by Omar Hussein
It’s another hot summer day in Montreal and you’re watching the ninth inning of a tied baseball game in a new outdoor stadium in trendy Griffintown. You are just about to ask the vendor to ring you up another cold beer for yourself and a ballpark frank for your son … While the location of the stadium might not be set in stone, the rest of the description seems just about right when entertaining the thought of the return of professional baseball to Montreal.
Today marks the 10 year anniversary of when the Expos left town. Although no actual games are played here anymore, the images of players past run through everyone’s mind on a daily basis. The moment when le “Kid” hit a double in the last at bat of his career and emphatically waived to the crowd. He was acknowledging the love and support the city of Montreal had showed him from the start. The moment Dennis “El Presidente” Martinez pitched the 13th perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. Only in Montreal, would the crowd celebrate home runs by littering the field with Oh Henry! bars for slugger Henry Rodriguez. Even after their departure, the Expos left their mark with numerous high end talents that eventually became stars in other cities.
The memories are not lacking and any die hard sports fan from “La Belle Province” will remind you that the 1994 expos were the best team in baseball. They will also make it a point to remind you that the stadium was running at full capacity until a work stoppage cut the season short and ultimately denied the city of an exciting championship run.
You can’t blame Montrealers for getting excited when they hear about Warren Cromartie’s efforts to show MLB that this city has what it takes to support a baseball team once again.
Let’s face it; the big O just wasn’t alluring to fans anymore. As enormous as it is, it’s propensity to supply a good time is extremely low. You are asking a fan base that spends 6 months of the year cooped up indoors hiding from the deep freeze to enjoy a game indoors. A game that is meant to be played outdoors while soaking in the best summer has to offer.
It’s a given that if Montreal are to house a team again, a new home is a must. A highly accessible outdoor stadium located in the heart of the downtown core would enhance the fans experience. If the Montreal Canadiens thought it would be best to build the Bell Centre close to a major public transit terminal, it is a no-brainer for any other sports team that would only be an afterthought to the Habs.
Another great idea that has been brought forth would be to place the new team in the American League where they could easily create geographic rivals with Toronto, New York and Boston. With existing Hockey rivalries with Boston and Toronto, it seems like it would be a natural cross over into Baseball.
It would definitely require the perfect storm for the Expos to return to our great city; however the possibility and, more importantly, the dream still lives on with the majority of Montrealers. If Winnipeg earned themselves a second chance of reliving their dream, Montreal deserves nothing less than an opportunity to mend broken hearts.
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