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[White Man]

Out of curiosity, do they already have a site in mind for this stadium, or is this just a wild guess design at what the stadium could look like?

 

[Willco]

Out of curiosity, do they already have a site in mind for this stadium, or is this just a wild guess design at what the stadium could look like?

No, they already have the site planned and everything. And that's a pretty good representation of what the final build will look like.

... some more visuals.

 

[Crazymoogle]

Yes, three years. They don't have an owner now. Who cares about 1994. MLB has been wanting to unload the Expos since 2001. blah blah junk

I'll apologize if you took my comments as an insult, but really, the writing on the wall for the Expos has been there for a very, very long time.

What I was getting at is that MLB let the team crash and burn in 95. Maybe you just weren't paying attention to the team at the time, but the team went through several owners looking for tax writeoffs, and Felipe Alou was basically told to just run the team as cheaply as possible. MLB buying the team was just the league finally admitting they didn't have an owner on the way and that a move would be necessary.

Who cares about the 1994 roster? That was ten years ago! The Expos had a good farm system, but they don't anymore. They got robbed of Orlando Cabrera and let Vlad Guerrero and Javier Vazquez walk out the door. The team is talent thin in every aspect of the organization.

Robbed? More like repo. They let guys out the door because they can't damn well afford them. They're like the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, accepting trades for cash infusions, and this has been going on since 94 - ten years ago.

I think Toronto can support a team and Tampa Bay can certainly support a team. The only team in dire straights right now is Tampa Bay and that's because their management makes Baltimore's look like New York's. The Marlins and Athletics are two very good organizations that need new ballparks. Look what Minute Maid did for Houston.

All I hear on the news every year is Toronto trying to tighten the budget and the owners getting antsier about holding onto the franchise. The Marlins had the former expo's owner and two World Series titles, so they aren't going anywhere yet. I won't comment on the Athletics, but I haven't seen anything to contradict that doom and gloom would be on the backs of the Twins if they weren't making the playoffs.

 

[Willco]

THIS JUST IN!

INSIDE SOURCES CLAIM THE WASHINGTON BASEBALL CLUB, THE OWNERSHIP GROUP THAT HOLDS AN EXCLUSIVITY AGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT FOR BASEBALL, HAS BEGUN DISCUSSIONS WITH CAL RIPKEN (AGAIN) TO RUN THE TEAM.

He is interested as well. This would be great. He could teach The Oriole Way in D.C.! And it'd be the biggest FUCK YOU to Angelos for screwing him over.

 

[Joe]

as in general manager?

and how did angelos fuck him over?

it would also be a big fuck you to oriole's fans.

 

[Willco]

as in general manager?

Yeah, that's what the speculation has been.

and how did angelos fuck him over?

Angelos kept pressuring Ripken to retire well before he did, but he couldn't do too much because it'd upset the fans. Ripken also had an uneasy relationship with Angelos because his pratices with the ballclub clashed against "The Oriole Way".

Also bothersome? When the GM position went vacant after Syd Thrift left, Angelos didn't even consider Ripken.

it would also be a big fuck you to oriole's fans.

Not really. I think it would just be a representation of the attitude Orioles fans have with the franchise now.

 

[Willco]

I submitted my team name, but I thought someone might find the Top 3 recommendations interesting...

Thanks! Your suggestion for team name has been submitted.

The current leaders are:
1. Senators
2. Grays
3. Monuments

Grays? That's retarded. I submitted Washington Warriors and Washington Nationals.

 

[DJ_Tet]

Washington Monuments? And I thought Bobcats was stupid

 

[Malakhov]

Yes, three years. They don't have an owner now. Who cares about 1994. MLB has been wanting to unload the Expos since 2001. Perhaps you should try ESPN.com for some reading up. I hear it's a nice little site with articles about sports. What a world we live in!

Obviously a lot of people, because if the MLB hadn't striked in '94, well the expos would of been world champs and would have been contenders for years to come and would of never have left Montreal.

Last time I saw the Expos was in 1994, in what was a sold out or almost sold out (50K+) stadium against the Braves.

With the team the expos had in '94 and the farming they had afterwards, the expos would of been a total domination in baseball.

BUT, after the MLB broke the expos back, no one cared about the Expos anymore, including me, our dream had been shattered and we never forgot. After that well year after year we were being told it was the last season we'd see them here and ended up freaking hoping they'd just leave already.

Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Cliff Floyd, Marquis Grissom, Pedro Martinez, Ken Hill, Jeff Shaw, and John Wetteland. 74 wins 40 losses, best in the majors, and a six game lead in the National League East. We will never forget.

 

[Willco]

IT'S ALMOST OFFICIAL! TOMORROW, BUD SELIG ANNOUNCES THE EXPOS ARE MOVING!

WASHINGTON -- Major League Baseball will announce Wednesday that Washington will be the new home of the Montreal Expos, bringing the national pastime back to the nation's capital for the first time in 33 years, The Associated Press has learned.

A city official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington has been notified by Major League Baseball of the impending announcement.

The city is planning its own news conference at a downtown location Wednesday afternoon, the official said.

The announcement will come one day before the 33rd anniversary of the Washington Senators' final game. The Senators moved to Texas after the 1971 season, which was also the last time a major league team changed cities.

Baseball has been looking for a new home for the Expos since the financially troubled team was bought by the other 29 major league owners in 2002. The Washington official said the bidding group had been told that baseball had reached an understanding with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who had previously objected to having a team relocate just 40 miles from his franchise.

Las Vegas; Norfolk, Va.; Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Ore.; and Northern Virginia also made bids, but Washington clearly took the lead during negotiations over recent weeks, strengthened by its wealthy population base and a financial package that would build a new stadium primarily with taxpayers' money.

The negotiations have produced a 30-page document that would conditionally award the Expos to Washington, pending approval by the City Council. The document had not yet been signed as of Tuesday night, the city source told the AP.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, reached at his Milwaukee home, declined comment.

Plans call for a $440 million package that would include a new ballpark to be built along the Anacostia River about a dozen blocks south of the Capitol. The package also includes a $13 million refurbishment of RFK Stadium, where the team would play for three seasons while the new facility is being built.

Washington needed an answer from Major League Baseball this week because the ballpark legislation had to be introduced by Friday in order for it to be passed by Dec. 31, when terms expire for several pro-baseball City Council members.

The move must be approved by three-quarters of major league owners and survive legal challenges by the Expos' former limited partners.

After the announcement, the process of selling the Expos will start. A group that includes former Rangers partner Fred Malek has been seeking a Washington franchise for five years. In addition, several baseball officials have said in the past week that Stan Kasten, former president of the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Thrashers, might be trying to assemble a group.

The original Senators played in Washington from 1901-60 before moving to Minnesota to become the Twins. The expansion Senators played called Washington home from 1961-71 before moving to Texas.

In the Senators' last game, on Sept. 30, 1971, they led the New York Yankees 7-5 with two outs in the ninth inning when fans seeking souvenirs went on the RFK Stadium field, which could not be cleared. The Yankees wound up winning the game in a forfeit.

The Rangers retain ownership of the name "Washington Senators," baseball spokesman Carmine Tiso said after consulting with Ethan Orlinsky, a lawyer for Major League Baseball Properties, the sport's licensing division.

Montreal's last home game is scheduled for Wednesday night against Florida. Monday's series opener drew a crowd of 3,923 to Olympic Stadium.

 

[Willco]

We have a baseball team! Rejoice!

 

[levious]

Willco,

any idea on the answer to my question previously... about what obligation the league had to appease Angelos in the first place? I really don't understand that, and none of the articles in the post have really addressed it that I've seen.

 

[Dilbert]

Grays? That's retarded. I submitted Washington Warriors and Washington Nationals.

Aren't they saving the nickname "Grays" for the future Las Vegas baseball team?

 

[shoplifter]

Grays? That's retarded. I submitted Washington Warriors and Washington Nationals.

Negro League homage.

 

[Willco]

Willco,

any idea on the answer to my question previously... about what obligation the league had to appease Angelos in the first place? I really don't understand that, and none of the articles in the post have really addressed it that I've seen.

Angelos has threatened to sue and basically MLB wants to avoid years of litigation and a possible injunction to block the move, resulting in the loss of millions by the team not playing in D.C., while they duke it out in the courtroom.

Aren't they saving the nickname "Grays" for the future Las Vegas baseball team?

I found out that the Grays were the old negro team in the District. I still don't like the name. For some reason, Senators seems popular around here, but I'd rather have the Nationals.

