XXI Olympiad Brings Monumental Moment for Montreal Expos

[noah]

The news that the Olympic Summer Games would grace Canada for the first time has been known since 1970. In the intervening 4 years, preparation for the Games in Montreal has begun apace, including the development of a plan for a stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies and various athletic events.

Today, the organizing committee was joined by the brass of the Montreal Expos to announce that through a joint venture, the Expos would assist in financing the construction of Olympic Stadium and occupy the stadium as it is finished in time for the Games in 1976.

"So many people in Montreal and Ottawa have initiated a grand concept for a venue worthy of hosting the Olympics and have put years into its development," said part-owner Charles Bronfman. The Expos organization is enthused to have a permanent home of this stature that will welcome the people of Montreal and of the entire world."

From its inception, the Expos have contested their MLB contests in Jarry Park Stadium, a centrally located facility that was temporarily upgraded to seat about 30,000 when Montreal received its expansion franchise. It was not foreseen that Jarry Park would be home to the Expos for several years.

With a team appearing on the rise, having improved by 19 wins to notch a team-record 75 last season, it would appear that the timing of this announcement is ideal. Jarry Park accommodated over 2 million fans last season, a first since the Expos' inaugural 1969 season. 

At today's press conference, the Expos stated that they were prepared to foot the bill for thirty percent of the stadium's overall cost, to compensate for design accommodations necessary for the baseball club and assist with the overruns that the stadium project has faced to this point.

Many details about the stadium, such as its name and its design for a retractable roof, already public knowledge. The Expos provided additional information about the stadium's configuration for baseball at the announcement.

Bronfman said Olympic Stadium would seat 45,757 baseball fans. Walls will be a uniform 12 feet, with dimensions of 325 feet (99 meters) at the foul poles, 349 feet (106 meters) in straightaway left and right field, 375 feet (114 meters) down the power alleys, and 404 feet (123 meters) in dead centerfield. The Expos will play on an Astroturf surface.

"It is thrilling to know that as the Expos fanbase continues to grow, we will be able to host more of them. There is no denying that it is a great day when we can share that we will soon be able to welcome 60 percent more fans to home games in a modern and inviting facility," Bronfman said.

Construction costs are expected to total $398,280,000. The Expos have agreed to include in the cost of a project an additional $2 million pledge for the Olympic organizing effort, bringing the total to $400,280,000. The Expos' 30 percent share of that cost will be $120,084,000.

The Expos plan to deplete their $100 million stadium account on reserve with Major League Baseball and will pay the remaining $20 million-plus in a lump sum this season.

At the close of the press conference, Bronfman acknowledged, "We have already witnessed the excitement that the Games have brought to Canada, to Quebec, and to Montreal. We are still more excited that the Expos and their fans will be able to enjoy the state-of-the-art Olympic Stadium in 1976."

[CSCommish]

New Stadium
A new stadium allows an owner to revitalize its home city and rescue a struggling team. This is an all-out effort to allow the team to mold the home park to its liking and undergo a complete overhaul of the team's image. A new stadium comes at a large expense, but the city's taxpayers chip in a significant amount of money for the obvious benefits a region receives for a team to build the city's new attraction.

Construction & Infrastructure Impact Fee: $300M
]Open Ballpark: $25M
Domed Ballpark: $50M
Retractable Roof: $75M
Stadium Capacity of 35,000 seats: (included)
Expanding from 35,001 to 45,000 seats: $2,000 per seat - 10,000 * $2,000 = $20M
Expanding from 45,001 to 50,000 seats: $4,000 per seat - 757 * $4,000 = $3.028M
Expanding from 50,001 to 55,000 seats: $8,000 per seat
Expanding from 55,001 to 60,000 seats: $12,000 per seat
Expanding from 60,001 to 65,000 seats: $16,000 per seat

Construction Projects up to $500M: Fan Loyalty will increase by three (3) slots to a maximum of Very Good and Fan Interest will increase by 40 up to a maximum of 85.

Please note that, at minimum, Fan Loyalty will be set to Average.

