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109-479: The Games were founded in 1970. The first editions of both the Quebec Winter Games and Quebec Summer Games were held in 1971. Since 1981, they have held every odd year. Since 2009, a Quebec Games is held every year, alternating between Winter Games (odd years) and Summer Games (even years). The 2016 edition was held at Montreal's Olympic Stadium in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary Celebrations of

218-456: A 55- long-ton (62- short-ton ; 56  t ) concrete slab to fall onto an exterior walkway. No one was injured, but the Expos had to move their final 13 home games of that season to the opponents' cities. The Expos hinted that the 1992 season was at risk unless the stadium was certified safe. In early November, engineers found the stadium was structurally sound. However, it took longer to certify

327-410: A baseball venue, and actively campaigned for a replacement. Brochu sold the team to Jeffrey Loria in 2000, who was equally dissatisfied with Olympic Stadium; he bluntly stated, "We cannot stay here." However, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard refused to authorize public funding deemed necessary for a replacement, in part because Olympic Stadium still had not been paid for. The poor conditions played

436-604: A combined attendance of 46,984. The New York Yankees were scheduled to play there on March 23 and 24, 2020; however, the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . No further games have been scheduled since, ending baseball spring training at the Montreal Olympic Stadium. Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit the longest home run at Olympic Stadium on May 20, 1978, driving

545-718: A condition of the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane in November 2011, the team agreed to move to the American League effective with the 2013 season. In 2023, National League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 American League teams, 23 at home and 23 on the road. As of the end of the 2024 season, the Dodgers have won the most NL pennants, with 25. Representing the National League against

654-401: A decade later than planned. The roof experienced numerous rips, allowing rain to leak into the stadium. As part of various renovations made in 1991 to improve the stadium's suitability as a baseball venue, 12,000 seats were eliminated, most of them in distant portions of the outfield, and home plate was moved closer to the stands. On September 8 of that year, support beams snapped and caused

763-781: A game played on September 6, 1977, between the Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts . In 1991 and 1992, the stadium was the home of the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football . This included hosting World Bowl '92 on June 6, 1992, in which the Sacramento Surge defeated the Orlando Thunder 21–17 before 43,789. In 1988 (Jets and Browns) and 1990 (Steelers and Patriots), NFL pre-season games were played at Olympic Stadium. In 1977,

872-486: A large chunk of the tower fell onto the playing field prior to another Expos game August 29 vs. San Diego Padres forcing a doubleheader on August 30. In January 1985, approval was given by the Quebec government to complete the project and install a retractable roof, financed by an Olympic cigarette tax in the province. The tower construction and installation of the orange-coloured Kevlar roof were completed by April 1987,

981-482: A more "traditional" or "pure" league, the National League did not adopt the designated hitter rule until the shortened 2020 season . Only the American League previously adopted the rule in 1973. In theory, this meant that the role of the manager was greater in the National League than in the American League, because the NL manager must take offense into account when making pitching substitutions and vice versa. However, this

1090-433: A permanent seating capacity of 56,040. The capacity is expandable with temporary seating. CF Montréal (formerly known as Montreal Impact) of Major League Soccer (MLS) has used the venue when demand for tickets justifies the large capacity or when the weather restricts outdoor play at nearby Saputo Stadium in the spring months. The stadium has not had a main tenant since the Expos left in 2004. Despite decades of use,

1199-615: A postseason championship—the World Series . Major League Baseball narrowly averted radical reorganization in November 1920. Dissatisfied with American League President and National Baseball Commission head Ban Johnson , NL owners dissolved the league on November 8 during heated talks on MLB reorganization in the wake of the Black Sox Scandal . Simultaneously, three AL teams also hostile to Johnson ( Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and New York Yankees ) withdrew from

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1308-478: A proposal for a stadium. It was enough to persuade Bronfman to continue with the effort. The stadium was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert to be an elaborate facility featuring a retractable roof , which was to be opened and closed by cables suspended from a huge 165-metre (541 ft) tower – the tallest inclined structure in the world, and the tenth tallest structure in Montreal. The design of

1417-532: A role in the Expos nearly being disbanded in the 2001 Major League Baseball contraction plan , which fell through due to court rulings. Ten years after the last Expos game at Olympic Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays played two spring training games at the stadium against the New York Mets on March 28 and 29, 2014, with combined attendance of 96,350. The Jays would continue this practice for

1526-526: A second major league in 1901, and the AL and NL engaged in a "baseball war" during 1901 and 1902 before agreeing to a "peace pact" that recognized each other as legitimate "major leagues". As part of this agreement, the leagues agreed to respect player contracts, establish rules about relationships with minor league clubs, and allow their champions to meet in a " World Series " to decide the overall professional baseball championship. National League teams have won 51 of

