Will Expos fans eat Cro?

Posted By: Rick Moffat · 3/20/2013 11:49:00 AM

You can't fault him for trying.  Problem is Warren Cromartie and the Montreal Baseball Project aren't ready to play hardball.

There's no corporate sugar daddies jumping forward to fund a downtown ballpark, a West Island ballpark.  A feasibility study to delve further into returning Major League Baseball to Montreal sounds as concrete as the shoes some former Expos fans would still like to put on Jeffrey Loria and/or David Samson.

Cromartie and those trying to play footsie with our love for the Montreal Expos cannot or will not rule out a return to Olympic Stadium.  That of course is the kiss of death.

The Alouettes know The Big Owe is not sustainable.  The Saputo Family built their own stadium as a testament not only to their vision, but to the recognition Montrealers won't tolerate poring hundreds of millions of dollars more after so much bad money.

I hate to throw the brush back pitch at you Cro, (pictured on the left with Andre' "The Hawk" Dawson and Ellis Valentine from the glory days) but you are crowding the financial plate.

Expos fans wouldn't take back a team club from Loria and Samson for a penny, because it would still mean we'll lose our shirts shelling out for a downtown ballpark.  

Time heals all wounds, and some sports towns have won teams back (witness Ottawa in the CFL and Baltimore in the NFL, even Washington in MLB) but pretending we can return to the big leagues and chase a World Series dream for Montreal again is only that...a dream.

I was once a card-carrying member of the "Young Expos."  I still have a Boots Day autographed baseball.  I saw the tears at the last home game when families walk together to touch the Jackie Robinson sign on the outfield wall.

Just don't ask me to pay spousal support on a grander scale than "Lola" if you really want to get re-married.

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  1. Joe Best posted on 03/20/2013 01:38 PM
    And so they should not rule out a return to Olympic Stadium. The Big O has been at the end of its useful lifespan in its current form for nearly 20 years. Returning baseball there on more than a temporary basis with its dangerous fixed roof and antiquated, dank, grimy facilities would indeed be the kiss of death for baseball. We are at a point where the stadium needs to be torn down (highly unlikely and highly expensive) or renovated back to modern stadium standards (a la BC Place). The status quo is simply not an option. Montreal needs a flexible, year round large stadium to bring in world class events. If the Big O was torn down it would be nearly impossible to rebuild such a facility with hundreds of million going towards demolition and hundreds of millions to new construction. Many who dream of an intimate outdoor ballpark forget how crappy it is to watch a ball game outdoors in Montreal for up to 2.5 months of the season. Bad weather cost the Expos significantly in terms of team performance and attendance during the 1979-83 glory years. I believe a retractable roof facility is needed. With its amazing architectural features, the Olympic Stadium could be a spectacular facility if the interior were properly renovated and a reliable retractible roof installed. It has 2 metro stations and plenty of parking and I have never bought into the "bad location" excuse. There are dozens or hundreds of successful professional sports venues located "in the middle of nowhere" which I don not believe to be the case in Montreal as the Olympic Park is increasingly becoming a prime destination. It's time to move on and make the Olympic Park truly successful.
  2. Alex Hankewicz posted on 03/20/2013 04:01 PM
    The road to a thousand miles begins with the first step,lets be optimistic and encouraging to these efforts. Certainly the climate nearly ten years ago has changed,if the business community and public is willing to support this initiative all things are possible.
  3. Ball Fan posted on 03/21/2013 03:12 AM
    Dreams are simply visions and nothing starts without a vision. The Expos can survive in Montreal. Three criteria need to be met. 1) An ownership group that respects the fan base. 2) A new stadium and 3) Patience.
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