Bronfman wants to know which MLB team would be coming to Montreal before building a ballparkGETTY IMAGES
Montreal businessman Stephen Bronfman said he thinks the city is "close" to an MLB return and has indicated that he is ready to "move quickly" on a new ballpark, according to Jack Todd of the MONTREAL GAZETTE. Bronfman was speaking ahead of the Brewers-Blue Jays matchup in Montreal yesterday, and his Montreal Baseball Project is attempting to acquire a $50M parcel of Griffintown land in the Peel Basin that has "been targeted as the future home of the Expos." Bronfman would "not be pinned down to a time frame as narrow as a month for an announcement on the land, but he did say that he hopes to have something on the land within a few months." Once Bronfman's group "gains control of the land in Griffintown, it’s largely up" to MLB and Commissioner Rob Manfred. Bronfman said, "They watch every potential market very closely. They know what’s going on." Bronfman was also "clear that he will not build" a ballpark "without knowing that a team is bound for Montreal." The overwhelming sense was that Bronfman has "never sounded so optimistic" and an MLB return has "never been quite so near." There is "clearly work to be done with MLB and with the city, provincial and federal governments." Bronfman took pains yesterday evening to "emphasize this is not a done deal" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 3/26).
SECOND CHANCE? MLB.com's Alexis Brudnicki noted the Expos "left much to be desired before departing Montreal." But former MLBer Larry Walker hopes that the city "can prove that it might someday be able to sustain another team and return big league baseball to another Canadian home." Walker said of the Brewers-Blue Jays tilts, "Having the games on a Monday and Tuesday, it’s a chance for the people of Montreal to step out of the weekend thing and fill this place up on a weekday. That would give more credibility to them trying to get a team back here. Anybody can draw 50,000 on a weekend. So hopefully these seats fill up" (MLB.com, 3/25).
