Rays owner has had discussions about moving to Montreal

[burlingtonbandit]

And according to sources, Sternberg has had discussions with wealthy Wall Street associates about moving the Rays to Montreal, which has been without a major-league franchise since the Expos were transferred to Washington in 2005. As one major-league official put it to me Friday: “Say what you will about Montreal, but the Expos drew well over two million fans four times there in their heyday, while the Rays did that only once, their first year.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/madden-rays-rocked-frustrated-joe-maddon-opts-walk-article-1.1986150

 

Obviously this doesn't mean the Rays are moving to Montreal tomorrow but it is definitely encouraging. Clearly the owner is frustrated with Tampa and Friedman and Maddon leaving might actually be good for the franchise if they can expedite leaving town to Montreal. As much as Tampa has lost in the last 2 weeks they still have a pretty good group of players and Montreal could support a payroll of at least $100 Million.

[Jimcanuck]

Where would they play? Jarry Park??

[Deadpool]

Why would they go to a location that's already failed...and failed miserably?

 

I think they'll be fine if they keep Jeffrey Loria the f*** away from ownership...

[Jimcanuck]

Montreal and Toronto in the ALE? The other three teams would be pissed

[KingKat]

I think they'll be fine if they keep Jeffrey Loria the f*** away from ownership...

 

They were in trouble before Loria. In fact they were naive to think he would save the franchise. He pretty much did the opposite but that doesn't change the fact that the franchise was already in need of saving. Loria is a convenient scapegoat. Blamin him ignores a lot of the problems with the situation in Montreal.

[burlingtonbandit]

They were in trouble before Loria. In fact they were naive to think he would save the franchise. He pretty much did the opposite but that doesn't change the fact that the franchise was already in need of saving. Loria is a convenient scapegoat. Blamin him ignores a lot of the problems with the situation in Montreal.

 

First of all they played in the shittiest stadium in the MLB. Obviously Montreal would have to build a brand new downtown stadium for them to move there but if that gets done then baseball will be successful in Montreal. The Big Owe was in a terrible location and the strike put a damper on baseball in the city. But if you look at the situation right now there are a ton of baseball fans in Montreal.

 

If they move to the AL East with the Jays, Yankees and Red Sox you could count on sellouts for 3/4 of division games.

[KingKat]

First of all they played in the shittiest stadium in the MLB. Obviously Montreal would have to build a brand new downtown stadium for them to move there but if that gets done then baseball will be successful in Montreal. The Big Owe was in a terrible location and the strike put a damper on baseball in the city. But if you look at the situation right now there are a ton of baseball fans in Montreal.

 

If they move to the AL East with the Jays, Yankees and Red Sox you could count on sellouts for 3/4 of division games.

 

There is no eagerness to finance a downtown stadium in Montreal. They got burned by the Big O and a reluctance to get burned again trumps any attachment to The Expos by a large margin. If they are tons of baseball fans in Montreal why did they fail to sell out the first baseball games there in a decade? You would think these tons of baseball fans would be chomping at the bit to make a show of their support for baseball.

 

There's nothing to be done in Montreal. The stadium is bad, to an extent, but it's not as big a factor as people make it out to be. It's not right downtown but it's still right in the middle of the island and easily accessible by public transportation. It's a much better stadium than the Trop. The real problem is that's it's not a great baseball market and the commitment to The Expos both by the public and by public officials is soft.

[dineke]

I think Montreal would rather have an NBA team.

[Angrioter]

Gran noticia!!

 

AA for Longo will be a nasty trade for us!

[glory]

On the bright side, when Alex hears of this, he will go for his "dream job", and the Jays could trade him to the Expos for a bench bat.

[burlingtonbandit]

There is no eagerness to finance a downtown stadium in Montreal. They got burned by the Big O and a reluctance to get burned again trumps any attachment to The Expos by a large margin. If they are tons of baseball fans in Montreal why did they fail to sell out the first baseball games there in a decade? You would think these tons of baseball fans would be chomping at the bit to make a show of their support for baseball.

 

There's nothing to be done in Montreal. The stadium is bad, to an extent, but it's not as big a factor as people make it out to be. It's not right downtown but it's still right in the middle of the island and easily accessible by public transportation. It's a much better stadium than the Trop. The real problem is that's it's not a great baseball market and the commitment to The Expos both by the public and by public officials is soft.

