The abandonment of the sister city project involving Tampa and Montreal by Major League Baseball leaves very few options for a possible return of the Expos one day.
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Moving? An expansion? For the moment, the businessman Stephen Bronfman is still wiping the slap in the face he has just received.
“We believed so much in this plan, we really don’t have a plan B,” Bronfman first said by videoconference on Thursday, then letting it be known that his phone remained open. You have to allow time for the dust to settle. We put a lot of effort, a lot of heart, a lot of passion into this project.”
“I’m a little tired,” he admitted. It’s been a little overwhelming, the last 72 hours.”
Chapter closed
For now, Bronfman needs to take a step back, continue to run his business, but most of all spend time with his family.
“Life is long, we talk a lot about expansion, but I don’t know what will happen,” he added. In baseball and other professional sports, things move very slowly. But anything can happen.”
“This chapter is closed, but we have done an incredible job, continued the businessman, thanking in particular his partners William Jegher, Richard Epstein and Pierre Boivin. Major League Baseball has certainly taken notice.”
Sternberg is taken
In Florida, the situation is no rosier than in Montreal. After repeating that it was impossible for the Tampa area to support a full-time Major League Baseball club over the past year, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg inevitably finds himself in an uncomfortable situation.
“I have no intention of selling or moving the team outside the region, however, supported the owner on Thursday. We will explore our options in the area. Our goal has always been to stay in Tampa for future generations.”
“It’s hard for us, that’s for sure, because we were excited for our market and for the return of baseball to Montreal. But so is Stuart in Tampa, Bronfman noted. Now what is he going to do? I have no idea and I think neither does he. He is taken and it is hard for everyone.
To lose sleep
Concretely, the Rays must now examine the options for the construction of a stadium likely to accommodate their team in the Tampa area full-time. The roster’s current lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg will end at the end of the 2027 season, but a plan to set up a new home for the club is expected by 2023. In Montreal, it is now total blur!
“Maybe it was a question of timing, if everything had been done last year, maybe it would be fixed,” Bronfman said of Major League Baseball’s decision to abandon the concept. sister cities.
“I’m not going to lose any sleep over this,” added the businessman, before immediately retracting. Actually, yeah, maybe I’ll lose some sleep.”
Despite the circumstances, Bronfman at least retains his sense of humor.