Quebec is hosting the 2024 Frontier League All-Star game, and the Frontier League commisioner, Steve Tahsler, has some goals to expand the league even further in Canada.
During an interview with Le Journal De Quebec, Tahsler was quoted as saying it is his “top goal is Montreal.” He wants the Frontier League to be the league that brings baseball back to the city and people of Montreal.
The following is an English translation of the article originally posted on Le Journal De Quebec. (The original article can be found HERE).
They want to be the ones who “bring professional baseball back to Montreal”
The Frontier League commissioner reiterated his desire on Monday, during the All-Star game taking place in Quebec.
The Frontier League commissioner has already spoken in the past of his interest in having a baseball franchise from the circuit set up in Montreal and he reiterated his desire on Monday: “We want to be the ones who bring professional baseball back” to the Quebec metropolis, Steve Tahsler told TVA Quebec.
Of course, Mr. Tahsler was only talking about his league in his statement, not the return of the Expos. And even then, there is still work to be done before the Quebec-Montreal rivalry is transferred to a baseball diamond.
But the commissioner was very convincing in his desire to make his wish come true on Monday, when the best players in the Frontier League, as well as its dignitaries, will be in Quebec until Wednesday as part of the All-Star Game festivities.
“This is our highest priority […]. We are working really hard on this,” Mr. Tahsler also said.
In the coming months?
Charles Demers, vice-president of the Quebec Capitals, is of the opinion that “fairly major” developments in this matter could occur “in the next year, or even in the next few months.”
But obviously, he specifies, it will first be necessary to “build a stadium capable of hosting a Frontier League team” in the Montreal region.
“We are close to something”
In an interview with Le Journal last year, the commissioner had already stated that he did not want a new team to set up in a temporary stadium while waiting for the construction of a permanent venue, because he wanted the potential unveiling of a new club to be “as big as possible” (read here ) .
“You lose a lot of impact by establishing a team in a temporary location first,” he said. “You lose all the magic surrounding the arrival of a club in a new stadium.
“It takes the contribution of Baseball Québec, it takes an owner ready to invest,” added Mr. Demers on Monday. “There are a lot of factors that have to come together, but we’re close to something.”
– With the collaboration of TVA Québec, Stéphane Turcot
Indy Ball Island 