Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Montreal is Ready for MLB Preseason Games

In honor of Wrestlemania, which takes place this Sunday, I would like to quote Triple H when he is in DX: “are you ready?” No, Montreal, I said are you ready? During Easter weekend, Montreal will once again play host to two MLB preseason games, which will feature the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cincinnati Reds.

Last year, the two exhibition games met with great success, with over 96,000 fans attending both games between the Blue Jays and the New York Mets. Once again, it looks like fans will find themselves in a packed house at the Big O; Jon Morosi and Evenko have both reported that, so far, over 80,000 tickets have been sold, and that number is still rising. It is fantastic to see that last year’s enthusiasm wasn’t a one-year fluke, and that the support for Major League Baseball, and its potential return to the city of Montreal on a more permanent basis, is real.

This year Montreal will be fortunate enough to see a few Canadian ball players in action; Joey Votto, Dalton Pompey, Jeff Francis, Andrew Albers, and Michael Saunders all could make appearances, and of course home-grown catcher Russell Martin will be there.

Both games will have special pregame ceremonies honoring former players, as did last season’s games. Saturday afternoon will see Blue Jays Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar and former Jays manager Cito Gaston honored, along with former Montreal Expo Tony Perez. Friday will also feature an impressive lineup of honorees, including Orlando Cabrera and one of the greatest Expos of all time, Vladimir Guerrero. We can only imagine how loud that building will get when Guerrero walks on the field once again; it should be exciting and emotional for everyone.

The stadium will have its share of Blue Jays and Reds fans, but if last year is any indication, the majority of people there will be Expos fans wearing their old Expos gear. The Blue Jays will insist that they are there to grow their own brand in Quebec, but everyone who is part of the bring-baseball-back-to-Montreal movement will be there for Montreal and the Expos.

Just like last year, the people of Montreal have been given an opportunity to show the baseball world exactly what they are made of. The more people that show up to these games, the more it shows Major League Baseball that Montreal should be looked at once again as a potential site for a franchise. Yes, they need a new stadium (preferably downtown) and stable ownership, but first they must prove Montreal can and will support a team, and high attendance at these games only furthers that cause.

There are still tickets available for both days, but they are going fast; the prices for the tickets range from 19-89 dollars. If the games are anything like last year’s, they will be a blast. If you have the time, money, and are in the area, the match-ups will be well worth checking out.

 

Photo by Action Images

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