As a Montréaler born and raised, I want to thank you for talking about the Expos. Gives me hope that people are still talking about them many years after relocating. Cheers.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
FYI MLB doesn't want to go back to Montreal due to Quebec politics especially their french language law. As well the Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pay it to fix it up. I'm in Vancouver and work for their city hall. Told we are getting a team(Diamondbacks are going to relocate here after the 2025 season) and/or an expansion team, stay tuned.
Im a Loyal nationals fan, ive lived near DC my whole life. Before my dad lived in this area he actually lived in montreal, and he liked the expos. We've always had an attachment to this team and i feel bad that montreal lost a team, but im so happy we got the nationals.
It also helped that by the Expos becoming the Nationals, it helped to revitalize Washington DC Baseball. Because DC was without a MLB ⚾️ team for 34 years since the Expansion Washington Senators moved to become the Texas Rangers in 1971 as the Original Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961, which angered the residents of Washington DC that lead to the creation of the Expansion Senators in 1961.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
Correction regarding this video. When Montreal was awarded an MLB franchise in 1968 for the 1969 season the club wanted to play temporarily for a few seasons at the Autostade pending the IOC (International Olympic Committee) awarding of the 1976 Summer Games. When MLB declared the Autostade unfit for baseball the club and the city of Montreal agreed to expand Jarry Park which was a Junior League baseball stadium. The capacity went from 3 500 to 28 000. In 1970 Montreal was awarded the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. Construction of the Olympic site began the following year. If Montreal didn't get the 1976 Summer Games the plan was NOT to build a new baseball stadium with retractable roof for the Expos but rather expanding Jarry Park Stadium to 35 000 making it for the time their permanent home.
That's what led to Montreal getting a baseball team in the first place. Expo '67 was an enormous cultural and financial success, so the National League and International Olympic Committee took notice. Mayor Jean Drapeau reasoned that the city of Houston paid only $34 million for the awesome Astrodome. (Note: The most expensive cookie-cutter was Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia: a whopping $60 million, and it was the worst of the bunch!) Drapeau thought that all he needed was another $100 million (totaling $134 million), and he could build something bigger and better than the Astrodome, and even have it finished by 1972. Unfortunately, they didn't even start until 1973! The construction union refused to honor the contract and went on strike immediately after construction began. The company itself was eventually fired for incompetence. The architect kept adding more bells and whistles to an already complicated building. To top it off, nasty weather kept delaying the project. They were lucky to have finished enough of it to make it useful for the 1976 Olympics. The stadium was finally finished with its clunky retractable roof in 1987...15 years late and $1 billion over budget.
I used to attend their games. Endy Chavez even visited our day camp. They never made the transition from the working class to the Premium/Expensive sporting experience with a new stadium, corporate suites, 20$ beer like the other teams did in 1990’s. The last few seasons were painful. So sad.
I always heard their attendance was bad even before 1994. I even found an article from 1990 which mentions it. I’ve also heard many say the overall French feel of Montreal is why they never had a strong fanbase / attendance. But was Olympic Stadium as bad as most seem to say ? I didn’t exist for most of their tenure (born 1995) so please correct me if I’m wrong.
@@RYMAN1321the issue was the location of the stadium more than the stadium being in bad shape !!! The real expos fans are living on the west island part of Montreal while the stadium was in the east where it's mostly hockey based!! If the stadium. By any chance was near downtown despite being ok bad shape it wouldn't have left Montreal
I grew up in Montreal in the 70s and early 80s. My dad would take my brother and me to every weekend home game during the summer. I sound like an old man here but tickets cost a dollar, 10$ for behind home plate, and the views were pretty good. It was a fun crowd and super enjoyable for kids which got me into loving baseball. I remember watching Charlie Lea pitch his no hitter and the time the guy sitting in front of me moaned when he saw the starting pitcher, I think it may have been Ross Grimsley, and said if I had known he was pitching I would have stayed home. As an 10 year old kid that was hard to understand. After all it was a great day for baseball. And that's the problem with Montreal and the new stadium. Residents In that city love the outdoors in the and a good part of why the exposbfailed was because who wants to spend a beautiful summer days indoors. If the season started May 1st they would be okay with an outdoor stadium.
@@RYMAN1321 I did not fully appreciate the impact that Texas weather can have until I went down there one summer. As a Canadian my knee jerk reaction is that places that don't get snow don't need a but I now realize that is false
I know the inside of the stadium is crap but I love the architecture on the outside. I like the concept of designing a stadium around organic modernism.
Montreal moved before the "luxery taxe" and before the Wild Card Era ... we were stuck behind the doped up Atlanta Braves' pitching rotation ... On top of that, as a Montrealer, I can attest that our "natural ennemies" are Boston, NY and Toronto ... so there was no point on being in the NL Eat ... Mtl's place was always in the AL East! On top of that, just remember who was the owner in the final years: Jeffrey "friggin'" Loria ... the guy who destroyed the Miami Marlins for decades to come!