- Teams may build new stadiums once every 20 seasons. If there is a new owner, this restriction is lifted.
- Teams should expect to pay 30% of the construction cost (see schedule detail at the end of this section).
- Teams and the Commissioner will negotiate a payment plan, up to six (6) years in length, to pay for the construction cost.
- Teams shall submit the official groundbreaking announcement for stadium renovation with the following information:

Stadium Name | Proposed Dimensions and Heights for: LFL, LF, LCF, CF, RCF, RF, RFL | Proposed Capacity | Total Construction Cost (to be verified) | Balance Remaining after 100% Stadium Account Withdrawal | Payment Plan | Minimum 1,000-Word Article

Olympic Stadium | 325/12, 349/12, 375/12, 404/12, 375/12, 349/12, 325/12 | 45,757 | $398,028,000 + $2,000,000 "overrun" = $400,028,000 * 30% = $120,008,400 owed by team | $100,000,000 payment through Stadium Account, $20,008,400 remaining | $20,008,400 to be paid this off-season | 573 words, need more.

Need 400+ more words for article; otherwise, stadium will be ready for 1975 Opening Day.

[CSCommish]

Ballpark Effects: 99 for batting (lefty and righty), 101 for home runs (lefty and righty), 97 for doubles and 91 for triples. You can negotiate rating changes up to 2 rating points I think I have allowed to the past ... Meaning you can change the 99 for batting anywhere from 97 to 101 to your desired ratings.

So just for the sake of comparison of all other ballparks in the NL, this stadium will be neutral to batting, slightly more home run friendly (4%), but much more so for lefty hitters (101 > 94), but will see less doubles (97 < 109) and triples (91 < 98). The AL is certainly more batting and home run friendly.

[noah]

The calendar has turned over, and 1974 has given way to 1975. Since the plans for the Montreal Expos to move into the city's Olympic Stadium were announced in the last offseason, the club had a quiet season, not making much of a splash in free agency and giving back a dozen of the team record 75 wins it had recorded in 1973. This period of dormancy, however, will not necessarily last much longer.

A few different factors are looking up for the Expos organization and the potential to become increasingly competitive on the field. The first is that the large surpluses the club has run through its history, which were previously earmarked to help move the club into a modern baseball facility, are now more likely to be at the general manager's disposal. As the club has not wavered from its focus on developing talent within its own farm system and turning to free agency to find rotation pitchers and everyday players at a good value, the Expos have little in the way of payroll obligations--just over $10 million before this winter's transactions get underway.

Next is the continued progress and maturation of the Expos' talent. 1974 saw rookies step into major contributing roles: lefty Cesar Geronimo impressed with his defensive chops in the outfield, while southpaws Don Hood and Gator Guidry made strong impressions toward the top of the team’s starting pitching rotation. Meanwhile, Japanese lefty Hiromitsu Kadota notched his first All Star Game appearance in his fourth season in Montreal. And it appears likely that top flight prospect Fred Lynn will be ready for the major leagues soon, giving the Expos brass a unique problem in a crowded outfield (Ben Oglivie is the fourth cog in this setup).

Finally, the new Olympic Stadium itself will provide a boost to the Expos in the coming years. There will be a predictable boost in fan interest in the new stadium and developing team when fans can see both in the same place. Should the team turn the corner and challenge for a playoff berth, the appeal will no doubt increase in kind. The Montreal Expos management has to be pleased that Olympic Stadium will seat 17 thousand more baseball fans (a more than 50 percent increase from the current confines of Jarry Park Stadium).

Even after six years of competitive play, the Montreal Expos organization is young; indeed, it is still maturing in its own right. But the team is as poised as it has ever been to position itself as a contending ball club in the near future. It has the financial wherewithal to compete for impact free agents; it has been patient in developing prospects that can contribute to the club’s success; and the Olympic Stadium will be an inviting home for the team as it burgeons.

[CSCommish]

Great! 5 points for article.

[CSCommish]

Stadium paid off and is associated in the Team Setup. Fan Loyalty increased to Very Good and Fan Interest increased to 71.

Completed!