When MLB rejected the concept of a “shared custody” team last January, Stephen Bronfman put an end to MLB’s plan to return to Montreal with the speed of Tim Raines stealing second base. A long-held dream was shattered.
Posted at 7:45 am
I wrote a column called “Go Jay’s Go (Ouch)…” My way of figuring out this point of no return: Quebec will never find a major team, and under the circumstances, Toronto might support the Blue Jays.
Why the Blue Jays? After all, you can cheer on the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, or New York Yankees. However, none of these organizations lifted a finger to help the Expos return. This is not the case with the Blue Jays.
By playing two pre-season games in Montreal in 2014, the Blue Jays allowed tens of thousands of Quebecers to demonstrate their affinity for the sport. Major League Baseball took notice, Bronfman got involved, as did Mayor Denis Coderre, and the door swung open… until it slammed shut eight years later.
And that’s not all: The Blue Jays have long trusted Montreal GM, Alex Anthopoulos, and receiver Russell Martin. Today, they’re fielding Wladimir Guerrero Jr., son of Z’Amours legend. and Otto Lopez, who was born in the Dominican Republic and spent part of his youth in Montreal.
That being said, no major league organization comes close when it comes to relationships with the Blue Jays…
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