Original: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/tampa-bay-rays-to-explore-sister-city-concept-with-the-montreal-group-807510976.html?fbclid=IwAR1eQoixsJ-oFXf20JN5WkbixyfYewPwNEQyN0pOxF4yAA3nhEqQqHhfSy4

MONTREAL, June 20, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - In response to the ESPN article, from Jeff Passan, published today under the title: Rays to explore splitting games with Montreal, Mr Stephen Bronfman makes the following statement:

"We have been hard at work for several years examining how we can bring baseball back to Montreal in a sustainable manner. This concept is definitely one that is of interest to my partners and me and we are looking forward to studying this further."

The Montreal Group will have no further comment until after the Tampa Bay Rays media session that is being planned for next week.

About the Montreal Group
Stephen Bronfman and his partners comprise a group of Montreal-based business leaders who are dedicated to working together to carry out a plan that will result in the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal. This group is led by Stephen Bronfman, Executive Chairman, Claridge Inc. together with Pierre Boivin, President and CEO, Claridge Inc. The Group also includes Alain Bouchard, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board of Alimentation Couche-Tard, Mitch Garber, Chairman of the Board of Cirque du Soleil and Invest in Canada, Eric Boyko Co-Founder, President and CEO of Stingray Digital Group Inc. and Stéphane Crétier, Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Garda World. The Montreal Group is supported by William Jegher, Partner, Transaction Advisory Services and Quebec Real Estate Leader at EY, and by Richard Epstein, Lawyer, Partner, Board Member, and co-leader of the Mergers and Acquisitions practice at BCF LLP.

SOURCE Montreal Group

For further information: Daniel Granger, ACJ Communication, W. 514 840-7990, M. 514 232-1556, daniel.granger@acjcommunication.com

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/a-message-from-stephen-bronfman-and-the-team-seeking-the-return-of-an-mlb-franchise-to-montreal-683621951.html

MONTREAL, May 24, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - On behalf of our entire team, I'd like to thank the 1,400 Montrealers who signed up to participate in our baseball focus groups. The 100 people who were selected to participate and the 15 CEOs with whom 1 on 1 interviews were conducted over the course of the last two days provided us with precious feedback. Your input is an important piece in this puzzle with the ultimate goal being the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal in an exciting, successful and sustainable way. Many thanks for your interest and passion. À très bientôt.

- Stephen Bronfman and the team seeking the return of an MLB franchise to Montreal.

SOURCE Stephen Bronfman

For further information: Daniel Granger, (514) 232-1556, daniel.granger@acjcommunication.com

Montreal Baseball Project is very pleased at the outcome of the meeting between Stephen Bronfman, Mitch Garber and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.

"I am very encouraged by the positive discussion between Stephen Bronfman, Mitch Garber and Mayor Valerie Plante”, says Montreal Baseball Project founder and president Warren Cromartie. “For Mayor Plante to enthusiastically proclaim "We’re in!" speaks volumes about the quality of the effort we have put in on all fronts to move this project forward.

“Above all, it demonstrates the credibility of the individuals we are working with across the board and the thoroughness of our work to bring baseball back to Montreal. The level of interest in our project from fans, the baseball world, potential partners and others has never been higher.”

“To also hear Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard speak positively of our work is another significant development for us. These affirmations are a clear indication of our unwavering commitment to make Montreal a Major League city again, that will only add to our credibility as we move forward.

Established in 2012, Montreal Baseball Project seeks to build upon the recent groundswell of demand for baseball in Montreal and deliver a Major League team back to the community.

Montreal Baseball Project today is pleased to announce that its founder and president Warren Cromartie will be working with the History Channel® Japan G.K. (History Japan) as a special correspondent. His work with the network will include documentaries and biographies that span the worlds of professional sports, entertainment, culture and beyond.

This collaboration will also include a YouTube channel called "Cro in Tokyo" that will explore the many facets of the city's unique culture from his point of view.

