OT: All-Purpose Expos Return Topic (Part II)

[Chili]

Remembering the Puerto Rico experience, the players weren't too thrilled. Must have seemed like more road games for them.

 

[Habaneros]

Remembering the Puerto Rico experience, the players weren't too thrilled. Must have seemed like more road games for them.

what city gets the playoffs games??

what city would get the world series games?

Tampa is a playoff team ...

If i was a Rays fan i burn and cancel tickets today....not that there is lots of ticket being sold down there...but...

 

[Le Tricolore]

watch Tampa attendance now....

it'll plummet

 

[Habaneros]

Published Thursday, June 20, 2019 11:23AM EDT

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/bring-on-baseball-but-don-t-expect-quebecers-to-watch-survey-1.4474951

 

[donghabs98]

Love that there's movement on the expos front, but really don't like the split team scenario. It really sucked when we had the handful of games in PR, so I can imagine Rays fans will feel the same, and that sucks. Also, it's not like they'd be a split team, and then all of a sudden go back to fully TB- the fans know it'll be a matter of time.

On our front, I can't really imagine many new fans cheering for a team that's only half ours- Montreal might struggle to get good attendance, and if our re-intro to baseball is splitting a team with zero cultural cachet and zero ties to the city, we're starting off weak. Since the Expos left, basketball has surpassed baseball, especially in Canada, so not only will the team be competing against the Habs, but the new generation who already doesn't care about baseball is getting drawn towards basketball, and with the raptors doing so well, they really need to go all out with bringing a team here, or it won't work.

I'd have to look at enrollment numbers for baseball and basketball but both sports can coexist with each other. They are fundamentally different in terms of when/where it takes place and style of play. There is no doubt that baseball Canada needs to step up and still appealing to kids and teens today but the hype around a team returning to Canada will help with that. The Raptors success has swept through the country but we cant forget the hype around the Jays when they went on their runs too since had they won in 2015 I'd imagine the hype would be quite large too.

 

[WickedPegJets]

If Major League Baseball accepts this proposal, can we called the team the Tampa Bay Rays/Montreal Soleil?

With the Jays in the same AL East Division, Montreal fans could see the Jays and Vladimir Jr at the Big O up to nine home games (at 53,000 per) in Year 1. Then you have huge draws with the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Montreal fans, get your hopes up for the AL DH experience!

 

[Milhouse40]

if they are goona split the team "for real" long term...how do you called them Expos???

I hope this is nothing more than buying time for Montreal to finish a new park, then moved fulltime to Montreal .

Say no to"long term" sharing...lol

IT will be the Ex-Rays for those years….seems fit.

 

[Habaneros]

IT will be the Ex-Rays for those years….seems fit.

i wanna shake things up ..how about this


Montreal Blue Rays


Youppi would need to be dyed blue of course.

 

[donghabs98]

what city gets the playoffs games??

what city would get the world series games?

Tampa is a playoff team ...

If i was a Rays fan i burn and cancel tickets today....not that there is lots of ticket being sold down there...but...

To be honest, at this point the Rays fans that show up are likely diehards who will support the team untill they arent there anymore. The rest are likely casual fans who got a real good deal on tickets and visiting fans.

Look at it this way, the Tampa market has given no reasons why ownership should believe numbers will bounce back. The potential to gain a larger fan base and merchandise sales is higher in Montreal. Logically it makes sense to try and tap into that rather than stick around till 2027 in a fan base that simply doesn't show any life in it. At worst, you have to spend 2 months of the season playing in a near empty stadium in Tampa (they already do). At best, you facilitate a early full time move to a brand new stadium, generate a lot of goodwill and attention and bring in revenue that is currently impossible in Tampa.

 

[Milhouse40]

i wanna shake things up ..how about this


Montreal Blue Rays

Les raies bleu
In french it doesn't really work….

Let's just hope our good medias will shut the f*** up about getting all french management, coaches and players this time around.

 

[Habaneros]

To be honest, at this point the Rays fans that show up are likely diehards who will support the team untill they arent there anymore. The rest are likely casual fans who got a real good deal on tickets and visiting fans.

Look at it this way, the Tampa market has given no reasons why ownership should believe numbers will bounce back. The potential to gain a larger fan base and merchandise sales is higher in Montreal. Logically it makes sense to try and tap into that rather than stick around till 2027 in a fan base that simply doesn't show any life in it.

as a nice Canadian gesture, we could offer all 5000(or less) paying Tampa Bay Rays fans Canadian citizenship....