I’m 41, it’s sad seeing what happened to franchise who had such great teams, players I remember growing up, start with the Oakland Athletics Bash Bros (Canseco, McGwire), Henderson, La Russa. To the Montreal Expos who had the best record in baseball in 1994 at 74-40, a 649%!!! 6 game lead on the Braves, on pace to win 105-57 record! add in 1993 team won 94 games a year before MLB added playoff expansion, wild card, a third division. Some of the greatest players ever to play the game of baseball wore an Expos cap, 10 HOF have “Montreal, NL” on their Hall of Fame plaque from Gary Carter (1974-1984, 1992), Andre Dawson (1976-1986), Tony Perez (1977-1979), manager Dick Williams (1977-1981), Pedro Martinez (1994-1997), Randy Johnson (1988-1989), Tim Raines (1979-1990, 2001), Larry Walker (1989-1994), Vladimir Guerrero (1996-2003), Lee Smith (1997). Then add in other greats like Pete Rose (1984), 1994 NL Manager of the Year Felipe Alou (1992-2001), manager Frank Robinson (2002-2004), 6x All-Star Moises Alou (1990-1996), 2x All-Star Marquis Grissom (1989-1994), 3x All-Star, 1996 WS MVP John Wetteland (1992-1994), 5x All-Star Steve Rogers (1973-1985), 5x All-Star Tim Wallace (1980-1992), 4x All-Star Dennis Martinez (1986-1993), 6x All-Star Rusty Staub (1969-1971, 1979).
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
I saw a game there back in 1992. Cubs Expos game. I used to go to a ton of Phillies games, so I got to see them play a lot. Expos had a lot of HoF talent
The roof was designed by an architect from France, who didn't account for the weight of snow and ice accumulation over the course of a Montréal winter. The stadium was a mistake before it was even built. It was ugly, impractical, non-functional, and it was built with mafia-grade concrete (half of the cost, easily, went to organized crime and political kickbacks). Now, they can't even demolish the dump because of concern that an implosion would damage the buildings around it, including two subway stations. It's also crammed full of asbestos that would need to be decontaminated. So, the options are to keep it a blight on the landscape forever, throwing tens of millions of dollars every year just to _maintain_ it, or to pay an estimated $700 million CAN (about half a _billion_ $US) to dismantle it by hand. That's pretty much how everything is done in Québec.
If that wasn't bad enough a few months ago it was made public that the ''technical ring'' of the roof of the stadium is badly damaged and needs serious repairs that could cost upwards of $400 million. And those repairs could take at least 3 years to be completed 😂😂😂
Jack Todd said that the architects who designed the big O thought that Montreal was too cold, when the real problem is that the summers aren't long enough.
I went to a game at Jarry Park! The year of the Olympics, ‘76. Expos vs Cubs, and looking at the schedule, I believe it was the day of August 7, a Saturday. And believe me, that place sucked. Royally. The experience was exactly the way it looked. It held 28,000 at the time. Could you imagine that flying these days? Had some great seats, behind 3rd base. All the seats were down almost level with the field. I think that Montreal deserves another shot. They skimped on that team for decades. Same excuses Oakland.
Montreal doesn't want a dome. The summers are so short here, when you go to a Baseball game you want the full open air experience, and summers are very nice in Montreal. I think something like Seattle would be the Best. The only think you have to make sure is not having Snow on the field in April, and Post season in October can be very cold.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
I'm in Western Canada and was a big Expos fan back in the day. While a part of me would like to see it happen, I won't consider Montreal a viable MLB expansion candidate under a credible ownership candidate is presented. Nobody wanted to own a Montreal based MLB team in the 1990s, and as far as I can tell that hasn't changed.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
First things first, the meaning of defunct means no longer operating or out of business, the Expos franchise is still in business, they're just operating in Washington DC
I love Montreal and wish I could have seen The Expos play atleast once. I have visited the stadium as well as Parc Jean Drapeau where their namesake originates. I once saw a movie on CityTV that was shot in Montreal and I think it was called the Under The Covers Cops. One scene had a cop bone a prostitute inside one of the gate areas of Olympic Stadium while a game was in progress and he kept tabs on the field out of the corner of his eye while snaking her. Then she said it's a shame she would have to charge him for doing such a "dynamite job" of banging her up against the concrete wall of the entrance way.. so then he had to arrest her as per the law. Another great movie shot in montreal was Hold-Up with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Kim Catrall but it has nothing to do with the Expos or Olympic Stadium.
In about 1995-97, Canada was in a deep recession. Canadian $ was worth 67 cents of American Dollar. Everything in Canada in The NHL and MLB is paid in American Dollars. The Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 as did The original Winnipeg Jets who moved to Phoenix. In 1996-7, The Expos tried for a new retro ballpark. But the Premier of Quebec said no to public funding for a public ballpark. Things were so bad that Quebec's provincial government was closing hospitals. Jonah Keri wrote "Up, Up, and Away." It's an oral history of The Expos and a good overview.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
Growing up in Montreal, Les Canadiens Hockey team was my first love. By late 70s The Expos became darling of city. They had an exciting young team in 1979 winning 94 games. They battled eventual World Champs, Pittsburgh Pirates down to last day of season. Next big run was pennant in strike shortened season of 1981. Recall cutting classes in high school to watch Rick Monday hit late home run to lift Dodgers past Les Expos who went on to win World Series that year. We had some great seasons into mid 80s. I miss them but I don't think I'll see baseball back in MLB in my lifetime (I'm 60).
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
While the Expos had the best regular-season record when the season ended in 1994, they would have been more likely to not make the World Series, as the teams with the best regular-season record in each league have failed to make the World Series more times than they did. For example, in 2023 three MLB teams with over 100 wins (Braves, Dodgers, and Orioles) failed to win their first playoff series.
Sadly, the Expos and the A's have gone through the same problem... Ownership who didn't want the team in their location so the submarine the team... AKA Ownership Blight... I loved the Expos.. the Nats I could care less about..
