Montreal Spring Training Games

[HERPDERP]

broken wrist E5

[G-Snarls]

That stadium is a shithole, it really is

 

But the atmosphere last night was great

[G-Snarls]

Anyhow, meeting plans for those there today:

 

There are very flew places to meet, hardly anywhere with chairs.

 

Today at 12:30 my friend and I are going to go to the "Cube Bar" area on the 3B side. It's at the concession area above 100 level seats, near the top of sections 120/122 I think - near there anyway.

 

Come on over for a beer and say hi if you have time. I'll be wearing my blue Lawrie jersey but with "Tuiasosopo" taped across the name

 

Cheers,

 

Gsnarls

[ElNik2013]

It would be interesting to find out who is behind Warren Cromartie's efforts to bring a team back to MTL. He's hinted there are some big players behind the scenes. That's really where it starts, you must have the city's business people on board to be taken seriously. A downtown stadium would obviously have to be part of the equation. Who knows, time will tell. A couple of cities have lost their team and got it back later on.

[G-Snarls]

[ElNik2013]

As far as fan support goes, I'm really not sure. I went to tons of games in '98 and '99, then went to fewer and fewer games as the whole situation worsened. I suspect tons of people stopped going after the '95 fire sale and people forget that the team was decent in '96 only to again be broken up because of crappy ownership. Objectively, I don't know how many MLB markets would've put up with what ownership did here. I think it has to start with finding a good owner.

[G-Snarls]

Fox sports guys were there and some MLB officials and the mayor of Montreal:

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/morosi-major-league-baseball-returns-to-montreal-032914

Edited March 29, 2014 by G-Snarls

[GeorgiaPeach]

A business model that is only sustained by revenue sharing. Recalling the 2008 Deadspin article about the Rays finances:

http://deadspin.com/5619203/tampa-bay-rays-financial-documents//all

 

Look closely how much they made on revenue sharing.. sooner or later, many of the owners are going to pull the plug on the Rays if they don't see attendance rise, a new stadium, etc. Basically, it's a money pit.

 

And.....the Phoenix Coyotes continue on in the NHL.

 

The way you speak, you make it sound like teams can pick up like a homeless person and just move on.

[ElNik2013]

I wonder what the average ticket price was for the 2 games. It looks like they'll have 90K fans over the 2 games, that's some decent revenue for the event organizers and participants.

[ElNik2013]

With the talk of promoting the game internationally, MLB should keep an open mind with regards to MTL getting back a team or Vancouver getting a team for the first time or any other possibility and I'm sure they will.

[kgm1]

Yeah pretty much. Won't be checking into this forum and no radio on the way home, lol.

 

 

I'm missing the whole week as I'm in Mexico , All I'll see is whatever games are on ESPN Espanol .

[jaysfan2014]

That was only because Gary Bettman wants his big US television deal, and unlike the Rays and A's, Jobing.com Arena is actually decent. The Rays and A's situations are different than the Phoenix Coyotes.. and the Coyotes may still end up moving within 5 years, if the team continues to lose money.

 

MLB is not going to wait around for the Rays and A's stadium situation to go unresolved forever.

[kgm1]

Not sure if anyone posted this but a fan fell at the game last nite and is in Critical condition . Anyone heard from Jay ?

 

om the Montreal Gazette:

 

According to a release, the man, in his 40s, fell while walking to his seat, falling 10 to 15 metres to the ground below. Police say the call was received at 10:45 p.m., at or near the end of an exhibition between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets.

 

 

Too old for Jay . Stay safe guys

Police were on the scene after the game. It was not immediately clear where the incident took place, or if the man fell during the game.

[jaysfan2014]

Here's another reason the Rays need to move to Montreal:

 

"The seats will be covered with tarps, part of the reason the Trop's capacity this year will drop from about 34,000 to about 31,000. On the other hand, if the Rays make it to the playoffs, the tarps could come off."

 

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/tampa-bay-rays-unveil-new-360-degree-walkway-around-tropicana-field/2172378

 

The investment would be nice.. but they really need a new stadium. This is basically like putting lipstick on a pig. And the decreased capacity is a bad sign. And also, didn't Toronto already do this last year when they removed Windows?

[KSaw]

And.....the Phoenix Coyotes continue on in the NHL.

 

The way you speak, you make it sound like teams can pick up like a homeless person and just move on.

 

And they become the Arizona Coyotes next year. Still just a placeholder because the second an arena deal finally gets done in Vegas, they will become the Las Vegas Coyotes. The NBA will jump in there fast too.

[Sammy225]

And they become the Arizona Coyotes next year. Still just a placeholder because the second an arena deal finally gets done in Vegas, they will become the Las Vegas Coyotes. The NBA will jump in there fast too.

 

Nope they are going to end up in Seattle or Kansas.

[jays4life19]

Last preseason game today.....let's just hope we make it out healthy.

