The Ex-Rays? Tampa Bay club gets approval from MLB to explore a partial move to baseball-starved Montreal 15 years after the Expos left Canada for Washington to become the Nationals
- Unpopular with their own local fans, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by Major League Baseball to look into playing a split season in Montreal
- No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the Rays to play early in the season in Tampa Bay and finish up in Montreal
- In 1969, Montreal was given an expansion franchise, the Expos, which played in the Canadian city until moving to Washington at the end of the 2004 campaign
- With introductions in French and English, jaunty organ music, goofy mascot Youppi! and tricolor logo, Les Expos were a beloved anomaly to baseball fans
- Tampa Bay is averaging 14,546 fans per home game, ahead of only the Miami Marlins. They drew their lowest home crowd of 5,786 against Toronto last month
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Thursday that his office has given permission to the Tampa Bay Rays to explore a partial move to baseball-starved Montreal
Starved for fans despite success on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have been given the go-ahead by Major League Baseball to look into playing a split season in Montreal 15 years after the Canadian city's Expos fled to Washington and became the Nationals.
No timetable for the possible plan was announced. An idea under consideration is for the Rays to play early in the season in Tampa Bay and finish up in Montreal.
Commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement Thursday at the end of the owners' meetings, saying the executive council had granted the Rays 'broad permission to explore what's available.'
Manfred said it's too soon to detail the particulars - as in, where the team would play postseason games, or in what stadiums. He did not address whether this would be a step toward a full move.
In this April 3, 2015, file photo, a fan holds up a sign during a pregame ceremony as the Toronto Blue Jays face the Cincinnati Reds in an exhibition baseball game in Montreal
Despite the Rays' success om the field, Tampa Bay is averaging 14,546 fans per home game, ahead of only the Miami Marlins. The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998 and drew their lowest home crowd of 5,786 against Toronto last month
In this September 29, 2004, file photo, fans watch a baseball game between the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Tampa Bay Rays have received permission from Major League Baseball's executive council to explore a plan that could see the team split its home games between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal
Share this article
'It's an interesting kind of idea,' Rays outfielder/infielder Brandon Lowe said before playing at Oakland on Thursday night. 'It's in the future. It's so far ahead of us that it's going to be big news right now, but I feel like a lot of us are just kind of, 'it happened, we saw it,' but that's really all it is.'
Baseball's hit king Pete Rose played 95 games with the Expos, hitting just .259 in 1984
Still, that was plenty enough to spark excitement in Canada, where the Expos played from 1969-2004 before moving to Washington and becoming the Nationals.
With their introductions in French and English, jaunty organ music, goofy mascot Youppi! and fun tricolor logo, Les Expos flourished for years with a truly international flair.
'I was fortunate enough to have played there when it was in its halcyon days,' said Steve Rogers, a five-time All-Star pitcher for the Expos from 1973-85.
'It was a destination spot,' he said. 'I have no doubt that the city of Montreal would go over the top now to embrace a major league team. I do believe that.'
Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg, in a statement, said: 'My priority remains the same, I am committed to keeping baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come.'
'I believe this concept is worthy of serious exploration,' he added.
Expos mascot Youppi! performs during a game circa 1989 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. After the team moved to Washington, Youppi! began appearing at Montreal Canadiens games
Forget it, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said. Tropicana Field is located in his city.
'I want to be crystal clear. The Rays cannot explore playing any Major League Baseball games in Montreal, or anywhere else for that matter, prior to 2028 without reaching a formal memorandum of understanding with the city of St. Petersburg,' he said.
'And ultimately such a decision is up to me, and I have no intention of bringing this idea to our city council to consider. In fact, I believe this is getting a bit silly,' he said.
The Expos then, like the Rays now, operated with a small payroll, often losing stars to big-market clubs, such as Pedro Martinez and David Price - both of whom ended up with the Boston Red Sox. And low attendance plagued both franchises.
Hall of Famer Tim Raines (left) was named a National League All-Star eight times during his tenure in Montreal. Fellow Hall of Famer Andre Dawson (right) won Rookie of the Year with the Expos in 1977 and finished second in the N.L. All-Star vote twice during his tenure in Montreal
Tampa Bay is averaging 14,546 fans per home game, ahead of only the Miami Marlins. The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998 and drew their lowest home crowd of 5,786 against Toronto last month.
The Rays had looked into building a new stadium for years but in December abandoned a plan to build across the bay in Tampa's Ybor City area. They are committed to play in the Tampa Bay area through 2027.
Over the years, the Expos became a force with the likes of future Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and Vladimir Guerrero, but attendance lagged at Olympic Stadium, where the Expos averaged just over 10,000 in 2002, their last season of a full home schedule in Canada
'You hear the passion from the fans there, that when the Expos played there, you recognize that they're in the mix now, there's been a lot of talks. I think baseball wants to go where baseball's wanted,' Rays manager Kevin Cash said, adding, 'I think the intention of it is ultimately to do the best that we can do to keep baseball in the Tampa Bay area.'
'Look, MLB, the Rays, they're trying to grow the brand of baseball. I think we recognize that with what we're doing, what they're doing in London, what they've done in Mexico, all over the world, this is probably another avenue,' he said.
Before going on to become a star with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-foot-10 southpaw Randy Johnson was a top prospect for the Expos in the late 1980s
MLB has played two series in Mexico this season, and the Red Sox and Yankees are set to play in London next week.
In their last two seasons before moving, the Expos played 22 games per year at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
'This concept is definitely one that is of interest to my partners and me and we are looking forward to studying this further,' said private equity mogul Stephen Bronfman, whose father, Charles, was the original owner of the Expos.
MLB has staged exhibition games in Montreal in recent years involving the Toronto Blue Jays and has drawn well for those. MLB has loosely talked over the years about expansion into Montreal, but Manfred repeatedly has said expansion will not be considered until the Rays and Oakland Athletics get new ballparks.
The Expos were MLB's first international franchise and a popular place for fans and visiting teams when they began, offering a lively, festive atmosphere at cozy Jarry Park.
Over the years, the Expos became a force with the likes of future Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and Vladimir Guerrero, but attendance lagged at Olympic Stadium, where the Expos averaged just over 10,000 in 2002, their last season of a full home schedule in Canada.
'The way it went at the tail end, that was very, very dreary and dismal,' said Rogers, who spent his entire career with the Expos.
As for this announcement and Montreal's future, 'it's meant to be a potential solution,' he said.
In this April 1, 2017, file photo, ground crew works on the bullpen behind the outfield wall at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, where the Expos played until 2004
