Was the Expos Express really derailed by the 1994 strike alone? We'll never know, but I suspect that even if the Expos had won the World Series that year, ownership would still have proceeded with the fire sales and the demise of the team.. Maybe championship goodwill would have prolonged things a year or two, but there is precedent for other teams leaving town not long after a championship (1955 Dodgers, 1957 Braves).
I was there at the time and the answer to your question is no. The Expos were preparing for the future with a great young team and legit blueprints for a new stadium. For that plan to succeed you need a sustainable winner... which was being nurtured in ‘94.
But the strike shouldn't have changed that calculus. They still had a great young team with great chance for winning (and attendance) success had the parts not been sold off. Fans would have returned to see a potential winner in 1995. Wrong ownership at the wrong time. No other team threw in the towel after the strike.
Shoutout Drunk Jays fans :)
It's great to have your baseball insight back ! Looking forward to this in 2023
Was the Expos Express really derailed by the 1994 strike alone? We'll never know, but I suspect that even if the Expos had won the World Series that year, ownership would still have proceeded with the fire sales and the demise of the team.. Maybe championship goodwill would have prolonged things a year or two, but there is precedent for other teams leaving town not long after a championship (1955 Dodgers, 1957 Braves).
I was there at the time and the answer to your question is no. The Expos were preparing for the future with a great young team and legit blueprints for a new stadium. For that plan to succeed you need a sustainable winner... which was being nurtured in ‘94.
But the strike shouldn't have changed that calculus. They still had a great young team with great chance for winning (and attendance) success had the parts not been sold off. Fans would have returned to see a potential winner in 1995. Wrong ownership at the wrong time. No other team threw in the towel after the strike.
Small note: as of last season, *12* teams make the playoffs.