 

[Habaneros]

Les raies bleu
In french it doesn't really work….

Let's just hope our good medias will shut the **** up about getting all french management, coaches and players this time around.

the Blue Rays vs Blue Jays..battle for Canada

dye Youppi Blue...and Habs can keep an orange Youppi... we all win

When Gurerro Jr goes UFA he plays for Blue Rays...of course

 

[EpochLink]

MLB should bite the bullet and move the Rays to Montreal.

 

[Habaneros]

MLB should bite the bullet and move the Rays to Montreal.

just wondering...isn't the Big O scheduled to be getting major reno's for the World Cup of soccer upcoming?...just wondering if this might be some reason they cant move them up full time to Montreal....(yet)...they'd be in the way of the renovation work

 

[Habs Halifax]

MLB should bite the bullet and move the Rays to Montreal.

I wonder what the conversations are about a partner ship between the group that wants to bring a team to Montreal and the current owner of the Rays. According to my calculations, if the guy who wants to buy the Rays 100% and build a new stadium in Montreal, he is looking at $2.5B - $3B range (CAD). Huge money. But if the guy in Montreal buys around 50%, his cost to purchase half the team and build a stadium drops to about $1.5B - $2B range. The wild card is how much to buy land, Stadium, and any development around it. That should fall around $0.5B - $1B range IMO

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Would tickets be expensive? I remember baseball tickets being dirt cheap , with the price of beer and hot dogs I can’t see a baseball team selling out in mtl unless the tickets are at a fair price. Because if it’s gonna cost 300$ bringing your wife and kids to a baseball game that might be a problem lol

 

[BeastMode420]

I have multiple friends in the Angels & Dodgers front offices.

This split season share between TB and MON is just the start of the process so as to not cause a uproar.

Within 2 years they will become the Montreal Expos

 

[HabsDood]

Les raies bleu
In french it doesn't really work….

Let's just hope our good medias will shut the **** up about getting all french management, coaches and players this time around.

He non, les Rayons bleus..

 

[LeHab]

MLB should bite the bullet and move the Rays to Montreal.

Lease in Tampa is the sticking point for any relocation.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Montreal X-Rays

 

[Habaneros]

I have multiple friends in the Angels & Dodgers front offices.

This split season share between TB and MON is just the start of the process so as to not cause a uproar.

Within 2 years they will become the Montreal Expos

that made most sense to me ,soon as the news broke....


I don't think Montreal could play a full season at Big O even if they wanted to over the next 2-3 years,as they are getting ready to replace the roof(new retractable one) at Big O and do upgrades likley 400-450-500 million worth for 2026 world cup ....OR a 5- 10 year Expos stay??lol stay tuned

 

[killa3312]

As a Rays fan who knows Tampa Bay could draw with a better location and a new stadium, it’s sad, but I would be happy for Expos fans as I love your city and I know you would appreciate the product the Rays are going to produce. They’re already a very good team and this is probably the worst they’re going to be in a long time. Wander Franco is the next big MLB superstar and will be the face of the franchise for years, they have unbelievable pitching top to bottom in both the majors and minors, etc. just a well run franchise.

I would still support the franchise even if they made the move to Montreal full time. Gotta get my baseball fix somehow and hell if I’m rooting for the Marlins or Braves.

 

[Habaneros]

As a Rays fan who knows Tampa Bay could draw with a better location and a new stadium, it’s sad, but I would be happy for Expos fans as I love your city and I know you would appreciate the product the Rays are going to produce. They’re already a very good team and this is probably the worst they’re going to be in a long time. Wander Franco is the next big MLB superstar and will be the face of the franchise for years, they have unbelievable pitching top to bottom in both the majors and minors, etc. just a well run franchise.

I would still support the franchise even if they made the move to Montreal full time. Gotta get my baseball fix somehow and hell if I’m rooting for the Marlins or Braves.

It sucks hard for the die hard fans of the Rays...Montreal been down the very road in 2004(the end) we felt it first hand..(myself).i never followed the Washington Nationals(Expos) ever after they left , they was dead to me

.......Your dollars worth near 30% more up here , so cheap flights, still watch the Rays ...

 

[coolasprICE]

If the expos Return back to Montreal so will I...!!!

Toronto will never be my true home.

 

[Knuckles30]

Remembering the Puerto Rico experience, the players weren't too thrilled. Must have seemed like more road games for them.

Difference here is that it would essentially be extended spring training, not 2 extra long road trips during the season.