Thank you for realizing that a lot of the problems facing the Expos in Montreal are not of the fans making, but of the Expos and the other owners. Just another example of baseball failing its market, rather than the marjet failing them.

As a side note, how can the owners complain about the position of Olympic Stadium when it is only about 20 min. from the majority of the downtown region on one of the best subway systems in North America?

By the way, over the last 20 years, the Expos have been about as sucessful as the Brewers. Why is it that, despite the artificial intruige of a new stadium, the Brewers have yet to be mentioned as a reasonable contraction candidate? Just wait for a couple years until the newness has worn off, and we will see how the attendance numbers are.

Howdy!

I just wanted to write and say, kick-ass article Voros! Thanks.

Very nice job, Voros. It looks like my comment on another article about a lack of analysis by the Primer staff was premature. Glad to see I was wrong.

On local television revenues:

The issue is that the Expos did not have a local television contract for 2001. In addition to driving down attendance, it also dried up a very necessary revenue stream for the team. Pro hockey teams, a sport that almost invariably draws lower ratings than baseball, all have local television contracts (to the best of my knowledge).

Here is what bothers me: this is probably a deliberate act of sabotage by Jeff Loria. Think about it. The owners have been quietly mentioning contraction since last year. To maximise his argument, Loria pursues a policy that will deliberately tank his team, so he can either acquire a more lucrative team or take the money ($150-$250 million) and run.

To say that deliberately causing a business to be a loser so you can have your competitors buy you out is a serious anti-trust issue, even if that franchise is in Canada (MLB is incorporated in New York, so it would fall under the Sherman Act, save for the exemption).

We are talking about some very nasty shenanigans on the part of the Lords of the Realm.

Just to back up David's point, he is correct that large markets suffer the same attendence woes that small markets do when they field losing teams: the Mets, Giants, Phillies, White Sox and Angels are all large market clubs and have all suffered attendance slumps due to poor team quality.

And the key point with the Expos isn't that they are bad, it is that the team gutted a winning a ballclub and has since not lifted a finger to improve the club. So not only do they suffer from fielding a bad team, but they also suffer due to a perceived (correctly IMO) lack of effort from the team's management to change things.

David -
You're right and you're wrong: there is real money to be had at the gate, but not many teams can charge $30 a seat. Even with new stadiums all over the place the average ticket in 2001 cost $18.99. But the Twins avg seat price in 2000 was a hair under $10, so in a tupperware stadium in MN your numbers are cut by two thirds. If you have a bad park you won't get as much per seat. If you live in a cheap part of the country then people will flinch beore paying $6 for a beer. An article I saw recently showed that Santa Clara had the fifth highest cost of living in the country, and claimed that was as big a driver for moving the As as the population base.

Let's finish your list, Brad:

1969 7/12; 1970 6/12; 1971 8/12; 1972 9/12; 1973 9/12; 1974 9/12; 1975 9/12; 1976 11/12; 1977 6/12; 1978 7/12; 1979 4/12; 1980 4/12; 1981 3/12; 1982 3/12; 1983 2/12; 1984 8/12 1985 8/12.

It looks to me that there was a time between 1977-83 when the Expos were drawing quite well, comparatively.

Yes, they currently have some disadvantages: no real TV deal, ugly stadium. But the past suggests that they have plenty here to work with. Markets do not exist prefabricated for a business to simply walk in and capitalize on, they have to be built and maintained, and that requires investment. Those cities with successful franchises, and some of them are smaller media markets than Montreal, have made those investments. It seems to me that the Expos have neglected that over the years.

Is the Big-O as uncomfortably loud as it was four years ago, the last time I went to a game there? The noise alone would be enough to keep me from going.

The points about not all revenue coming from the gate are valid, but the relationship between a team's attendance and it's overall revenue (based on Forbes' figures) is quite strong. Attendance seems to correlate with revenue more than other suspects, like Market Size. I think the reason for this, besides the obvious (more tickets sold==more money), is that attendance works as a good estimator of team popularity which has an effect on most of the other revenue streams as well.

Great job! These comments should be forwarded to Gammons and every other member of the baseball media "elite" who merely echo Selig & Co. in exchange for a steady stream of info. While you're at it send it to every front office in baseball, starting with the Big One in New York.

One thing must be pointed out about the 2000 season (Loria's first).
The organization-not just Loria-tried to fill three holes with established players. #1 A set-up man, preferably lefthanded. Yes they over-paid for Graeme lloyd but certainly did not expect him to miss the entire season. #2 a veteran starter capable of throwing about 200 innings. Irabu, obviously was a physical mess. Again, who knew he'd be that bad? #3 A lefthanded bat with sock for the middle of the line up, with a much better glove than incumbent firstbaseman Brad Fullmer. Enter Lee Stevens.
The point is...if you throw in a typical Lloyd, Irabu & Stevens season (only Stevens came close and even his year ended 125 at bats early because of a foot problem)to a normal, HEALTHY mix, than the 2000 Expos would have created a lot more excitement than they eventually did (8 games over .500 in early June).
No team can overcome a season in which it has to use 27 pitchers. 27 for Goodness sake! (Check Cleveland Indians, same season).
Loria and friends did not sabotage the franchise. He tried to win, it just didn't work out.

And one more thing. The Langston-Johnson deal of 1989? It actually propelled the Expos into first place where they stayed...for awhile.
Langstons 1989 Expos numbers were damn good. He wasn't the problem.
Obviously,in retrospect, the trade was a disaster. But if others (Hubie Brooks, Tim Raines, Tim Wallach, Andres Galarraga, Kevin Gross, Andy McGaffigan & Joe Hesketh)had performed as well as Langtson did, then maybe the Expos get to the post season and owner Charles Bronfman does not get fed up, keeps the team, builds a new downtown ballpark and we wouldn't have to turn blue trying to explain to the ill-informed that Montreal can support Major League Baseball.

Once again, it's good to know that in some pockets outside of Montreal there are sophisticated, keen baseball observers who understand. And sympathize. Thanks.