The real reason Montreal moved was for several reasons. First the USD/CDN dollar exhlchange rate really hurt. They cpuld not afford to retain any of theor talent. The fans wpuld get to know the players, watch them become stats and then get sold off. Second, Montreal ar the time did not have the corporate support that wpuld be there today. They also had a lomited tv deal with havibg to produxe telecasts in both English and french. Last, when the Sragramd family sold off to a very under capitalized new ownership group that was not fiscally able to support the team. Look at what their owner did to the Miami Marlins after the experience with the Expos. I
At least the Marlins won two World Series in their first 10 years. That’s more success than many other teams have had. Expos had 35 years to at least make deep playoff runs but they just couldn’t do it.
montreal is the largest city, at 4.3 million without a team. if today's playoff scenario existed back then the expos would have made the playoffs several times.
I'm in Vancouver. I know sources here credible business folks. MLB is not going back to Montreal was told. They are put off at Quebec politics especially their french language law. As well the Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pony up the money to repair it. Told we are getting a team here. An existing team(Diamondbacks) or an expansion team is coming here soon, stay tuned.
@@anthonys3631 sucks to hear that sadly but Montreal can possibly be a 4th city to get an NBA team I’m hearing and Vancouver is probably likely not going to get an NBA team too but MLB team would be lit 🔥 for y’all. When will y’all gonna get an NFL team?
@@dreamcage1801My buddy here personally knows the Vancouver canucks first owner and talks to him every other day. Main reason the Grizzlies left was the NBA wants all their corporate boxes in their arenas sold out for their games. The fan support for the Grizzlies was here but the corporate support at that time wasn't. Basketball would succeed here now in todays city.
People don't really understand why it is so hard for teams to be successful in Canada. Before the new NHL labor contract almost 1/2 of the Canada NHL teams were near or close to bankruptcy. There are a number of reasons which is why MLB NBA or NFL is unlikely to expand into Canada again. NFL could be the only one but they indicated they would not compete with the CFL. MLB and NBA have already been burned too many times. Used to love watching the Expos come to town in the late 70s and 80s. And do you know that MLB and the O's are still fighting over the move into DC. They still have not settled on compensation to the O's.
Ironically, the Baltimore Orioles actually objected to the "new" Senators moving out of Washington in 1971. The Orioles and the Senators liked visiting each others' ballpark because it was an easy trip by bus. BTW: Did the "Old" Senators team demand compensation when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954?
Different times no on really thought about territorial rights or big TV contracts or advertising. Totally different world back then. I think the O’s have been asking for like 2 billion in compensation I think MLB was at 500 million, number might not be exact but they were far apart. They are having another mediation session. 20 years + ongoing.
Weather in Montreal is not sketchy in September. It's really only April and the summer rain. As well Baseball was big in Montreal and still is. so not entirely factual here.
The French Architect that designed Olympic Stadium was on drugs when he designed the retractable roof that looked like a giant, flying moster from the movie NOPE, when it retracted!! Such an ugly roof, hideous!! They could of used the ugly roof in a Godzilla movie, as an actual villain!! 😂😅
I always liked their logo. I also thought it was cool to have a mlb team in Canada 🇨🇦 and they would play the Canadian national anthem before the game. Now the Bluejays are all by themselves up there. Would also have been cool to have a World Series with both Toronto and Montreal.
The Expos’ never had good support or fanbase. Not to mention they were never successful overall (only one playoff appearance in 1981). Not to mention Montreal is more French, and I could very well be wrong but I don’t think baseball is big there.
The more French like culture in Montreal which in turn many said is why their attendance suffered, the lack of regular season success and failure to make the playoffs in their 35 years save for 1981 as well as the 1994 strike (which was the beginning of the end for the team), and the terrible condition that Olympic Stadium ended up becoming is why this team failed. At least they finally ended up winning a championship in 2019, exactly 50 years after they initially entered the league.
I don't think Montreal is a viable expansion city. Ice hockey, for them, is the only sport that matters. I went to see Montreal in the late 80s, went up in the roof tower, etc. A fun time and I was always fond of the franchise but Olympic Stadium felt like a hangar for a UFO, the seats were not close to the action even in places where you expected it to be. The "O" was closed after concrete chunks kept falling from the rim of the roof - a victim of the harsh winters.
In the summer time Montreal has two pro teams playing. The Alouettes (Football - CFL) and CFMTL (Soccer - MLS). And both clubs hardly get any local media coverage on sports TV and radio. Practically 99.99999% of the sports media coverage in the summer time in Montreal is dedicated to the Montreal Canadiens. As a French sports media journalist once said : ''Montreal is known for two things. A city of sporting events and the city of the Montreal Canadiens''.
And where would that stadium be built? If you're thinking of Peel Bassin you can forget about it. When the Montreal - Tampa Bay sharing project fell through the City of Montreal annouced that construction on that site with two condo tours, an industrial park and shopping mall by Devimco is set for Spring 2024. And also just remember what Stephen Bronfman who lead the group that wanted the sharing project said back in February 2020 : ''Montreal doesn't have the financial strenght to support an MLB team full time''.
MLB is not going back to Montreal. I'm in Vancouver and know some high up business folks here. They tell me MLB is put off at Quebec politics especially their french language laws, as well Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pay it. Told Vancouver is getting a team(Diamondbacks relocating here soon) or an expansion franchise. Stay tuned.
