CINCINNATI – Major League Baseball maintains a list of potentially viable markets for expansion or relocation and Rob Manfred remains open to the possibility of eventual growth, describing Montreal as a city with both potential and some work to do.
The commissioner, speaking with members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America during its annual all-star game luncheon Tuesday, also said the Rays, often cited as a candidate for relocation, are “absolutely” viable in Tampa Bay, leaving those hoping for a rapid rebirth of the Expos to wait patiently for an opening.
“Characterizing it as a process probably gives it more formality than I would be comfortable with,” Manfred said when asked where things stood with Montreal after two more successful exhibition games this spring and a late-May meeting with Mayor Denis Coderre.
“Let me say this about Montreal, the mayor is an enthusiastic supporter of bringing baseball back to Montreal, point one,” the commissioner continued. “Point two, I happen to believe that Montreal has a great baseball history, which is a nice thing. Point three, the market supported wildly two exhibition games each of the last two years, the number for the weekend each time was over 90,000. Having said all of that, it’s a long way from two exhibition games to 81 home games and a facility that is consistent with major-league standards.”
Manfred’s comments were more reserved than those he made during an interview with Sportsnet back in April, when he said he’d “love to see another team in Canada,” and described Canada and Mexico as the most realistic targets for sustained international activity, something he feels important.
He spoke in even bigger-picture terms Tuesday of where baseball as a business may be headed.
“I’m bullish on this game, I think we are a growth business, broadly defined and growth businesses over an extended period of time look to get bigger,” said Manfred. “So, yeah, I’m open to the idea that there will be a point and time where expansion may be possible. I think it’s very important for us, both because of the nagging threat of the need to relocate and the possibility of expansion to look for markets that are out there that are interested in baseball, and there are markets that are interested in baseball, to examine their viability, think about what we can do to make them more viable so that we have business alternatives available to us.”
While not specifically disclosing any potential markets, he did say, “we have a list of cities that we think are viable,” and added, “frankly, if you read enough local papers, there’s a pretty good list of cities that have identified themselves as viable.”
Montreal has done well in making itself front and centre in that regard, with Coderre’s meeting, the work of the Montreal Baseball Project, and most importantly, the behind-the-scenes efforts of local business leaders.
The exhibition series staged by the Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium the past two years – 96,545 fans showed up for a two-game series against the Cincinnati Reds this year, 96,350 attended last year’s pair against the New York Mets – have also helped advance the cause.
The devil, of course, is in delivering a realistic stadium plan and then finding a team.
Manfred remains very committed to helping Rays owner Stuart Sternberg resolve the team’s stadium issue in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We have an issue in Tampa, they put a great product on the field, the attendance is not what we would like to see, and we believe it is facility related. It’s that simple,” he said. “We will not get to the point of exploring relocation unless and until Mr. Sternberg and I in consultation or together reach the conclusion that it’s not possible to get something done in the market where he exists now.
“We’re not at that stage.”