When the Montreal Expos were sold and moved to Washington, it left a city wanting more. While Montreal is traditionally a hockey town, the love for baseball was obvious, there was never an issue with fandom, which made the move even more devastating.
When baseball returned to city, in the form of two exhibition games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays, the vibe was electric as they packed in more than 45,000 fans for each game. It left the lingering question, why the team left in the first place? Well, Montreal mayor Denis Coderre wants to bring baseball back to Le Belle Province, as he’s set to meet with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred today, to talk about a return.
Play Ball! #MLBExpos
— DenisCoderre (@DenisCoderre) May 28, 2015
He told Fox Sports Jon Paul Morosi he’s very serious about the possibility.
“This is going to be our first meeting. I want to show him our love of baseball, the fact that the political will is there to make this happen. I’m not going to negotiate publicly, but I’m going to send the strong message that we have the tools. I’m going to show him that we’re serious.
“This is the beginning.”
While it’s unlikely a meeting today is going to set anything in stone, it’s great to see progress – no matter how little – being made on the subject. Montreal could definitely support the Expos again, and as Morosi reports, they could get the necessary infrastructure and have a great and vibrant market.
“Montreal is a gateway,” Coderre said. “Montreal adds value, because of our cultural mosaic and the unique diversity we have within the Americas. We are a hub, and clearly we’re a great place to be as a strategic position to get anywhere else.”
Excellente rencontre avec le Commissaire du Baseball Majeur Rob Manfred. Nous avons prévu nous revoir bientôt 😉 pic.twitter.com/hDryGYihJY
— DenisCoderre (@DenisCoderre) May 28, 2015
Coderre has made it clear the city is ready for baseball to return. He’s hoping meeting with the commissioner will create serious momentum.
“I think what we need to do is establish a roadmap,” Coderre said. “Our enthusiasm for this project is clear. We love the sport. We’re serious about it. This isn’t just a gesture. We’ve put forward a new baseball policy in our city, and we’re spending $11 million on baseball fields here. We’ve seen the increase in registration. That already shows the positive impact of the comeback.”
While there are some tricky hurdles to overcome, it would be great for baseball and the city to have baseball return. Montreal was robbed of a franchise, and it would be apt justice to have it come back.