Cromartie is one of the most celebrated athletes in Japan, having been one of the first American baseball players to have established himself in the country's top-tier Nippon Professional Baseball League. He remains a widely-recognized figure, regularly making appearances on television and in other traditional and digital media.

For Cromartie, this new opportunity adds an exciting dimension to his various endeavors, in particular, his involvement in bringing a Major League Baseball franchise back to Montreal. "The curtain is only starting to lift on Montreal and its potential in the Japanese market. The business and cultural ties between Montreal and Japan continue to move in the right direction, and an important part of what I want to do is bring Montreal to the center stage of this tremendous market. I also hope to see this relationship evolve into part of the experience we are looking to bring with the return of baseball to Montreal."

“We are very excited Warren Cromartie is joining our team in Tokyo. He had an enormously positive impact on Japanese baseball and Japan overall. He was a hero to many during his career with the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo and remains an inspiration,” said John Flanagan, General Manager of History Japan. “We look forward to inspiring audiences in Japan and globally with the programs and on-line videos we create with Cromartie.”

One of Cromartie's first efforts with the History Channel Japan will be a biography about his life, part of which will be filmed in Montreal during the upcoming pre-season baseball games at the end of March.

"Today I lost my mentor Mel Didier. Mel Didier signed me to my contract in 1973. He was a mentor to me and to Andre Dawson and the entire Montreal Expos farm system in the mid-70s. He was the reason the Expos always had a strong farm system, which would come to define the franchise throughout their history. His work molded players like Dawson, Ellis Valentine, Gary Carter, Larry Parish Jerry White, and Tony Scott, to name a few. He ran spring training in Daytona Beach like no other could. He had us focused, learning the fundamentals, always blowing his bullhorn, which you would hear throughout the day in spring training. His favourite word was "Tempo! Tempo!". His intensity defined him, and we were all better for it.

He was the only scout willing to visit a predominantly black Florida A&M University at the time to recruit Andre Dawson, who we all know went on to have a phenomenal Hall of Fame career. Race didn't matter to him at all.

He would always look at you in the eye, and face to face, with that Lafayette, Louisiana twang he had. The impact he had on all of us during our time in the minor leagues was instrumental in our careers. I owe him everything as a Montreal Expo and will never forget him. I am heartbroken today."

-Warren Cromartie
Warren Cromartie signing his first professional contract in 1973, accompanied by Mel Didier of the Expos and coach Demie Mainieri

The Montreal Baseball Project is elated at the news of the election of Montreal Expos legend Tim Raines to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

"I am thrilled that Tim will now be taking his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame," says Montreal Baseball Project founder and president Warren Cromartie. "A lifelong friend and teammate, he was one of the most legendary players in Expos history and it is fantastic to see him join Andre Dawson and Gary Carter as representatives of the Expos franchise in Cooperstown. "His illustrious career will finally be recognized with the highest honour in baseball. He was one of the best players of his era, and this recognition is one that is truly well-deserved."

The implications of this development for the return of baseball to Montreal are significant, according to Cromartie.

"Having another Expo in the Baseball Hall of Fame will allow for Montreal to further carve its place in baseball history, and strengthen the case for it to once again be home to a Major League team. Tim is an important part of Montreal's baseball history, which will take center stage at the induction ceremony in July."

"Despite winning the World Series with a franchise as prestigious as the New York Yankees and having success in other cities like Chicago, Montreal has always been close to Tim's heart. Montreal should be very proud of his accomplishment, and I know Expos fans everywhere share in our excitement at this news today."

The excellent results for former Expos all-star Vladimir Guerrero in his first year of eligibility are also a very positive development.

"I am also very pleased to see such a strong showing for Vladimir in his first year on the ballot", adds Cromartie. "It would be incredible to have one of the most electric players in Expos history join the Hall of Fame as soon as next year, so we can relive this once again. Today is without a doubt a very special day for Expos fans everywhere and we can all take immense pride in it."

