So, a bit of history as to how we(Expos) were able to get this point. Over the last few years, there had been talk about MLB expanding, and word had it, that the Commissioner wanted at least one franchise to be located outside the continental US. There were numerous bids besides Mexico City(Diablos), and Montreal. They included San Antonio, Nashville, Richmond, Las Vegas, and even Honolulu. The competition was fierce, but in the end, MLB announced that there would be two teams getting franchises outside the US, Mexico City, and Montreal. The tremendous work that Mr. Saputo, and the Saputo family put into this, really speaks highly of their detailed, and concise planning. One of the richest families in Canada, they also own the Montreal Impact soccer club(MLS), and the Bologna football(soccer) club in Italy.
I decided to have a moving company take care of the items I was taking with me, and rather than fly, I decided to make the trip by car, roughly a 7-hour trip from the Philly area to Montreal. It would be a chance for me to work through everything that had to be done to get things up and running. A job that needed to be done rather quickly.
The drive went about as smoothly as can be expected, and as I had a couple of days before Mr. Saputo(
I’ll call him Joey from now on), was going to introduce me to the press, I went over the candidates I had lined up to interview for the Assistant GM position, and the Manager position. Having been still involved with scouting to a small extent with the Phillies, I already had in mind my scout, and also the team trainer.
Press Conference Day – A nice crowd on hand, and there were some pointed questions, but nothing that was tough to answer, or unfair. Hey, I was battle hardened by dealing with the Philly fans, and felt it gave me the “thick skin” I needed to handle any situation that may arise as a first time GM. So, for at least one day, I was welcomed with open arms by the press corps!
Later that evening, I had dinner with Joey and his family at their beautiful home just outside of Montreal. Among other things, the Saputo brand is one of the top 10 dairy producers in the world, selling cheese, yogurt, milk, and other goods. You wouldn’t know that they were billionaires though, as Joey, his wife, and children are really grounded individuals, and the entire family is excited about reviving the Expos in the wonderful city of Montreal.
The Stadium: The Expos have a wonderful history, and a big part of that is the “temporary” ball field, Jarry Park, that they played in from 1969 to 1976, before they moved into the awful Olympic Stadium(domed). When the Saputo family purchased the rights to the Expos, they also bought Jarry Park, which includes the stadium, tennis courts, a public pool, and a man-made lake. Fortunately, the family recognizes that in today’s game, home runs put fannies in the seats, so they re-constructed the park to reflect that. Here’s the dimensions of the old park, and now the “new” Jarry Park.
Old Dimensions
Left Fd Line 340
Left Center 368
Center Field 420
Right Center 368
Right Fd Line 340
New Dimensions
Left Fd Line 330
Left Center 365
Center Field 407
Right Center 365
Right Fd Line 330
There was also a swimming pool just past the right field fence, so long before the “splash hit” at AT&T park in San Francisco, or PNC Park in Pittsburgh, there was the occasional “splash hit” in Montreal.