MLB: Two-City Team?
- Thread starter Dandy
- Start date
St. Pete has been a horrible place for a team, everything I have seen or read says its nearly impossible to get to the stadium from Tampa, so people do not go. The Rays are 2nd to last in the league in attendence, this with a team that is 12 over for the year, and they are young.
Montreal drew very well before the strike year when they were in first place and the strike wiped it all out. I have been to 5 games in Montreal, great city and Olympic stadium was a fun place and cheap to see games. We would take the subway to the stadium from the hotel. Exchange rate was like $1.68 to $1.00 American. Current rate is $1.32 Canadian to $1.00 American. So they are losing 25% on the value of each dollar they bring in.
The problem is they need a domed stadium or at least a moveable dome, and the exchange rate is horrible for the team. All salaries by MLB have to be paid in dollars, so they are losing money, on the exchange rates. But there is a huge financial base in Montreal that I have read would be willing to help the team out if they get one.
St. Pete will not allow the team to do anything until 2027, but if they can work out a deal, I think it would be great to play a limited number of games in Montreal, say 30 during the summer.
I mean, what do they have to lose, no one watches them now.
Montreal drew very well before the strike year when they were in first place and the strike wiped it all out. I have been to 5 games in Montreal, great city and Olympic stadium was a fun place and cheap to see games. We would take the subway to the stadium from the hotel. Exchange rate was like $1.68 to $1.00 American. Current rate is $1.32 Canadian to $1.00 American. So they are losing 25% on the value of each dollar they bring in.
The problem is they need a domed stadium or at least a moveable dome, and the exchange rate is horrible for the team. All salaries by MLB have to be paid in dollars, so they are losing money, on the exchange rates. But there is a huge financial base in Montreal that I have read would be willing to help the team out if they get one.
St. Pete will not allow the team to do anything until 2027, but if they can work out a deal, I think it would be great to play a limited number of games in Montreal, say 30 during the summer.
I mean, what do they have to lose, no one watches them now.
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Thank You for sticking up for Montreal! I have been to 3 games there myself. I saw the Expos play a couple of games vs. the Astros in 1987 (paid C$1 to sit in the bleachers!), and I saw the Reds play the Blue Jays in an Exhibition Game a couple of years ago. I love Stade Olympique and Le Baseball in Montreal!
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Who wants to play for that and pay for the accountant services?
Who wants to be the accountant for that nightmare?
When our kids were young each summer we would travel and watch the Cardinals play, we quickly found out that seeing them on the road, generally meant we could get better seats, at cheaper prices than seeing them in St. Louis. So we saw them in Montreal 5 games, Cincinnati 7 games, 4 in KC, 2 in Pittsburgh, 2 in Minneapolis.
Montreal was our favorite away city, stop by Cooperstown and see the Hall of Fame, a must for any baseball fan, and we love Montreal. A European feel right here in N. America, Toronto is also a great city to visit, much like NY without the crime and garbage all over.
L
LincolnWay187
Guest
If they could somehow make the stadiums work it would be great..maybe existing ones already around? I hate that these teams get massive taxpayer help to "stay" in a city and build monstrous new stadiums way too early. Arlington texas is getting screwed by the rangers right now. If this somehow minimizes tax bills I am all for it
I could get with Tampa and Vegas making sense well Vegas. However, Montreal has the worst attendance in the league every year. So why go there
Look at the attendence in Montreal and it was right around league average to a little below until the last 5 years or so. The expos drew a heck of a lot better than the Rays.
Two things really did in baseball in Montreal, the first was the baseball strikes and their own Jeffry Lowery (sp), he did everything in his power to kill baseball in Montreal, he wanted to move the team to DC, which he did. They he sold the team and purchased the Miami team. The won the world series twice and each time he tore the team down the next year. After he talked the city into building them a new stadium, he did it again and then sold team at over a billion dollars.
https://exposnation.com/en/montreal-expos-attendance-per-year/
Why doesn't Montreal deserve a team? From what I recall their fans were pretty supportive. Unlike the Rays and Marlins who can't put fans in the stands even when they're winning.
D
Deleted member 8507
Guest
So is this like foster care for MLB? Kick them around to different cities, until they grow up or find a city that does want them?
An MLB team is Mexico City would be interesting, but you have to wonder if there are enough people with money living there to make the team viable. Its one thing to have a huge population base, but if they are basically giving the tickets away for a few bucks can the team make money?
MLB has three teams hurting right now, Oakland, Miami and Tampa Bay. MLB should allow Oakland to move to San Jose or Sacramento, both are large enough to support a team.
Allow Tampa the split season with Montreal, or move them to the Carolina's.
Miami is more of a problem they have a new stadium and still do not draw flies. I wonder if they would not have been better in Orlando, build off Mickey Mouse world and go from there. But with their new stadium they are stuck, drawing flies forever.
Best team nickname I’ve seen suggested so far is the Snowbirds.
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With this, Tampa wouldnt need a dome and could build a 20k seat stadium for a third of the price of the Braves new stadium.
The Rays should just move across the bay and use USF's yard. 1,500 seats and a total capacity of 3,211. Might be able to fill that.
https://gousfbulls.com/sports/2011/2/3/205177594.aspx
https://gousfbulls.com/sports/2011/2/3/205177594.aspx
It's too bad TB won't build that mock up stadium they had put together like a year or two ago. It was super sharp with a lot less seating. It looked like a really cool intimate venue to watch a game.
Mexico City's urban population is 21 million, which is the largest in the Western hemisphere. If it were its own country, it'd be the 30th richest country in the world. I think they would probably do OK for ticket pricing.