 

[DJ_Tet]

Willco,

any idea on the answer to my question previously... about what obligation the league had to appease Angelos in the first place? I really don't understand that, and none of the articles in the post have really addressed it that I've seen.

Some retired pitcher interviewed live on ESPNews just claimed that each owner gave Angelos $5 million apiece. I don't know if that's accurate or not though.

 

[Saint Cornelius]

Grays = aliens

I will miss the Montreal Expos. I mean, I'm no fan of beisbol (anymore) but having a team of Canucks mixed in with all these Americans? Take off, eh! Fuckin' a awesome!

But good for Washington, getting their own team. Do you guys want the Padres, too? You can have those fucking guys.

 

[Bauer Action Hour]

Willco,

any idea on the answer to my question previously... about what obligation the league had to appease Angelos in the first place? I really don't understand that, and none of the articles in the post have really addressed it that I've seen.

"Territorial rights."

A team can't move into another team's territorial area w/o some kind of compensation.

 

[BlackMage]

Great. Now let's work to get LA a Football team, dammit!

 

[KilledByBill]

I don't understand why so many people in the D.C. area seem to want to resurect the old "Senators" name. I could understand if the old Washington teams had winning traditions but from what I read those clubs were pretty bad most of the time.

A new name like Nationals or Generals or something would be a way to start a new tradition.

Just my 2 cents. **crosses fingers that they don't choose some retarded name like wizards....**

 

[Miguel]

WASHINGTON SNIPERS

 

[Willco]

Actually, the Senators did win a World Series, two pennants and had arguably the best right-handed pitcher in the history of baseball.

 

[Dilbert]

Great. Now let's work to get LA a Football team, dammit!

We don't want one...

 

[Mashing]

Apparently not, considering LA fucked up their last opportunity... at the delight of me of course

 

[ghostface]

Actually, the Senators did win a World Series, two pennants and had arguably the best right-handed pitcher in the history of baseball.

May Washington fans get as screwed up the @ss by everyone as us Montreal fans have been for the past 10 years. ;P

Was at the final game in Mtl tonight, a truly sad and heartbreaking time, going through that 9th inning, down 9-1, with 31,000+ fans on their feet, for one last time cheering for 'Nos Amours'. The players came on the field after the game, and a few of them had some words for the fans. Not a single one of the people in attendance had left at this point. Nobody was able to accept that after talking about it for so long, the Expos were actually leaving Montreal for good.

The ceremony honouring the 1994 Expos before the game was nice too, bringing up some fond memories, with a taste of bitterness.

So, in the end, fuck Jeffrey Loria, fuck Bud Selig, fuck all the Expos owners of the last ten years, and fuck most of Montreal's sports "journalists". Just do NOT, for the love of God, blame this on the people of Montreal, who have been toyed with for over a decade over their team.

I seriously wish D.C fans luck, and hope that one day Mtl will also get professional baseball back.

*Goes back to crying, especially after remembering that there is a hockey lock-out*

 

[Willco]

Thanks for your team. We'll take good care of it. The roster kind of sucks now, but we'll work on that.

It sucks Montreal had bad management, but would it hurt the fans to come out and support the team when they were in the midst of a wild card race in 2002 and 2003?

 

[ghostface]

I was at the home games during the 2003 wild-card race. I can tell you without the shadow of a doubt (and other Montreal people will agree with me on this one) that the atmosphere during those games were at least equal or greater to anything previously seen at the Olympic Stadium. A crowd of 20,000-30,000, which is alot in this town, sounded more like one of 50,000+. I mean we had a standing ovation almost every time we were at bat, especially against the Phillies. I had never experienced anything quite like that before in Montreal, even at NHL playoff games, which tend to get pretty wild here. The opposing players were also very quick to notice this in post-game interviews.

"Coincidentally", that's when the players were at their best. We dominated that homestand, were scoring runs like crazy, rallying every single time we were down. It was the talk of the town. What happpened next falls in what I was describing as "Fuck Bud Selig". The team went on a couple of games loosing streak in their road trip, and their next "home" stand was in Puerto Rico, and that just killed ANY momentum we had going. You have no idea how bitter baseball fans here were about that. :/

Montreal IS a baseball town.

 

[Crazymoogle]

It sucks Montreal had bad management, but would it hurt the fans to come out and support the team when they were in the midst of a wild card race in 2002 and 2003?