 

Um they got 100,000 people for 2 Exhibition games? Thats more than the Rays would get in 3 playoff games. You are underestimating the Montreal market for baseball. Before the strike happened baseball was huge in Montreal and there has been a lot of time since the strike that I think people would forget about it and support the team. And even if you are not to high on the Montreal market, it is so much better than the Tampa market you would get an upgrade no matter what. Add in the fact there are 2 French broadcasting companies that would drive up the price of the regional deal as well as TSN looking for content and it would be one of the more valuable TV deals.

 

I think Montreal would rather have an NBA team.

 

That would be a terrible idea. NBA would not work as there isn't one American NBA player that would want to live in Montreal in the winter. NBA players already don't like Toronto because of the winter and its 3x colder in Montreal. Add in a different language and higher taxes and it becomes the least desirable place to play in the NBA. MLB you can control players for 6 years so the system works but NBA players have so much control of where they play that the team would be stuck at the bottom forever.

[Angrioter]

On the bright side, when Alex hears of this, he will go for his "dream job", and the Jays could trade him to the Expos for a bench bat.

 

already posted by muaa, the fastest mexican live.

[xposbrad]

There is no eagerness to finance a downtown stadium in Montreal. They got burned by the Big O and a reluctance to get burned again trumps any attachment to The Expos by a large margin. If they are tons of baseball fans in Montreal why did they fail to sell out the first baseball games there in a decade? You would think these tons of baseball fans would be chomping at the bit to make a show of their support for baseball.

 

There's nothing to be done in Montreal. The stadium is bad, to an extent, but it's not as big a factor as people make it out to be. It's not right downtown but it's still right in the middle of the island and easily accessible by public transportation. It's a much better stadium than the Trop. The real problem is that's it's not a great baseball market and the commitment to The Expos both by the public and by public officials is soft.

 

You obviously missed this year's preseason games between the Jays and Mets at the Big O. Also, I am not sure if you've ever been to the big O but it is one of the dumpiest neighborhoods in the island. While easily accessible by metro, it is far from the west island and still 10 minutes from downtown. Last I heard, they were looking at a Griffintown location if there was ever a new stadium built. Could they get 40,000+ every game? Most likely not, but I could see an average 30-35k attendance in a 38,000 seat stadium.

[ElNik2013]

There is no eagerness to finance a downtown stadium in Montreal. They got burned by the Big O and a reluctance to get burned again trumps any attachment to The Expos by a large margin. If they are tons of baseball fans in Montreal why did they fail to sell out the first baseball games there in a decade? You would think these tons of baseball fans would be chomping at the bit to make a show of their support for baseball.

 

It's nice that you think this, but apparently, MLB officials and even Sternberg were rather impressed by the crowds. Who knows. At the end of the day, MLB and Rays ownership may just be trying to put pressure on Tampa to build them a stadium.

 

There's nothing to be done in Montreal. The stadium is bad, to an extent, but it's not as big a factor as people make it out to be. It's not right downtown but it's still right in the middle of the island and easily accessible by public transportation. It's a much better stadium than the Trop.

 

 

Maybe, you're right, but maybe not. As someone who lives in Montreal, it was a problem for me. I never went to that side of the city except to watch games. It's one of the worst areas of the city, although it may have changed since then as I haven't gone back there in a loong time. I doubt the Big O' is a better stadium than any other, but I've never been to the Trop.

 

The real problem is that's it's not a great baseball market and the commitment to The Expos both by the public and by public officials is soft.

 

It probably isn't a "great baseball market", but how many of those are there, honestly? I do agree that the commitment by the the city isn't there, but apparently, neither is it there in Tampa. I also remember that the Expos had pre-sold a decent amount of season tickets to the first downtown stadium proposal by Claude Brochu even though it was just a dream.

 

 

At the end of the day, who knows...

[dineke]

That would be a terrible idea. NBA would not work as there isn't one American NBA player that would want to live in Montreal in the winter. NBA players already don't like Toronto because of the winter and its 3x colder in Montreal. Add in a different language and higher taxes and it becomes the least desirable place to play in the NBA. MLB you can control players for 6 years so the system works but NBA players have so much control of where they play that the team would be stuck at the bottom forever.

 

Did I say NBA Players wanted a team in Montreal? Reading comprehension please.

