Expos Moving to Puerto Rico?

Jeezus...just move 'em to DC and get it over with already! It's the biggest market in the country that doesn't have a baseball team. DO IT!!!

 

I’ve got an idea, Puerto Rico can have the Expos, and DC can have the Blue Jays! MLB is one game I’d be happy to give back to the Americans.

 

The Guaynabo Golden Coqui could be their new name! Go Guaynabo go!

They won't move a team to PR though, the island is just too poor.

 

Exactly right. Puerto Rico does not have the wealth that is required to support a team. If they're gonna move to Puerto Rico they may as well keep them in Montreal. Not to mention the fact that trasportation costs would skyrocket for the teams in the division. I'd rather fly from NY to Montreal than NY to PR.

Personally I'd like to see a little realignment and have the Expos move to Portland.

 

Grizzled - I'm disappointed in you.

 

Sorry fadeaway. I used to follow the Expos, before they became a glorified minor league team. Used to follow Dawson, Raines, Rogers, Wallach, even Walker, but the writing was on the wall for the team even then. I’ve never had much use for the Blue Jays though. Could be the Toronto thing, or it could be just because the Jays have no special character of their own like the Expos did. MLB as a whole lost me after the strike year though. The lack of salary control meant that championships started to be bought, not won. I used to follow the Canadian players a bit, but as you know our media (our Toronto media) only covers the Jays, and don’t make much mention of the Canadians. The way I see it, if MLB goes then Sportsnet will play more basketball, football and hockey. That’s a pretty good trade if you ask me.

 

To all that I say, "so what?" It still sucks to lose a team no matter how you may try to rationalize it.

 

Well I’m afraid I don’t feel the same way. It’s time the Expos were put out of their misery. Give them a humane death instead of letting them suffer like they have been, I say. And the Jays are headed down the same road. How long can Ted absorb the losses he’s taking? He’ll keep selling off players and they’ll get even worse. And they’re losing even more TV revenue next year. The Score bought themselves out of their baseball contract, and it looks like the CBC will be dropping the Jays too, because they are losing money on them too. The Jays don’t have a strong national following, and even Toronto isn’t that interested in them anymore. Might as well send them somewhere where they’re wanted instead of enduring the slow painful death the Expos have suffered. Bottom line is that the way the league is structured now, the Jays will never be able to compete for a championship, and Canadians just don’t like MLB enough to keep following a team that doesn’t have a chance. The fault lies solely on the head of MLB, because they’ve turned their league into what it is now, a vehicle to hand NYC and other big market teams championships. That holds absolutely no interest for me, and elicits no sympathy from me either.

 

I second that. I almost wish they had gone on strike so I could have washed my hands of the game all together.

 

As a fellow canadian...i gotta agree. cuz BASEBALL SUCKS! I'd almost rather watch curling on TV that baseball. Though i did have an alright time at the few games i've been to, it's a pretty slow game compared to football/hockey/basketball.

It's probably the only game where you don't miss anything if you only watch the highlights.

 

There is a difference. Hockey is a game of pure action while baseball is a game largely of strategy

Carlos Delgado is up...the count is 3-2...what do you throw him? High heat? A breaking ball outside, hoping he'll swing at a bad pitch. The strategy matters more than any other sport.

 

i don't mean to be insulting, but this is the statement of someone who really doesn't understand the game. the nuances of baseball that control a game generally never make it to the nightly highlight reel.

 

Actually i do understand the game...but playing the board game "Risk" feeds my strategic side just as much as baseball ever would. Obviously you miss most of the strategy involved, but as for "athletic highlights"...there isn't much you miss.

Also...with 2 outs...bases loaded - Barry Bonds at bat...the tension gets goin. oh yeah, it's also the 9th inning and SanFran is down by 3...everybody gets excited............................and then the pitch comes and the guy hits a fly ball or something. That's what i can't stand about baseball. I actually do get pretty into baseball playoffs. But the season is way to long and the games seem meaningless. But hey...that's just my opinion.

 

and you're entitled to it!!!

if it makes you feel any better, i've become a big hockey fan! i don't really have a real rooting interest, though, and that probably affects how much i watch it. if i had a rooting interest in the NHL here in Houston, it would be ON!!! where in canada are you from?? who do you root for???

grizzled -- canucks fan??? give me a reason to root for somebody!

 

I like baseball but I agree with Grizzled. Give the Expos a break and move them. They have some good players but until they can get into a location where they will be $upported...it's just sad. Florida proved it a few years ago...Smart GM + loads of $$$ = Rings. You'll have teams like the Twins, A's, etc sneak in and play...maybe even grab a ring, but the regular$ will always be around (unless you're the Mets {snicker}).

Brewers are next followed by Toronto.

 

Art -- Brewers aren't going anywhere...they signed a new stadium lease...and their owned by the freaking commissioner!

 

I feel for them then.

 

I live in Calgary, so my team is the Flames. They suffer from small market syndrome to a certain extent too, but the league has recognised the need to level the playing field a bit, so there is a little bit of revenue sharing now, and I would hope and expect that they will implement some kind of NBA style salary cap in the next CBA. Then the Flames will truly return to glory! They should have a respectable team this year though. They signed Iggy, who was arguably the MVP of the league last year (you may remember him of you caught any of the Olympic hockey games ), and made a nice trade with Colorado to get Chris Drury, so we’re going to make the playoffs this year at least, IMO.

 

see...previously i had no point of reference for the flames...they were just another team...now i'll associate them with you and will root for them when i have the chance to see them play!