In a move that surprises many, Major League Baseball has given permission to the Tampa Bay Rays to explore splitting time with their current city and Montreal. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news earlier in the day.
The two-city approach would see the Rays start the first half of the season in Tampa Bay and finish the second half in Montreal.
Although they had a surprising 2018 campaign, featuring 90 wins and Cy Young award-winner Blake Snell, the Rays only finish above the Miami Marlins in average home attendance with 14,258 fans. This could be attributed to Tropicana Field’s location in St. Petersburg, which is across the bay (22 miles) from downtown Tampa. To put things in perspective, Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Park, who house the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, are 16 miles apart on the road. Their Rays’ lease with the stadium comes to an end in 2027.
Since losing the Expos in 2004, Montreal has been a big player as a potential relocation or expansion destination. Although the situation is unique, it is something similar to what the Expos did in 2003 and 2004, playing 22 home games each season in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Something to Note for Montreal
Baseball in Montreal brings nostalgia, which may alter one’s perception of what once was.
Olympic Stadium, which housed the Expos from 1977 to 2004, was a multi-purpose facility but did not serve baseball well. This aided in the relocation of the Expos.
Attendance
| Year | W | L | Attendance | Attend/G | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 67 | 95 | 749,550 | 9,369 | 16th of 16 |
| 2003 | 83 | 79 | 1,025,639 | 12,662 | 16th of 16 |
| 2002 | 83 | 79 | 812,045 | 10,025 | 16th of 16 |
| 2001 | 68 | 94 | 642,745 | 7,935 | 16th of 16 |
| 2000 | 67 | 95 | 926,272 | 11,435 | 16th of 16 |
| 1999 | 68 | 94 | 773,277 | 9,547 | 16th of 16 |
| 1998 | 65 | 97 | 914,909 | 11,295 | 16th of 16 |
| 1997 | 78 | 84 | 1,497,609 | 18,489 | 13th of 14 |
| 1996 | 88 | 74 | 1,616,709 | 19,959 | 11th of 14 |
| 1995 | 66 | 78 | 1,309,618 | 18,189 | 10th of 14 |
| 1994 | 74 | 40 | 1,276,250 | 24,543 | 11th of 14 |
| 1993 | 94 | 68 | 1,641,437 | 20,265 | 13th of 14 |
| 1992 | 87 | 75 | 1,669,127 | 20,607 | 10th of 12 |
| 1991 | 71 | 90 | 934,742 | 13,746 | 12th of 12 |
| 1990 | 85 | 77 | 1,373,087 | 16,952 | 10th of 12 |
| 1989 | 81 | 81 | 1,783,533 | 22,019 | 10th of 12 |
| 1988 | 81 | 81 | 1,478,659 | 18,255 | 11th of 12 |
| 1987 | 91 | 71 | 1,850,324 | 22,844 | 9th of 12 |
| 1986 | 78 | 83 | 1,128,981 | 14,112 | 11th of 12 |
| 1985 | 84 | 77 | 1,502,494 | 18,549 | 8th of 12 |
| 1984 | 78 | 83 | 1,606,531 | 19,834 | 8th of 12 |
| 1983 | 82 | 80 | 2,320,651 | 28,650 | 2nd of 12 |
| 1982 | 86 | 76 | 2,318,292 | 28,621 | 3rd of 12 |
| 1981 | 60 | 48 | 1,534,564 | 27,403 | 3rd of 12 |
| 1980 | 90 | 72 | 2,208,175 | 27,602 | 4th of 12 |
| 1979 | 95 | 65 | 2,102,173 | 25,953 | 4th of 12 |
| 1978 | 76 | 86 | 1,427,007 | 17,838 | 7th of 12 |
| 1977 | 75 | 87 | 1,433,757 | 17,701 | 6th of 12 |
| 1976 | 55 | 107 | 646,704 | 8,084 | 11th of 12 |
| 1975 | 75 | 87 | 908,292 | 11,213 | 9th of 12 |
| 1974 | 79 | 82 | 1,019,134 | 12,739 | 9th of 12 |
| 1973 | 79 | 83 | 1,246,863 | 15,393 | 9th of 12 |
| 1972 | 70 | 86 | 1,142,145 | 14,643 | 9th of 12 |
| 1971 | 71 | 90 | 1,290,963 | 16,137 | 8th of 12 |
| 1970 | 73 | 89 | 1,424,683 | 17,809 | 6th of 12 |
| 1969 | 52 | 110 | 1,212,608 | 14,970 | 7th of 12 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/20/2019.
The Expos ranked last in attendance in their final seven years in Montreal, and within the bottom half in 29 seasons. Although the city comes off as starved for the sport, past trends do not back that notion up.
Of course, the plan would be to build a new stadium in Montreal. The prospects are being spearheaded by Canadian businessman Stephen Bronfman, whose father was the original owner of the Expos.
The idea may be worthy of exploring but should be taken on as a major step towards relocation.
“My priority remains the same, I am committed to keeping baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg stated. “I believe this concept is worthy of serious exploration.”
Jeffrey Loria said something similar in a New York Times piece when he took control of the Expos in 2001.
“I want to strengthen this team in as many areas as I can,” he said. “As the new owner here, I feel I have an obligation to move things forward. No more business as usual. By establishing stability, commencing a new marketing program and bringing in a winning attitude and winning players.”