 

It's been a pretty good spring this year.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Not sure if anyone posted this but a fan fell at the game last nite and is in Critical condition . Anyone heard from Jay ?

 

om the Montreal Gazette:

 

According to a release, the man, in his 40s, fell while walking to his seat, falling 10 to 15 metres to the ground below. Police say the call was received at 10:45 p.m., at or near the end of an exhibition between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets.

 

Too old for Jay . Stay safe guys

Police were on the scene after the game. It was not immediately clear where the incident took place, or if the man fell during the game.

 

Too old? Jay's in his 40's. And Silvio was with him. Someone would've posted something.

[GeorgiaPeach]

Here's another reason the Rays need to move to Montreal:

 

"The seats will be covered with tarps, part of the reason the Trop's capacity this year will drop from about 34,000 to about 31,000. On the other hand, if the Rays make it to the playoffs, the tarps could come off."

 

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/tampa-bay-rays-unveil-new-360-degree-walkway-around-tropicana-field/2172378

 

The investment would be nice.. but they really need a new stadium. This is basically like putting lipstick on a pig. And the decreased capacity is a bad sign. And also, didn't Toronto already do this last year when they removed Windows?

 

Um.....there's a trend around baseball if you haven't already noticed. Pretty much every team that has built a new stadium, has built their new park with less seating capacity. And sadly the numbers you quote about the lipstick on the pig being the Trop'. Even when the Expos were dominating baseball back in 1994, their average attendance that year still wouldn't have filled a tarped off Trop' of 31,000.

 

Embarrassing to say the least.

 

MLB should move the team to Brooklyn and compensate the Yanks or Mets by breaking their territorial rights with some of the pooled revenue MLB receives.

 

This whole discussion should be what's best for MLB. As it stands now the thread is like a societal special interest group lobbying for their stupid causes.

[reedjohnsonfan]

While drinking down the sorrows as a Leafs fan, that was really fun to see during commercials. The walk off hit had a packed stadium on their feet, reminiscent of the good times for baseball there.

[G-Snarls]

Last preseason game today.....let's just hope we make it out healthy.

 

It's been a pretty good spring this year.

 

Yep

 

I feel.better about then team than I did a month ago, that's for sure

[Chappy]

Yep

 

I feel.better about then team than I did a month ago, that's for sure

 

I feel the same way. This team is a long shot to say the least but when healthy that lineup is going to do serious damage,

[Horses Fart]

 

2 thumbs up for this. Im sure those kids were pretty excited!

[BlueJaysGirl]

Why, oh why, can't we somehow get this guy on the 25-man roster...

 

[BlueJaysGirl]

2 thumbs up for this. Im sure those kids were pretty excited!

 

I remember when I was a kid in hospital I, and the other kids, was visited by a group of athletes including Ferguson Jenkins and some current CFL players (Roger Aldag, Polecat Boley and others). It was really cool. It certainly had an impact. I wasn't a baseball fan until I met Ferguson. I remember his fingers looked like they were a foot long.

[G-Snarls]

And I know some might say it's gratuitous but they don't have to do it and I'm sure the kids love it.

 

Not everyone is willing. A friend of mine was a season ticket holder in Boston for years. and it was a well known fact that the them would try all year long to get Manny Ramirez to do an occasional appearance. Even just to go to roped off area form auto graphs on fan appreciation day. And he never did a single appearance at anything the ENTIRE time he played for the Red Sox.

 

OTOH Tom Brady does stuff like this all the time. My fiend's daughter was sick in hospital and met a bunch of the Patriots players.

[Horses Fart]

And I know some might say it's gratuitous but they don't have to do it and I'm sure the kids love it.

 

Not everyone is willing. A friend of mine was a season ticket holder in Boston for years. and it was a well known fact that the them would try all year long to get Manny Ramirez to do an occasional appearance. Even just to go to roped off area form auto graphs on fan appreciation day. And he never did a single appearance at anything the ENTIRE time he played for the Red Sox.

 

OTOH Tom Brady does stuff like this all the time. My fiend's daughter was sick in hospital and met a bunch of the Patriots players.

 

Jerk Jaws......as if he couldnt take an hr of his time to give back. Maybe he gave back in other ways i dont know.

[jaysfan2014]

Have you even seen the Trop? It's ranked by many as the worst stadium or next to the O.co as the worst stadiums in baseball. And attendances back in 1994 all around baseball were lower than they are now, so those numbers have to be adjusted for inflation, population growth, increased fanbase, etc.

 

What hurt Montreal was bad ownership. Today, they wouldn't have this problem as much, as there are owners committed to get a team in Montreal.

[G-Snarls]

Fans went nuts here for Grissolm and Alou

[jaysfan2014]

Hey, the Habs sent Youppi over! But I can see the Habs jersey under the Expos jersey..