It was announced Friday, September 17, that Montreal would host two more spring training games featuring the Toronto Blue Jays. This time, their opponent for these games will be the division rival Boston Red Sox. The Blue Jays and Red Sox will play each other Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2. This will be the third year in a row in which Montreal has played host to the Toronto Blue Jays and Major League Baseball.
Jays to Return to Montreal for a Third Time
For the past two years, the Olympic Stadium has been jam packed with baseball fans from all over; the games have drawn a combined 96,000+ fans. With the Red Sox coming to Montreal along with the Jays, it would not be a surprise to see the Olympic Stadium draw close to 100,000 fans this time around. The first time Montreal played host to these spring training games, they played the New York Mets and many Mets fans from New York made the trip to watch their team play. It wouldn’t be a shock if many people from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts found their way to Montreal to see the Red Sox play in a rare setting.
There was a belief prior to this season that Montreal might host a couple regular season games, but unfortunately there wasn’t a sound enough plan in place. That does not mean, however, that it will not happen someday. The fact that the Red Sox and Jays will be in Montreal isn’t a small thing. Fans will flock to the Big O to see Boston’s David Ortiz, and of course the Jays will have their All-Star lineup of Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzky, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and home town hero Russell Martin. There will be a great many Blue Jays, Red Sox, and, of course, stalwart Expos fans rocking in the Big O next spring.
This is another chance for Montreal to show the world for a third straight time that they deserve another chance at Major League Baseball franchise. The fact they did it twice is amazing; but this third time, with the a major rivalry coming to town, should really help the push to bring a team back.
There is also a rumor that there will be a push to bring hall of famer Pedro Martinez to one of these games, to be honored in Montreal. Seeing as he was an Expo and a Red Sox player, there is a good chance he could be there, and if that happens the stadium will be louder than it has been in a long time.
Tickets will go on sale September 26 at noon, and will range from about 24-99 dollars. Don’t wait too long, folks; I wouldn’t be surprised if these tickets sell out faster than they did last season. Stay tuned for more info about the events surrounding these spring training games.
Photo Credit: Shaun Best SB Reuters / Action Images