1635-475: A speaker. The distance travelled by this ball is also estimated at 525 feet. The longest home run hit to left field was Vladimir Guerrero 's blast on July 28, 2003, that hit an advertising sign directly below the left field upper deck. The ad was later replaced with a sign reading "VLAD 502". The Olympic Stadium was the home of the NASL 's Montreal Manic soccer team from 1981 to 1983. A 1981 playoff game against

1744-570: A strike by construction workers. The Conseil des métiers de la construction union headed by André "Dédé" Desjardins kept the construction site in "anarchic disorder" until the Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa bought him off in a secret deal. In his 2000 book Notre Cher Stade Olympique , Taillibert wrote "If the Olympic Games took place, it was thanks to Dédé Desjardins. What irony!" Further delays ensued due to

1853-399: A swimming pool beyond the right field fence. On April 4, 1988, the Expos' Opening Day, Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets hit a ball off a speaker which hangs off a concrete ring at Olympic Stadium, estimated to have travelled 525 feet. Henry Rodríguez hit a ball on June 15, 1997, that bounced off the concrete ring in right field, caromed up to hit the roof, and came down, hitting

1962-592: A version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series (1885 and 1890) ending in disputed ties. The NL won four times and the AA only once, in 1886. Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded. This undercut

2071-455: Is estimated that a large-scale event such as the Grey Cup can generate as much as $ 50 million in revenue. Although the tower and retractable roof were not completed in time for the 1976 Olympics, construction on the tower resumed in the 1980s. During this period, however, a large fire set the tower ablaze, causing damage and forcing a scheduled Expos home game to be postponed. In 1986,

2180-481: Is located under this tower. An Olympic velodrome (since converted to the Montreal Biodome , an indoor nature museum) was situated at the base of the tower in a building similar in design to the swimming pool. The building was built as the main stadium for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. The stadium was host to various events including the opening and closing ceremonies , athletics , football finals, and

2289-605: The 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics . At around 3700 athletes, the event was larger than the last Winter Olympics in 2014. A total of 26 sports are a part of the Quebec Winter Games as of 2021 and include the following: A total of 28 sports are a part of the Quebec Summer Games as of 2021 and include the following: For the purpose of the games, Quebec is sub-divided into 19 regions. Each region carries out its own competitions in each sport, from which

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2398-579: The CFL returned to their previous home of Molson Stadium in 1998 for regular season games, but continued to use Olympic Stadium for playoff and Grey Cup games until 2012. Following the 2004 baseball season, the Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., to become the Washington Nationals . The stadium currently serves as a multipurpose facility for special events (e.g. concerts, trade shows) with

2507-487: The Chicago Sting attracted a crowd of over 58,000. Several games of the 2007 FIFA Under 20 World Cup were played at Olympic Stadium and drew the largest crowds of the tournament, including two sell-outs of 55,800. Olympic Stadium hosted a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final game pitting the original Montreal Impact – who played primarily in the adjacent Saputo Stadium – against Club Santos Laguna of

2616-674: The Houston Astros three years later. In 1969, the league added the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals ), becoming a 12-team league for the first time since 1899. In 1969, as a result of its expansion to 12 teams, the National League—which for its first 93 years had competed equally in a single grouping—was reorganized into two divisions of six teams (respectively named

2725-641: The Liga MX (Mexico First Division) on February 25, 2009. This was the first time an international soccer game took place in Montreal during the winter months. The Impact won 2–0 in front of a record crowd of 55,571. The stadium was also home to a friendly match between the Impact and A.C. Milan of the Italian Serie A on June 2, 2010, before 47,861. National League (baseball) The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs , known simply as

2834-576: The Montreal Botanical Garden , adjacent to the west across Sherbrooke Street ( Route 138 ). As early as 1963, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau sought to build a covered stadium in Montreal. A covered stadium was thought to be all but essential for Drapeau's other goal of bringing a Major League Baseball team to Montreal, given the cold weather that can affect the city in April, October and sometimes even September. In 1967, soon after

2943-720: The NLDS against the Phillies, and three in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers , who went on to win the World Series . On October 19, the Expos lost the decisive fifth game, 2–1, to the Dodgers on Rick Monday 's ninth-inning home run . In 1982, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Olympic Stadium in front of 59,057—a stadium record for baseball. On September 29, 2004,

3052-599: The National League ( NL ), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada , and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP) of 1871–1875 (often called simply the "National Association"), the NL is sometimes called

3161-452: The National League granted Montreal an expansion franchise for 1969, Drapeau wrote a letter promising that any prospective Montreal team would be playing in a covered stadium by 1971. However, even though Quebec mayors have broad executive power, Drapeau could not make such a guarantee on his own authority. Just as Charles Bronfman , who was slated to become the franchise's first owner, was ready to walk away, Drapeau had his staffers draw up

