January 8, 2011

Move to Montreal

Paul Francis Sullivan suggests the Athletics or Rays move to Montreal.

A baseball team would have a hard time finding a place where they can play a major league game that is just sitting there.

Or would they have a hard time?

What is the biggest American or Canadian city to NOT have a Major League team?

That would be Montreal!
And guess what they have?

A BASEBALL STADIUM THAT IS JUST SITTING THERE!

OK, it’s not exactly Wrigley Field. It’s Stade Olympique… the Olympic Stadium from the 1976 Games.

Paul notes that moving from one ugly, empty stadium to another isn’t a step up, but if either team could catch on in the city, they may be more likely to get a new park.

I don’t think it will work. Most cities that lost a team wanted and got a new one fairly quickly. Washington, New York, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Seattle all gained new teams in expansion years within a few seasons of the original team leaving (Washington, in fact, did not miss a season between the departure of the Senators for Minnesota and the new Senators moving in). Montreal doesn’t seem to want a team. They got shafted by MLB, and they don’t seem to be interested in forgiving baseball over that.

2 thoughts on “Move to Montreal

  1. Devon & His 1982 Topps blog

    I still say the A’s or Rays should move to one of those huge Mexican cities & use the entire Spanish speaking country as their market (similar to the Jays using Canada). Should be a big boon to a franchise.

    ReplyReply

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