@@dreamcage1801Hopefully not. After the 'slap in the face' the Grizzlies gave us last time they were here the NBA can go to hell for all I care. Expanding now would be ridiculous of them as there are already enough horrible teams as is. Listen my buddy personally knows the Vancouver Canucks first owner and he was the one responsible for bringing the NBA to Vancouver. You want to know why the main reason was that the Grizzlies left? The NBA wants all the corporate boxes in their arenas sold out as it is a huge money maker for them. The fan support for the Grizzlies was there but not the corporate support. If they were to return here which I couldn't care less if they did it would succeed here now.
Montreal had Pedro in 94! That was their year. I consider Pedro the GOAT, as his 99 and 00 seasons were beyond dominant in the height of the steroid area. I am a bit of a conspiracy therapist, so I posit the MLB let the strike go forward to prevent Canada from winning 3 World Series in the first half decade. Call me crazy... #itm
Here's why : 1. A few months ago it was made public that the ''technical ring'' of the roof at the Olympic Stadium is badly damaged and needs serious repairs that could cost upwards of $400 million. And those repairs could take at least 3 years to be completed. So the stadium is going to be closed. 2. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has said publicly more then once. If MLB is to return to Montreal it MUST be in a downtown baseball stadium. NOT at Olympic Stadium.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
@@manuelgrothe608 - And where would that stadium be built? If you're thinking of Peel Bassin you can forget about it. When the Montreal - Tampa Bay sharing project fell through the City of Montreal annouced that construction on that site with two condo tours, an industrial park and shopping mall by Devimco is set for Spring 2024. And also just remember what Stephen Bronfman who lead the group that wanted the sharing project said back in February 2020 : ''Montreal doesn't have the financial strenght to support an MLB team full time''.
Last time I checked, this was going to be the first season of the division championship series, then the championship series then the World Series, what are the chances that both teams would have won both series? before the World 🌍 Series
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
The Blue Jays played TWELVE YEARS at Exhibition Stadium. LOTS of MLB teams played in crap ballparks to start their existence. You seem to forget all of MLB history every video you make. Maybe that makes it more dramatic. Your annoying tone and dragging 5 minute videos out for 20 minutes is also a very odd approach to gain viewers.
As a Montréaler born and raised, I want to thank you for talking about the Expos. Gives me hope that people are still talking about them many years after relocating. Cheers.
you'd be surprised that a lot of baseball fans still love the Expos! We want them back.
There’s no doubt that you’ll get serious consideration on the next round of expansion.
@@jdspreest yes we do
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
FYI MLB doesn't want to go back to Montreal due to Quebec politics especially their french language law. As well the Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pay it to fix it up. I'm in Vancouver and work for their city hall. Told we are getting a team(Diamondbacks are going to relocate here after the 2025 season) and/or an expansion team, stay tuned.
Im a Loyal nationals fan, ive lived near DC my whole life. Before my dad lived in this area he actually lived in montreal, and he liked the expos. We've always had an attachment to this team and i feel bad that montreal lost a team, but im so happy we got the nationals.
Nationals are pretty cool
It also helped that by the Expos becoming the Nationals, it helped to revitalize Washington DC Baseball. Because DC was without a MLB ⚾️ team for 34 years since the Expansion Washington Senators moved to become the Texas Rangers in 1971 as the Original Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961, which angered the residents of Washington DC that lead to the creation of the Expansion Senators in 1961.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
Correction regarding this video.
When Montreal was awarded an MLB franchise in 1968 for the 1969 season the club wanted to play temporarily for a few seasons at the Autostade pending the IOC (International Olympic Committee) awarding of the 1976 Summer Games. When MLB declared the Autostade unfit for baseball the club and the city of Montreal agreed to expand Jarry Park which was a Junior League baseball stadium. The capacity went from 3 500 to 28 000.
In 1970 Montreal was awarded the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. Construction of the Olympic site began the following year. If Montreal didn't get the 1976 Summer Games the plan was NOT to build a new baseball stadium with retractable roof for the Expos but rather expanding Jarry Park Stadium to 35 000 making it for the time their permanent home.
Of course, the name "Expos" refers back to the Montreal World's Fair branded "Expo 67" that was held a couple of years before the team's founding.
That's what led to Montreal getting a baseball team in the first place. Expo '67 was an enormous cultural and financial success, so the National League and International Olympic Committee took notice. Mayor Jean Drapeau reasoned that the city of Houston paid only $34 million for the awesome Astrodome. (Note: The most expensive cookie-cutter was Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia: a whopping $60 million, and it was the worst of the bunch!) Drapeau thought that all he needed was another $100 million (totaling $134 million), and he could build something bigger and better than the Astrodome, and even have it finished by 1972. Unfortunately, they didn't even start until 1973! The construction union refused to honor the contract and went on strike immediately after construction began. The company itself was eventually fired for incompetence. The architect kept adding more bells and whistles to an already complicated building. To top it off, nasty weather kept delaying the project. They were lucky to have finished enough of it to make it useful for the 1976 Olympics. The stadium was finally finished with its clunky retractable roof in 1987...15 years late and $1 billion over budget.
I used to attend their games. Endy Chavez even visited our day camp.
They never made the transition from the working class to the Premium/Expensive sporting experience with a new stadium, corporate suites, 20$ beer like the other teams did in 1990’s.
The last few seasons were painful. So sad.