3270-833: The National League East and West , although geographically it was more like North and South), with the division champions meeting in the National League Championship Series (an additional round of postseason competition) for the right to advance to the World Series. In 1993 the league expanded to 14 teams, adding the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins (which became the Miami Marlins shortly after

3379-585: The Senior Circuit , in contrast to MLB's other league, the American League , which was founded 25 years later and is called the "Junior Circuit". Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The National League survived competition from various other professional baseball leagues during the late 19th century. Most did not last for more than a few seasons, with a handful of teams joining the NL once their leagues folded. The American League declared itself

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3488-559: The doughnut -shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof. It is also disparagingly referred to as "The Big Owe" in reference to the high cost of its construction and of hosting the 1976 Olympics as a whole. The stadium is one of the largest by seating capacity in Canada. After the Olympics, artificial turf was installed and it became the home of Montreal's professional baseball and football teams. The Montreal Alouettes of

3597-402: The 119 World Series championships contested from 1903 to 2023. For decades, Major League baseball clubs only played teams from their own league during the regular season and most of the playoffs, with only their champions facing off in the World Series. This separation gradually caused the leagues to develop slightly different strategies and styles of play. The National League was long considered

3706-468: The 66-tonne, 5,500 m (59,000 sq ft) Kevlar roof (designed and built by Lavalin ) could retract. Even then, it could not be used in winds above 40 km/h (25 mph). Ultimately, it was only opened and closed 88 times. When construction on the stadium's tower resumed after the 1976 Olympics, a multi-storey observatory was added to the plan, accessible via an inclined elevator , opened in 1987, that travels 266 metres (873 ft) along

3815-459: The AL and joined the eight NL teams in forming a new National League; the 12th team would be whichever of the remaining five AL teams loyal to Johnson first chose to join; if none did so an expansion team would have been placed in Detroit , by far the largest one-team city at that time. Four days later, on November 12, both sides met (without Johnson) and agreed to restore the two leagues and replace

3924-524: The All-Star Game, or in the World Series. Beginning in 1997, however, interleague games have been played during the regular season and count in the standings. Prior to the early 2020s – before the universal designated hitter rule was started in both leagues – as part of the agreement instituting interleague play, the DH rule was used only in games where the American League team was the home team. In 1999,

4033-478: The American Association. After the 1891 season, the AA disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the "National League and American Association". The teams now known as the Cincinnati Reds , Los Angeles Dodgers (originally Brooklyn) and Pittsburgh Pirates (as well as the now-defunct Cleveland Spiders ) had already switched from the AA to the NL prior to 1892. With

4142-686: The American League under the auspices of Major League Baseball, which now operates much like other North American professional sports leagues, albeit with two "leagues" instead of "conferences". By 1875, the National Association of Professional Ball Players (NAPBBP, often referred to as the "National Association"), founded four years earlier, was suffering from a lack of strong authority over clubs, unsupervised scheduling, unstable membership of cities, dominance by one team (the Boston Red Stockings ), and an extremely low entry fee ($ 10) that gave clubs no incentive to abide by league rules when it

4251-586: The American League, the Cardinals have won the most World Series (11) followed by the Giants and Dodgers (8), Pirates (5), and Reds (5). St. Louis also holds the distinction of being the only AA club to defeat an NL club in the 19th-century version of the World Series, having done so against their now-division rival Cubs. The eight charter teams were the following: The eight-team lineup established in 1900 remained unchanged through 1952. All franchises are still in

4360-459: The Central had one more team). A third postseason round was added at the same time: the three division champions plus a wild card team (the team with the best record among those finishing in second place) now advance to the preliminary National League Division Series . Due to a players' strike, however, the postseason was not actually held in 1994. Before the 1998 season, the American League and

4469-710: The Edmonton Eskimos, 41-6 before 68,318 spectators; this despite a local transit strike and harsh winter weather conditions. Olympic Stadium has hosted the Grey Cup a total of six times, most recently in 2008 when the Calgary Stampeders defeated the hometown Alouettes. The stadium holds the record for nine of the ten largest crowds in CFL history , which include five regular-season and four Grey Cup games. A single-game record crowd numbering 69,083 attended

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4578-439: The Expos played their last game in Montreal, losing 9–1 to the Florida Marlins before 31,395. Olympic Stadium proved to be somewhat problematic as a baseball venue. As in all multipurpose stadiums, the lower seating tier was set further back than in baseball-specific parks to accommodate the football field. However, since Canadian football fields are longer and wider than American football fields, Olympic Stadium's lower tier

