Canada. @Mightygoose

 

[Bjorn Le]

Just a link but is Rogers stupid? No reason to block return of expos.

https://tipofthetower.com/2017/10/03/toronto-blue-jays-return-montreal-expos-bad-business/
Toronto wouldn’t be ‘ghettoize’ in Canada but a quick lock at the national demographics could be cause for concern for the Blue Jays.
As it stands Rogers essentially has a baseball monopoly over the more than 35 million people in Canada.
But Quebec makes up nearly a quarter of that population and if you add Canada’s four Atlantic provinces to that mix, there are nearly 10.5 million Canadians that would be at risk of jumping over to Canada’s eastern most team. And these numbers do not include other Francophones in Canada, that may be drawn to a team from French-Canada. @Mightygoose

Rogers is stupid but I can't imagine they would actually block the return of the Expos. It's not all good for them, but if they were publically caught to be blocking the Expos, they would hurt their support pretty significantly as well.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Rogers is stupid but I can't imagine they would actually block the return of the Expos. It's not all good for them, but if they were publically caught to be blocking the Expos, they would hurt their support pretty significantly as well.

I hope so. would make people not support the jays.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

The title is hilarious because the renderings look like something that would've been done in my high school architectural drafting class over 10 years ago.