Montreal Baseball Project is planning to celebrate Raines and his remarkable career later on this year, and give fans the opportunity to partake in this tribute.

I unfortunately could not be here with you today to attend these festivities, due to prior commitments. I would like to commend the organizers of this event, Mr.Vaillancourt, Mr.Kontilai, Mr.King, and our representatives from the city of Montreal.
I would also like to express how pleased the Montreal Baseball Project is to know that another piece of the incredible story of Jackie Robinson's ascension to Major League Baseball has been secured, in the form of these authentified contracts.

These contracts are a testament to Montreal's important place in baseball history, and the role the city played as a catalyst to the integration of minorities in Major League Baseball. Montreal's acceptance of Jackie Robinson, at a time when he faced open discrimination everywhere else, is a wonderful story that captures the essence of the city and the rich diversity that defines it today.

This spirit is part of what makes baseball so special to Montrealers and what led to Montreal's own ascension to Major League Baseball in 1969, and the birth of the Expos. They also strengthen the resolve of the Montreal Baseball Project to make Montreal a Major League city again, and build upon the tremendous success we have experienced in the last few years.

The work to secure these contracts and give them their due respect and recognition can not be understated. They mark an important passage not only in baseball's history, but in American history as well. I applaud the efforts of Collectors Café with regards to these historical documents, and thank them for sharing these with Montreal.

 

Sincerely,

Warren Cromartie, Founder and President, Montreal Baseball Project

Tuesday March 29, 2016- I am very pleased to hear that the attendance at the exhibition games between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox will surpass 100,000 spectators. It will once again show how excited Montreal is for baseball, and how strong it is as a baseball market.

Recently, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred Jr. outlined what he would like to see from Montreal and prospective owners as it relates to the return of baseball to the city. I support these comments and I can confirm that the Montreal Baseball Project group will address these as part of the process we are undertaking.

For Montreal to welcome the Red Sox and Blue Jays to town will be a great honour. Before the arrival of the Expos, the Red Sox were a team that had a strong following in Montreal. That allegiance still exists today as many Red Sox fans from the city and north of the border continue to passionately follow the team and visit Fenway every year. It will also be great to once again see the Toronto Blue Jays in Montreal, after their tremendous success in 2015, in which they were crowned American League East Champions.

To have close to 300,000 people attend a weekend of exhibition baseball games over 3 years will speak volumes to the baseball world, and have some bearing on the situations of the two teams looking to build new stadiums. I am greatly encouraged by our progress, and I would like to see local and corporate support continue to build for this goal to make Montreal a Major League city again.
#montrealwantsbaseballback

 

Montreal, September 8, 2015 - On Monday September 7, Montreal Baseball Project founder and president Warren Cromartie travelled to Boston to meet with key members of the Red Sox organization, including owner John Henry, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Sam Kennedy and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski.

"It was great to meet with the three of them and to speak about what we have accomplished here in Montreal, in our quest to bring Major League Baseball back to the city," said Cromartie. "They were well aware of our efforts and the tremendous support there is throughout the baseball world for what we have set out to do." Cromartie was also invited on Red Sox radio to talk about the groundswell of support for baseball in Montreal.

"I was particularly pleased to hear from them how much support there is for the return of baseball to Montreal in the Boston area, and how there is a strong overlap between the fan bases of both cities. I saw many fans wearing Expos hats and jerseys. I look forward to the day when the Boston Red Sox come to Montreal for a Major League baseball game."

The Montreal Baseball Project is an organization founded with the objective of bringing a Major League Baseball back team to Montreal. The city has a rich baseball history that included being the catalyst for Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, and with a regional population of close to 4 million people, it is currently the largest North American city without a baseball franchise. Montreal Baseball Project seeks to build upon the recent groundswell of demand for baseball in Montreal and deliver a team back to the community.

Photo : John Henry, Warren Cromartie, Sam Kennedy.