[KingKat]

You obviously missed this year's preseason games between the Jays and Mets at the Big O.

 

I was in attendance for both games. Even met GSnarls when I was there. I left Montreal with less faith in its baseball future than I had going in. These games should have been sellouts and they weren't. I also got the distinct impression from the crowd that the fan base has not kept up with baseball at all. Only Bautista got any crowd reaction and most just seemed to be there to bask in nostalgia for Gary Carter or whoever.

[burlingtonbandit]

Did I say NBA Players wanted a team in Montreal? Reading comprehension please.

 

I'm just telling you how bad of an idea that is. There is also no way Montreal would rather have basketball then baseball. The crowd last night at the Raps game was quiet until the last 2 min and Habs dominate Montreal in the winter time.

[KingKat]

I doubt the Big O' is a better stadium than any other, but I've never been to the Trop.

 

 

It's a far more accessible stadium than the Trop which is what makes it superior. I haven't been to the Trop but Both are domes so I doubt the fan experience is much different so even if you assume the Trop is a more pleasant dome than the Big O, I can't see the difference negating the huge accessibility edge that the O has.

[dineke]

I'm just telling you how bad of an idea that is. There is also no way Montreal would rather have basketball then baseball. The crowd last night at the Raps game was quiet until the last 2 min and Habs dominate Montreal in the winter time.

 

Oh god did I say it was a good idea? They're both probably bad ideas but a Basketball team has a better chance of working (in terms of support not whether they can attract free agents) in Montreal than a baseball team in my opinion. Basketball is a growing sport while baseball's popularity is declining and I certainly felt like more people were interested in basketball when I was in Montreal but that's just anecdotal evidence. That's why I said I think Montreal would rather have an nba team.

Edited October 25, 2014 by dineke

[ElNik2013]

It's a far more accessible stadium than the Trop which is what makes it superior. I haven't been to the Trop but Both are domes so I doubt the fan experience is much different so even if you assume the Trop is a more pleasant dome than the Big O, I can't see the difference negating the huge accessibility edge that the O has.

 

 

I hope you're right and more fans would go see the Rays if the Trop was more easily accessible, but it doesn't change the fact that the Big O' is in a pretty bad location. Would you go more often to a bad part of town just because it's right in between 2 subway stations?

 

 

From a personal standpoint, it would certainly be much more appealing to hang out in downtown before and/or after the game. On the other hand, who knows to how many other people this would apply.

 

I would think they'd need some 20K season tickets or so to make it viable. I can't remember how many Brochu had pre-sold in his push to build it, but I remember thinking it was rather impressive.

[Vdubfan]

I'm not sure how people can compare Rays attendance with what Montreal produced for 2 preseason games...It was awesome seeing that crowd on tv, but there is no way you can come to a conclusion on 81 game/year attendance based on a 2 game preseason sample size.

[xposbrad]

I hope you're right and more fans would go see the Rays if the Trop was more easily accessible, but it doesn't change the fact that the Big O' is in a pretty bad location. Would you go more often to a bad part of town just because it's right in between 2 subway stations?

 

 

From a personal standpoint, it would certainly be much more appealing to hang out in downtown before and/or after the game. On the other hand, who knows to how many other people this would apply.

 

I would think they'd need some 20K season tickets or so to make it viable. I can't remember how many Brochu had pre-sold in his push to build it, but I remember thinking it was rather impressive.

 

There is 0 night life, restaurants anywhere near the Big O. A new stadium has to consider a lot of factors but they would also need a solid TV deal.

[ElNik2013]

There is 0 night life, restaurants anywhere near the Big O. A new stadium has to consider a lot of factors but they would also need a solid TV deal.

 

 

 

Yeah for sure. I do wonder about the tv deal. There's another French all-sports network in the province now so that might mean the landscape has changed, but who really knows.

 

It's all far-fetched anyway.

[burlingtonbandit]

Oh god did I say it was a good idea? They're both probably bad ideas but a Basketball team has a better chance of working (in terms of support not whether they can attract free agents) in Montreal than a baseball team in my opinion. Basketball is a growing sport while baseball's popularity is declining and I certainly felt like more people were interested in basketball when I was in Montreal but that's just anecdotal evidence. That's why I said I think Montreal would rather have an nba team.