I always heard their attendance was bad even before 1994. I even found an article from 1990 which mentions it. I’ve also heard many say the overall French feel of Montreal is why they never had a strong fanbase / attendance.
But was Olympic Stadium as bad as most seem to say ?
I didn’t exist for most of their tenure (born 1995) so please correct me if I’m wrong.
@@RYMAN1321the issue was the location of the stadium more than the stadium being in bad shape !!! The real expos fans are living on the west island part of Montreal while the stadium was in the east where it's mostly hockey based!! If the stadium. By any chance was near downtown despite being ok bad shape it wouldn't have left Montreal
I grew up in Montreal in the 70s and early 80s. My dad would take my brother and me to every weekend home game during the summer. I sound like an old man here but tickets cost a dollar, 10$ for behind home plate, and the views were pretty good. It was a fun crowd and super enjoyable for kids which got me into loving baseball. I remember watching Charlie Lea pitch his no hitter and the time the guy sitting in front of me moaned when he saw the starting pitcher, I think it may have been Ross Grimsley, and said if I had known he was pitching I would have stayed home. As an 10 year old kid that was hard to understand. After all it was a great day for baseball. And that's the problem with Montreal and the new stadium. Residents In that city love the outdoors in the and a good part of why the exposbfailed was because who wants to spend a beautiful summer days indoors. If the season started May 1st they would be okay with an outdoor stadium.
Certain stadiums make sense to be enclosed due to weather such as in Florida, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona.
@@RYMAN1321 I did not fully appreciate the impact that Texas weather can have until I went down there one summer. As a Canadian my knee jerk reaction is that places that don't get snow don't need a but I now realize that is false
I know the inside of the stadium is crap but I love the architecture on the outside. I like the concept of designing a stadium around organic modernism.
Totally agree with you, I love the look of it
Montreal moved before the "luxery taxe" and before the Wild Card Era ... we were stuck behind the doped up Atlanta Braves' pitching rotation ... On top of that, as a Montrealer, I can attest that our "natural ennemies" are Boston, NY and Toronto ... so there was no point on being in the NL Eat ... Mtl's place was always in the AL East!
On top of that, just remember who was the owner in the final years: Jeffrey "friggin'" Loria ... the guy who destroyed the Miami Marlins for decades to come!
I visited this stadium in 2001. It still looked very usable. We even went up to the skyview at the top of the stadium.
The Canadian dollar was also underperforming in the late 90s which made the Expos financial situation even worse.
I’m 41, it’s sad seeing what happened to franchise who had such great teams, players I remember growing up, start with the Oakland Athletics Bash Bros (Canseco, McGwire), Henderson, La Russa. To the Montreal Expos who had the best record in baseball in 1994 at 74-40, a 649%!!! 6 game lead on the Braves, on pace to win 105-57 record! add in 1993 team won 94 games a year before MLB added playoff expansion, wild card, a third division. Some of the greatest players ever to play the game of baseball wore an Expos cap, 10 HOF have “Montreal, NL” on their Hall of Fame plaque from Gary Carter (1974-1984, 1992), Andre Dawson (1976-1986), Tony Perez (1977-1979), manager Dick Williams (1977-1981), Pedro Martinez (1994-1997), Randy Johnson (1988-1989), Tim Raines (1979-1990, 2001), Larry Walker (1989-1994), Vladimir Guerrero (1996-2003), Lee Smith (1997). Then add in other greats like Pete Rose (1984), 1994 NL Manager of the Year Felipe Alou (1992-2001), manager Frank Robinson (2002-2004), 6x All-Star Moises Alou (1990-1996), 2x All-Star Marquis Grissom (1989-1994), 3x All-Star, 1996 WS MVP John Wetteland (1992-1994), 5x All-Star Steve Rogers (1973-1985), 5x All-Star Tim Wallace (1980-1992), 4x All-Star Dennis Martinez (1986-1993), 6x All-Star Rusty Staub (1969-1971, 1979).
Jacksonville had an AA team back in the day under the Expos named the Jacksonville Expos. Their nickname were the Jaxpos
Don't remind me
Not just poor attendance. They lost their radio contract. No radio - no TV.
Bring back the Expos. They were a cool team. I think one day we will see them again.
But they should bring back the original uniform design. The later, pinstripe design was ugly.
I doubt MLB goes back to Canada unless they come up with a new economic model.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
They would need a baseball stadium and a owner with lots of money
I saw a game there back in 1992. Cubs Expos game. I used to go to a ton of Phillies games, so I got to see them play a lot. Expos had a lot of HoF talent
Can you believe that was almost 20 years ago??
The roof was designed by an architect from France, who didn't account for the weight of snow and ice accumulation over the course of a Montréal winter. The stadium was a mistake before it was even built. It was ugly, impractical, non-functional, and it was built with mafia-grade concrete (half of the cost, easily, went to organized crime and political kickbacks). Now, they can't even demolish the dump because of concern that an implosion would damage the buildings around it, including two subway stations. It's also crammed full of asbestos that would need to be decontaminated. So, the options are to keep it a blight on the landscape forever, throwing tens of millions of dollars every year just to _maintain_ it, or to pay an estimated $700 million CAN (about half a _billion_ $US) to dismantle it by hand. That's pretty much how everything is done in Québec.
If that wasn't bad enough a few months ago it was made public that the ''technical ring'' of the roof of the stadium is badly damaged and needs serious repairs that could cost upwards of $400 million. And those repairs could take at least 3 years to be completed 😂😂😂
Jack Todd said that the architects who designed the big O thought that Montreal was too cold, when the real problem is that the summers aren't long enough.
