Toronto and Boston to play exhibition in Montreal in 2016

After two previous years in which the Toronto Blue Jays played a couple of exhibition games in Montreal, it looks like it starts to become a tradition for the Blue Jays to there before the regular season starts.

Next year the Blue Jays will take on the Boston Red Sox to conclude the 2016 Spring Training.

No doubt that the upcoming games will draw 40,000 per game easily, just like the previous two years.

Once again those who want MLB to return to Montreal will use the attendance figures as proof that Montreal can support the return of an MLB franchise.

But as long as there is no future owner or owner group that will buy an ailing franchise in one of the other MLB cities, nothing will happen. A new stadium needs to be be built, but of course the future Montreal team can play a few years in Olympic Stadium before moving to a brand new downtown ballpark.

Montreal has a rich baseball history. In 1897 and the following twenty years the Montreal Royals already played in Montreal. From 1928 through 1960 they played in the AAA International League. They were mainly known as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ AAA affiliation. Jackie Robinson made his first steps in professional baseball with the club after he was signed to a contract by Branch Rickey.

Since the Montreal Expos left for Washington after the 2004 season, several celebrities like Warren Cromartie are trying to bring back Major League Baseball to the largest city of the province of Quebec.