Letter from Montréal's mayor

Some of you might recall that I sent lettr to the Mayor of Montréal and
Québec's premier last month asking that they issue statements of support
for retaining the Expos.

Here's Mayor Tremblay's response (which I think is a form letter because
I did not ask that public funds be invested):

Montréal
Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

Hôtel de ville
275, rue Notre-Dame Est
Montreal (Quebec) H2Y 1126

July 8, 2004

Mr. John Baker
South San Francisco, CA 94080-1134 U.S.A.

Our ref.: GD020065500

Dear Mr. Baker,

Mayor Gérald Tremblay received your letter of June 20, 2004 in which you
ask that he intervene in order to save the Montreal Expos.

The Expos' fate has been precarious in recent years and each new
baseball season brings its share of rumours concerning the team's future.

The municipal government shares your concern. For example, in 2003,
Mayor Tremblay wrote to Commissioner Allan Selig to encourage the Major
Baseball League to keep the Expos permanently in Montréal in order to
maintain the city's baseball tradition.

For over 35 years, the Expos have been an integral part of the city's
culture and lifestyle. However, baseball's roots here go even farther
back. The Montréal Royals baseball team made history when, in 1946, as
the minor league affiliate with the Brooklyn Dodgers, it broke Major
League Baseball's colour barrier by recruiting Jackie Robinson, the
first black Major League star.

Moreover, the Montréal franchise earned an international reputation for
the quality of the players that it trained over the years. Many players
from opposing Major League teams often spoke of Montreal fans'
enthusiasm and warmth.

The team also generated significant income for the city. created
numerous jobs and instilled pride in Montrealers because of its
affiliation with a Major League Baseball team.

While the City of Montreal wishes to see the Expos remain in Montréal,
the municipal government does not intend to invest public funds in the
team. It must take care of numerous urgent problems, including repairs
to the water-distribution system and city streets and sidewalks, to
mention but some of its priorities.

Sincerely yours,

Stéphan Forget
Special Advisor to the Mayor

"John C. Baker" <jcb10.TakeThisOut@axe.humboldt.edu> a écrit dans le message de
news:jcb10-ACA0AA.21352016072004@reader3.news.rcn.net...

and i agree with them.

Even if i personnally had a billion dollars, i would not invest a cent in a
league that is sick.
The financial structure of that league is awful, and it prevents alot of
teams from being
competitive.

When you look at how the Yankees buy lots of stars, and teams like the Expos
could not
even keep their one big star (Vladdy)... how is that fair?

The NFL has the right approach. Small market teams have as much chance as
big markets
to go for the championship. Let's hope that this fall, hockey follows the
NFL instead of MLB (whose
owners wussed out with that luxury tax).

Until the league runs itself with brains and in an equal matter for all
teams, (which includes the commissionner
NOT being also an owner) then i'd rather Montréal just not have a team.
It's a waste for fans.

we've been threatened for years.. the expos will leave the expos will leave.

well do it already and go away. (MLB, not you)

my 2 cents