Gallagher: Demise of Montreal's baseball portfolio one of year's top sports stories

A photo from the gold old days when baseball was thriving in Montreal. Supplied by Danny Gallagher

December 29, 2022

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

The year 2022 was a watershed year for Montreal's chances of obtaining another big-league franchise to replace the Expos.

It was a negative watershed -- from which there is likely no point of return. The news disappointed a lot of people, me included, but especially those putting up money and effort in trying to get a team back.

From 2004 to 2011, you never knew the Expos ever existed following the transfer of the team to Washington. Then for some 10 years, beginning in 2012, there was a lot of enthusiasm and passion about getting a team back. That passion has gone down the drain in a hurry.

The demise of this portfolio made for one of the top sports stories in Canada this year, at least in baseball circles.

It all started in late January 2022 when Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg announced that commissioner Rob Manfred had quashed the idea of a split-season concept, whereby 50% of Tampa home games would be played in Montreal, beginning in 2028.

It was devastating news for Montreal's prospective owners Stephen Bronfman and Mitch Garber, who were in love with this scenario because it was a part-time idea that would cost much less money than your standard franchise.

Then not long ago, I wrote stories for the Canadian Baseball Network website to confirm that Bronfman and his Montreal Baseball Group didn't want a full-time team either, as opposed to a part-time team.

Garber told me the idea of a season-long schedule didn't appeal to his group.

"Playing 162 games is a lot of games in today's culture and the short-attention span,'' Garber said. "I believe baseball is dead for us and I don't want to have to perpetuate that.''

To date, Bronfman hasn't commented himself about why the full-time scenario has been abandoned but we can assume he just doesn't think it's a viable project because it would cost billions of dollars. I'm thinking Bronfman doesn't want to say much because he doesn't want to disappoint fans, media and sponsors, whose hopes have been seared.

The question remains: if expansion comes along soon, is there anyone willing to step up and replace Bronfman? It would be embarrassing if nobody came to the plate and presented a bid on behalf of Montreal.

Among those who was disappointed in the demise of Montreal's baseball portfolio was Elias Makos, who I contacted several weeks ago for comment. He's a former Expos PR employee, CJAD Radio talk-show host and administrator of the @montreal_expos Twitter feed.

"The recent messaging from the people that were working to bring [baseball] back to Montreal makes it pretty clear they don't have the appetite for a full-time team in this city,'' Makos said. "That makes me sad as a baseball fan, and sad as a cheerleader for this city in general. I was shocked that the split-city effort was the actual plan. I always thought it was subterfuge for getting back a real team.''

Subterfuge? I had to look up the meaning of this powerful word but it makes sense, Elias.

If you thought 2022 was bad for baseball in Montreal, I don't think it will get any better in 2023.

Danny Gallagher's new Expos book Around The Horn will be released in mid-January, 2023.