^^ As much as I like baseball, it would be tough to drag me to Olympic stadium on a precious summer weekend off. Put an open air stadium downtown and it changes things entirely. People vastly under-estimate how important the baseball experience is in the status the sport enjoys in Canada/US. A huge number of people at Jays games go for the atmosphere: sitting out in the sun, eating a hot dog, and enjoying the ambiance. It's through repeatedly going through this ritual that many turn from attendees to true fans of the game.
My sister is a good case in point. She hated baseball, but always said yes when I invited her because she loved sitting there in the stands on a hot day in July. To my absolute shock, by year 3 she knew who the players were, had picked up a basic understanding of the game, and energetically jumped to her feet on a run scoring double. I was flabbergasted that she was actually paying attention and that she had gotten excited over what was happening on the field. The game had grown on her and what before she thought of as a tedious bore of a sport was now a source of jubilation and genuine interest.
Kill the ambiance and you will slowly kill baseball.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce
What would MLB have to gain from a return of the Expos? That's a question we should all ask ourselves. I don't have a good answer for that one.
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They'd be returning to the largest metro in Canada/US without MLB and one with a very rich baseball history/pedigree. Let's not forget that there was plenty of baseball in Montreal before the Expos arrived on the scene. The colour barrier was broken in Montreal and baseball has been a part of the city since the late 1800s.
Btw, that stadium rendering gave me goosebumps. Just gorgeous! I wouldn't be surprised to see 3 MLB teams in Canada by 2030.