Bad management? It was bad ownership. Hell, they even had the Expos announcer and former team managers on TV explaining when the Expos, following the strike, had basically 72 hours to trade his four best players for whatever he could get. Even when MLB took control of the team, they had a strict budget that could be altered by the league (and at least one instance of a quashed deal).

Show up? Why bother? After 8 years of the team clearly going in the tank, why support a team that (at best) was only six games over .500 and destined to make deadline trades for other teams?

 

[Crazymoogle]

Montreal IS a baseball town.

Probably. But at least now the players and team can honestly rebuild.

 

[ghostface]

I really hope they change the name of the club. I can't imagine sitting through highlights of the Washington Expos. It would probably be painful every time.

 

[Willco]

It will probably remain the Washington Expos unless MLB sells the team to an owner before Christmas.

The funny bit is now D.C. United, Washington's MLS team, now has to share RFK Stadium with the Expos and they are pissed. They're hoping this will get a stadium deal done for them too.

 

[MASB]

It will probably remain the Washington Expos unless MLB sells the team to an owner before Christmas.

The funny bit is now D.C. United, Washington's MLS team, now has to share RFK Stadium with the Expos and they are pissed. They're hoping this will get a stadium deal done for them too.

Does DC United have a big enough following to warrant their own new stadium?

 

[Willco]

Does DC United have a big enough following to warrant their own new stadium?

Yeah, they do. They're not only the best team in their respective league, but they're probably more popular in D.C. than the Wizards and Capitals, which have the MCI Center.

 

[Shinobi]

I was at the home games during the 2003 wild-card race. I can tell you without the shadow of a doubt (and other Montreal people will agree with me on this one) that the atmosphere during those games were at least equal or greater to anything previously seen at the Olympic Stadium. A crowd of 20,000-30,000, which is alot in this town, sounded more like one of 50,000+. I mean we had a standing ovation almost every time we were at bat, especially against the Phillies. I had never experienced anything quite like that before in Montreal, even at NHL playoff games, which tend to get pretty wild here. The opposing players were also very quick to notice this in post-game interviews.

"Coincidentally", that's when the players were at their best. We dominated that homestand, were scoring runs like crazy, rallying every single time we were down. It was the talk of the town. What happpened next falls in what I was describing as "Fuck Bud Selig". The team went on a couple of games loosing streak in their road trip, and their next "home" stand was in Puerto Rico, and that just killed ANY momentum we had going. You have no idea how bitter baseball fans here were about that. :/

Montreal IS a baseball town.

This is true...Montreal is where Jackie Robinson played his minor league ball, before going to the Dodgers. Fans in that town embraced the player.

And it's not the first time I've heard about the small crowds in Olympic Stadium being a lot louder then far larger crowds elsewhere. Some people have said 10,000 at the Big O made more noise then 40,000 people at Skydome. Pretty easy to believe, considering how quiet fans are in Toronto most of the time.

Montreal got fucked in the ear over this team. The stadium sucks, the location sucks, the team was run by lying, cheapskate owners for over a decade, and the '94 strike was incredibly damaging. It was sad as hell watching highlights of the last game...in a sense it was like a patient being put to sleep after being in a cancer-induced coma for the last ten years. Everyone knew this day was going to come eventually, but it didn't make it any less emotional.

Hopefully the team makes a good go of it in Washington, with some owners that aren't fucking crooks. Of course they'll probably start their order of business by stealing Blue Jays first baseman and free agent Carlos Delgado. :lol

 

[Willco]

Actually, MLB probably won't sell the team in time to have ownership make a grab at free agency. However, Tavares, the team president, thinks that MLB will increase the payroll (which stands at about a $35 million) to close to twice that to sign some free agents. Remember, the more valuable the team is, the higher MLB can sell it for.

Delgado is not a likely canidate, he probably is heading to Camden Yards actually, because the Expos already have Nick Johnson and Brad Wilkerson.

The front runner for ownership is Fred Malek and his Washington Baseball Club. His group is made out of locals who are part of the reason why baseball is coming back to D.C. Malek is a stand up guy, my mom used to work for him, and he was a co-owner of the Rangers. His group would be a damn fine owner in my opinion. Plus, they're the ones who are negotiating with Cal Ripken.