I went to a game at Jarry Park! The year of the Olympics, ‘76. Expos vs Cubs, and looking at the schedule, I believe it was the day of August 7, a Saturday. And believe me, that place sucked. Royally. The experience was exactly the way it looked. It held 28,000 at the time. Could you imagine that flying these days? Had some great seats, behind 3rd base. All the seats were down almost level with the field. I think that Montreal deserves another shot. They skimped on that team for decades. Same excuses Oakland.
50 years later Germany figured how to make a similar roof design function at Deutsche Bank Stadium. It's pretty cool to watch.
Montreal doesn't want a dome. The summers are so short here, when you go to a Baseball game you want the full open air experience, and summers are very nice in Montreal. I think something like Seattle would be the Best. The only think you have to make sure is not having Snow on the field in April, and Post season in October can be very cold.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
The Montreal Machine from the WLAF also played in the big O in 1991-92
We never experienced baseball in a real stadium to me as lifelong expos fan was the biggest problem
I'm in Western Canada and was a big Expos fan back in the day. While a part of me would like to see it happen, I won't consider Montreal a viable MLB expansion candidate under a credible ownership candidate is presented. Nobody wanted to own a Montreal based MLB team in the 1990s, and as far as I can tell that hasn't changed.
Were you a Vancouver grizzlies fan too?
@@westhoodqualzini7884 Not really a basketball guy.
@@gordonwhitney6052 so what are your favorite sports?
@@westhoodqualzini7884 Memphis, Tennessee
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
When viewed from the rear that stadium with its leaning tower looks simlpy stunning, like a scene out of War of the Worlds
First things first, the meaning of defunct means no longer operating or out of business, the Expos franchise is still in business, they're just operating in Washington DC
Too soon. The strike was the nail in the coffin. I was an Expos die hard, still stings. ⚾🇨🇦🇺🇸⚾
They moved to Washington DC and became the Nationals due to poor attendance. There was talk of Tampa Bay playing half a season in Montreal.
It was not just attendance that was the issue. Taxes and the way players are paid in U.S dollars was a huge reason. Small TV revenue was another.
Back in the 70s there was talk the Indians were going to split games between Cleveland and New Orleans so the idea was talked about before
I got to see Carlos Perez hit a home run at Turner Field vs Braves on 6/14/98. The only run of the game
I love Montreal and wish I could have seen The Expos play atleast once. I have visited the stadium as well as Parc Jean Drapeau where their namesake originates.
I once saw a movie on CityTV that was shot in Montreal and I think it was called the Under The Covers Cops. One scene had a cop bone a prostitute inside one of the gate areas of Olympic Stadium while a game was in progress and he kept tabs on the field out of the corner of his eye while snaking her. Then she said it's a shame she would have to charge him for doing such a "dynamite job" of banging her up against the concrete wall of the entrance way.. so then he had to arrest her as per the law.
Another great movie shot in montreal was Hold-Up with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Kim Catrall but it has nothing to do with the Expos or Olympic Stadium.
The original Major League team. Purposely driven down into defuct to make it move.
I got to see that stadium from the outside when visiting Montreal a few years ago. I think the design is gorgeous
In about 1995-97, Canada was in a deep recession. Canadian $ was worth 67 cents of American Dollar. Everything in Canada in The NHL and MLB is paid in American Dollars.
The Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 as did The original Winnipeg Jets who moved to Phoenix.
In 1996-7, The Expos tried for a new retro ballpark. But the Premier of Quebec said no to public funding for a public ballpark. Things were so bad that Quebec's provincial government was closing hospitals.
Jonah Keri wrote "Up, Up, and Away." It's an oral history of The Expos and a good overview.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
And the Edmonton Oilers were actually close to moving to Houston, but got saved by the Edmonton Investors group
Growing up in Montreal, Les Canadiens Hockey team was my first love. By late 70s The Expos became darling of city. They had an exciting young team in 1979 winning 94 games. They battled eventual World Champs, Pittsburgh Pirates down to last day of season. Next big run was pennant in strike shortened season of 1981. Recall cutting classes in high school to watch Rick Monday hit late home run to lift Dodgers past Les Expos who went on to win World Series that year. We had some great seasons into mid 80s. I miss them but I don't think I'll see baseball back in MLB in my lifetime (I'm 60).
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
I live in Vermont about an hour from Montreal… we used to take school field trips to Expo games, it was a blast!
I used to think their logo was elb and not an M. "Here are your Montreal Elbows,"
This was so depressing I had to watch the last two Michigan OSU games to cheer me up
Financially yes, but aesthetically it is simply stunning even to this day
Love to have seen a Yankees vs. Expos World Series in 1994
While the Expos had the best regular-season record when the season ended in 1994, they would have been more likely to not make the World Series, as the teams with the best regular-season record in each league have failed to make the World Series more times than they did. For example, in 2023 three MLB teams with over 100 wins (Braves, Dodgers, and Orioles) failed to win their first playoff series.
I'm from Montreal and I can tell you our Olympic Sadium was a complete disaster!
Sadly, the Expos and the A's have gone through the same problem... Ownership who didn't want the team in their location so the submarine the team... AKA Ownership Blight... I loved the Expos.. the Nats I could care less about..
The only difference being the Oakland A’s were around for much longer and had very successful seasons. The expos weren’t as lucky unfortunately.