 

The difference is a lot bigger than basketball is a growing sport and baseball is not. Montreal would not support a losing basketball team which it would be because no good players are going to want to play in Montreal. It would be Vancouver all over again.

 

Determining whether a sports team is going to be successful is a lot more different then how many buts you get in the seats. TV numbers would be great for a Montreal baseball team as there is nothing else going on in the summer there. Basketball would have to compete with the Habs which wouldn't even be close. The only thing basketball has an advantage of is the arena already being built.

 

All moot points really because a basketball team is never going to go to Montreal as Seattle, Kansas City and even Vancouver would get a team first. Even baseball in Montreal has a slim chance of happening in the next 5 years.

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Would Vancouver work as a baseball city?

[dineke]

The difference is a lot bigger than basketball is a growing sport and baseball is not. Montreal would not support a losing basketball team which it would be because no good players are going to want to play in Montreal. It would be Vancouver all over again.

 

Determining whether a sports team is going to be successful is a lot more different then how many buts you get in the seats. TV numbers would be great for a Montreal baseball team as there is nothing else going on in the summer there. Basketball would have to compete with the Habs which wouldn't even be close. The only thing basketball has an advantage of is the arena already being built.

 

All moot points really because a basketball team is never going to go to Montreal as Seattle, Kansas City and even Vancouver would get a team first. Even baseball in Montreal has a slim chance of happening in the next 5 years.

 

Montreal would not support a losing basketball team? Well guess what, it's been proven they wont support a losing baseball team either. And just because there's nothing else going on in the summer doesn't automatically mean people will choose to stay home and watch a baseball game, less people watch tv in the summer.

 

I agree there will never be a basketball team in Montreal, but there will never be a baseball team again either.

[G-Snarls]

I was in attendance for both games. Even met GSnarls when I was there. I left Montreal with less faith in its baseball future than I had going in. These games should have been sellouts and they weren't. I also got the distinct impression from the crowd that the fan base has not kept up with baseball at all. Only Bautista got any crowd reaction and most just seemed to be there to bask in nostalgia for Gary Carter or whoever.

 

I agree there was MUCH more enthusiasm for anything Expos related than the Jays themselves

 

But that doesn't necessarily mean they might not support a new team of their own there well.

[burlingtonbandit]

Montreal would not support a losing basketball team? Well guess what, it's been proven they wont support a losing baseball team either. And just because there's nothing else going on in the summer doesn't automatically mean people will choose to stay home and watch a baseball game, less people watch tv in the summer.

 

I agree there will never be a basketball team in Montreal, but there will never be a baseball team again either.

 

But baseball has a good shot at being successful because it would be easier to build a winner in baseball than basketball in Montreal. Also if they are in the AL East they will get 27 sellouts/year with Yankees/Red Sox/Blue Jays. Montreal is actually a pretty close drive to New York and Boston so there is a natural rivalry there too. You can't say Montreal with a new stadium wouldn't be less successful than 10 franchises in the MLB right now.

[jaysfan2014]

But baseball has a good shot at being successful because it would be easier to build a winner in baseball than basketball in Montreal. Also if they are in the AL East they will get 27 sellouts/year with Yankees/Red Sox/Blue Jays. Montreal is actually a pretty close drive to New York and Boston so there is a natural rivalry there too. You can't say Montreal with a new stadium wouldn't be less successful than 10 franchises in the MLB right now.

 

Plus, it'll benefit the Jays by giving us a natural rival and boosting attendance with the rivalry matchups. You can imagine this is being considered..

And I can imagine the 29 other owners are going to be pushing for the Rays to be relocated if plans for a new stadium aren't made between this winter and next offseason, possibly as early as the winter meetings. No way the MLB will let the Rays continue to play at Tropicana Field if they won't draw, and have no hope of drawing fans.

[ElNik2013]

I'd like to see how many fanbases would continue to support their teams after what happened in Montreal after the 1994 strike.

 

Everyone knows about the firesale after the strike, however, they forget that the team recovered quickly and had pretty good teams in 1996 and 1997 only to see them let the players go again. We know things deteriorated in the late '90's and early 00's, but let's keep things in perspective.

 

This is not to say that I think the city would support a team, but a case can be made that it would be no worse than at least 10 other markets.

 

If I'm not mistaken (for the umpteenth time), Cleveland contended again this year after making the play-in game in 2013 and attendance actually dropped.