An Expos club source confirmed that Montreal exec Serge
Savard "has been called in from the bullpen to replace"
Expos President Claude Brochu as the "effective head" of the
team's ballpark project, according to Jack Todd of the
Montreal GAZETTE. The move "will be announced before the
end of the week," giving the pursuit of a new ballpark
"instant credibility with all the clout Savard brings to the
job." In addition, the Expos' annual season-ending fire
sale "will be a thing of the past," as the team is close to
announcing a five-year deal with RF Vladimir Guerrero, while
also signing its top draft pick, Brad Wilkerson, to a
"seven-figure contract." Todd writes that bringing in
Savard "may never have been needed" if Brochu had found a
way "to stop kicking himself in the shins." He adds that
with the trading of top players and the marketing of the
ballpark to corporate Montreal, Brochu has been "ignoring
the fans," which has created a "long-term problem, because
he is going to have to win them back before 2001." Todd:
"Worse, [Brochu] has missed an opportunity to sell a few
thousand more low-end seat licenses -- sales that might not
add up to much in total dollars but would help to convince
journalists, politicians and Brochu's precious business
people that the project was viable." Todd calls Savard the
"key" in leading the ballpark issues (GAZETTE, 8/27).