The real reason Montreal moved was for several reasons. First the USD/CDN dollar exhlchange rate really hurt. They cpuld not afford to retain any of theor talent. The fans wpuld get to know the players, watch them become stats and then get sold off. Second, Montreal ar the time did not have the corporate support that wpuld be there today. They also had a lomited tv deal with havibg to produxe telecasts in both English and french. Last, when the Sragramd family sold off to a very under capitalized new ownership group that was not fiscally able to support the team. Look at what their owner did to the Miami Marlins after the experience with the Expos. I
At least the Marlins won two World Series in their first 10 years. That’s more success than many other teams have had.
Expos had 35 years to at least make deep playoff runs but they just couldn’t do it.
montreal is the largest city, at 4.3 million without a team. if today's playoff scenario existed back then the expos would have made the playoffs several times.
It seemed that more often than not though they finished with losing records.
After the language laws were passed in 1977, a lot of English speakers, and their money, moved away and it took some time for the economy to rebound.
I gotta feeling the Expos are going to be revived as an expansion team with a fresh renovated stadium.
I'm in Vancouver. I know sources here credible business folks. MLB is not going back to Montreal was told. They are put off at Quebec politics especially their french language law. As well the Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pony up the money to repair it. Told we are getting a team here. An existing team(Diamondbacks) or an expansion team is coming here soon, stay tuned.
@@anthonys3631 sucks to hear that sadly but Montreal can possibly be a 4th city to get an NBA team I’m hearing and Vancouver is probably likely not going to get an NBA team too but MLB team would be lit 🔥 for y’all. When will y’all gonna get an NFL team?
@@dreamcage1801My buddy here personally knows the Vancouver canucks first owner and talks to him every other day. Main reason the Grizzlies left was the NBA wants all their corporate boxes in their arenas sold out for their games. The fan support for the Grizzlies was here but the corporate support at that time wasn't. Basketball would succeed here now in todays city.
I miss the Expos :( Horrible Stadium but still had fond memories of it none the less.
The Expos should have been saved! It’s disgusting that the Rays are still around. Fans at a time actually showed up.
People don't really understand why it is so hard for teams to be successful in Canada. Before the new NHL labor contract almost 1/2 of the Canada NHL teams were near or close to bankruptcy. There are a number of reasons which is why MLB NBA or NFL is unlikely to expand into Canada again. NFL could be the only one but they indicated they would not compete with the CFL. MLB and NBA have already been burned too many times. Used to love watching the Expos come to town in the late 70s and 80s. And do you know that MLB and the O's are still fighting over the move into DC. They still have not settled on compensation to the O's.
Ironically, the Baltimore Orioles actually objected to the "new" Senators moving out of Washington in 1971. The Orioles and the Senators liked visiting each others' ballpark because it was an easy trip by bus. BTW: Did the "Old" Senators team demand compensation when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954?
Different times no on really thought about territorial rights or big TV contracts or advertising. Totally different world back then. I think the O’s have been asking for like 2 billion in compensation I think MLB was at 500 million, number might not be exact but they were far apart. They are having another mediation session. 20 years + ongoing.
That MOONN TREAL American pronunciation 😅
No, it was not $1.1B at the time...that was current day dollars and including interest on loans.
And it took 30 years for the Olympic debt to be completely paid off.
Sorry, just can't watch it.
Losing my favorite team still hurts.
But, cheers to your channel 🍻
One of my little league teams I played was for the Expos
Weather in Montreal is not sketchy in September. It's really only April and the summer rain. As well Baseball was big in Montreal and still is. so not entirely factual here.
I thought the Expos’ attendance was never that good, and may have said the more French feel of Montreal is why.
I saw at least 15 game there. I was about 16 and would go there with friends. Good times.
The Expos were cursed from the get go.
This has gotta take inspiration from UTREE
The French Architect that designed Olympic Stadium was on drugs when he designed the retractable roof that looked like a giant, flying moster from the movie NOPE, when it retracted!! Such an ugly roof, hideous!! They could of used the ugly roof in a Godzilla movie, as an actual villain!! 😂😅
? The overall design of the stadium with its tower looks simply incredible
I always liked their logo. I also thought it was cool to have a mlb team in Canada 🇨🇦 and they would play the Canadian national anthem before the game. Now the Bluejays are all by themselves up there. Would also have been cool to have a World Series with both Toronto and Montreal.
Anyone who watches baseball knows Montreal is first in line for an expansion team by a mile
The Expos’ never had good support or fanbase. Not to mention they were never successful overall (only one playoff appearance in 1981).
Not to mention Montreal is more French, and I could very well be wrong but I don’t think baseball is big there.
They played 8 seasons at Jarry Park 69-76
They were supposed to have a new stadium by 1971 , that was a condition for them getting the franchise
I mean for the weather it’s not so bad in September, nothing different than Boston.
The more French like culture in Montreal which in turn many said is why their attendance suffered, the lack of regular season success and failure to make the playoffs in their 35 years save for 1981 as well as the 1994 strike (which was the beginning of the end for the team), and the terrible condition that Olympic Stadium ended up becoming is why this team failed.
At least they finally ended up winning a championship in 2019, exactly 50 years after they initially entered the league.
I don't think Montreal is a viable expansion city. Ice hockey, for them, is the only sport that matters. I went to see Montreal in the late 80s, went up in the roof tower, etc. A fun time and I was always fond of the franchise but Olympic Stadium felt like a hangar for a UFO, the seats were not close to the action even in places where you expected it to be. The "O" was closed after concrete chunks kept falling from the rim of the roof - a victim of the harsh winters.
