Major League Baseball

Jays president open to holding game in Montreal

Published Apr. 7, 2011 12:48 a.m. ET

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Blue Jays president Paul Beeston wants to take baseball back to Montreal, at least on a part-time basis.

''Certainly we would like to play a game in Montreal or in Quebec at some point in time,'' Beeston said Wednesday. ''I think it would be a terrific idea.''

Montreal has not seen baseball since the Expos left for Washington after the 2004 season. The baseball field has since been removed from their former home, Olympic Stadium.

Beeston didn't get into specifics but said he envisioned an exhibition game at the end of spring training, not a regular season game.

''I don't see anything more than an exhibition game there right now,'' he said before the Blue Jays faced Oakland. ''I haven't even thought about it. That's what I was contemplating at the time when I said it.''

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos was born and raised in Montreal.

''It would be exciting. I grew up there, became a baseball fan there with the Expos,'' Anthopoulos said. ''You never forget where you came from and I know how passionate the fan base is there, both French and English.''

The Blue Jays are carried on English radio in Montreal and a French-language station, CKAC, will broadcast 15 games this season, up from eight last season. Beeston's original comment came in response to fan requests for a Blue Jays visit made on the CKAC website.

Beeston noted that ''in the old days,'' the Blue Jays played exhibition games in Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary. They tried to play one in Saint John, New Brunswick, but were snowed out.

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