In the summer time Montreal has two pro teams playing. The Alouettes (Football - CFL) and CFMTL (Soccer - MLS). And both clubs hardly get any local media coverage on sports TV and radio. Practically 99.99999% of the sports media coverage in the summer time in Montreal is dedicated to the Montreal Canadiens.
As a French sports media journalist once said : ''Montreal is known for two things. A city of sporting events and the city of the Montreal Canadiens''.
They played 8 years at Parc Jarry.
8:00 looks like a hippie conventiion
Jarry Park looked like a nice place. The only real issue was the nasty cold weather.
Then they win a championship as the Nationals
2019
there should be a Canadian pro football team imo.
in the stadium? the CFL team plays at another 25k stadium
@@samelmudir - The Alouettes (CFL) play their games at Percival Molson Stadium on the site of McGill University. And that stadium is also a dump.
And no mention of Jeffrey Loria?
The only stadium with red foul poles
The Expos will return when MLB expansion happens
And where would that stadium be built? If you're thinking of Peel Bassin you can forget about it. When the Montreal - Tampa Bay sharing project fell through the City of Montreal annouced that construction on that site with two condo tours, an industrial park and shopping mall by Devimco is set for Spring 2024.
And also just remember what Stephen Bronfman who lead the group that wanted the sharing project said back in February 2020 : ''Montreal doesn't have the financial strenght to support an MLB team full time''.
@@sylvainbeaulieu6300renovation of the stadium
MLB is not going back to Montreal. I'm in Vancouver and know some high up business folks here. They tell me MLB is put off at Quebec politics especially their french language laws, as well Big O needs a $600 million dollar repair job and no one in Montreal wants to pay it. Told Vancouver is getting a team(Diamondbacks relocating here soon) or an expansion franchise. Stay tuned.
@@anthonys3631 Vancouver is not getting a NBA team either right?
@@dreamcage1801Hopefully not. After the 'slap in the face' the Grizzlies gave us last time they were here the NBA can go to hell for all I care. Expanding now would be ridiculous of them as there are already enough horrible teams as is. Listen my buddy personally knows the Vancouver Canucks first owner and he was the one responsible for bringing the NBA to Vancouver. You want to know why the main reason was that the Grizzlies left? The NBA wants all the corporate boxes in their arenas sold out as it is a huge money maker for them. The fan support for the Grizzlies was there but not the corporate support. If they were to return here which I couldn't care less if they did it would succeed here now.
Montreal had Pedro in 94! That was their year. I consider Pedro the GOAT, as his 99 and 00 seasons were beyond dominant in the height of the steroid area. I am a bit of a conspiracy therapist, so I posit the MLB let the strike go forward to prevent Canada from winning 3 World Series in the first half decade. Call me crazy... #itm
Pedro was on another level, akin to Tom Brady during his peak years
not defunct moved changed name. defunct means went out of business.
The strike killed the Expos!
If the A's are looking for a home to play during the next four years, why not Montreal?
Here's why :
1. A few months ago it was made public that the ''technical ring'' of the roof at the Olympic Stadium is badly damaged and needs serious repairs that could cost upwards of $400 million. And those repairs could take at least 3 years to be completed. So the stadium is going to be closed.
2. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has said publicly more then once. If MLB is to return to Montreal it MUST be in a downtown baseball stadium. NOT at Olympic Stadium.
bring them back!
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
@@manuelgrothe608 - And where would that stadium be built? If you're thinking of Peel Bassin you can forget about it. When the Montreal - Tampa Bay sharing project fell through the City of Montreal annouced that construction on that site with two condo tours, an industrial park and shopping mall by Devimco is set for Spring 2024.
And also just remember what Stephen Bronfman who lead the group that wanted the sharing project said back in February 2020 : ''Montreal doesn't have the financial strenght to support an MLB team full time''.
btw, the biggest north american city without a mlb yeam
Montreal is and will always remain the Mecca of hockey
That little support the city didn’t deserve a team. Just like Miami and Tampa now.
every time the expos were any good the league went on strike. ok not stooopid can take a hint. there will never be another mlb team in montreal
There's nothing depressing about you, Ginger.
They weren't defunct they were sold and moved to Washington.
They along with Minnesota Twins were facing being eliminate from Baseball. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Major_League_Baseball_contraction_plan
in 1994 the WS should have been Expos Yankees.
Plot twist, both choke at the ALCS/NLCS and lose out
Last time I checked, this was going to be the first season of the division championship series, then the championship series then the World Series, what are the chances that both teams would have won both series? before the World 🌍 Series
Here in ten minutes ticket:claim here
The French don't care about baseball.
The Montreal Mayor and Major League baseball Commissioner should negotiate for agreement terms in order to have a pro Baseball team in Montreal, Quebec
Oakland and Nashville for expansion
montreal and nashville
Canadas beloved piece of junk the Big Owe!
FIrst ! thanks ginger !
Don’t agree with most of the video. There’s alot of misinformation
The Blue Jays played TWELVE YEARS at Exhibition Stadium. LOTS of MLB teams played in crap ballparks to start their existence. You seem to forget all of MLB history every video you make. Maybe that makes it more dramatic. Your annoying tone and dragging 5 minute videos out for 20 minutes is also a very odd approach to gain viewers.