4687-777: The Expos would have to play at least part of the 1977 season at Jarry as well. The Parti Québécois ' landslide victory in the 1976 provincial elections caused the Expos to break off lease talks. However, an agreement was reached in February, and an official announcement came in March. The Expos regularly played 81 home games every season until 2003 , when they played 22 home games in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan . The Expos played 59 home games at Olympic Stadium in each of their final two seasons of 2003 and 2004;

4796-462: The Expos' tenure, the padding on the fence was so thin that fielders risked severe injury by going after long fly balls. However, the OIB was also unwilling to replace the padding. By the 1990s, several free agents specifically demanded that the Expos be taken out of consideration due to the poor playing conditions. By the mid-1990s, owner Claude Brochu concluded that Olympic Stadium was not suitable as

4905-572: The Expos' tenure, the playing surface was an extremely thin AstroTurf carpet, with only equally thin padding between it and the concrete floor. It was so hard on players' knees that visiting teams frequently ran at a nearby park. Longtime Expos trainer Ron McClain begged for a replacement, but the OIB was unwilling to spend the $ 1 million needed for a new surface. Before the roof finally arrived, players had to contend with huge patches of ice in early April or late September. Additionally, for most of

5014-634: The NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a great vested interest in creating his own league, and after recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky , in January 1876. With Hulbert speaking for the five later in New York City on February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs

5123-490: The NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, and sold cheaper tickets everywhere (25 cents versus the NL's standard 50 cents, a hefty sum for many in 1882). The NL struck back by establishing new clubs in 1883 in AA cities Philadelphia (later called "Phillies") and New York (the team that would become the Giants). The National League and the American Association participated in

5232-467: The NL to modify its labor practices, including a salary cap and a reserve clause that bound players to their teams indefinitely. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players' League, but the P.L. collapsed after one season. The Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players' League counterparts. The labor strike of 1890 hastened the downfall of

5341-516: The NL. By 1903, the upstart AL had placed new teams in the National League cities of Boston , Chicago, New York, Philadelphia , and St. Louis , as well as the "abandoned" NL cities Cleveland and Washington (and, temporarily, Baltimore). Only the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates had no AL team in their markets. The AL among other things enforced a strict conduct policy among its players. The National League at first refused to recognize

5450-481: The National League each added a fifteenth team. Because of the odd number of teams, only seven games could possibly be scheduled in each league on any given day. Thus, one team in each league would have to be idle on any given day. This would have made it difficult for scheduling, in terms of travel days and the need to end the season before October. In order for MLB officials to continue primarily intraleague play, both leagues would need to carry an even number of teams, so

5559-593: The Olympic Village, the Biodome, the Botanical Gardens and Saputo Stadium. The Olympic Park, the stadium's suspended roof and downtown Montreal can be viewed from the south-west-facing Observatory at the top of the tower. Despite initial projections in 1970 that the stadium would cost only C$ 134 million to construct, strikes and construction delays served to escalate these costs. By the time

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5668-546: The West Coast of the U.S. for the first time. The NL remained an eight-team league for over 60 years. (For the eight teams, see Expansion (1887–1899) above, and "Classic Eight" below.) In 1962—facing competition from the proposed Continental League and confronted by the American League 's unilateral expansion in 1961—the NL expanded by adding the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s. The "Colts" were renamed

5777-586: The annual Montreal Auto Show . The auto show and a boat show the following month were cancelled, and the auto show left the venue for good (since then, the Montreal Auto Show has usually been held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal ). Repaired once again, the roof was modified to better withstand winter conditions: the OIB installed a network of pipes to circulate heated water under the roof to allow for snow melting. Despite these corrective measures,

5886-502: The atmosphere friendlier for baseball. During the 1970s and early 1980s, fans arriving at the stadium from the Metro were greeted by an oom-pah band playing " The Happy Wanderer ." Whenever an opposing pitcher tried to hold a runner at first rather than pitch, the sound system would cluck at him like a chicken. Before the 1991 season , the OIB began a major overhaul on the stadium's baseball configuration. The lower deck in centre field

5995-473: The ball into the second deck in right field for an estimated distance of 535 feet. The yellow seat that marked the location where the ball landed has been removed from the 300 level (a new yellow marker seat was placed in 2015). The seat is now preserved at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . Stargell also hit a notable home run at the Expos' original Montreal home, Jarry Park, which landed in

6104-608: The behavior of teammates that he quit playing in 1891 to become one of America's most famous evangelical Christian preachers. Most fans appear to have felt the same way, because attendance at games was plummeting by 1900. After eight seasons as a 12-team league, the NL contracted back to eight teams for the 1900 season, eliminating its teams in Baltimore , Cleveland , Louisville (which has never had another major league team since), and Washington . This provided an opportunity for competition. Three of those cities received franchises in

6213-557: The best athletes are chosen to compete at the provincial level. Olympic Stadium (Montreal) Olympic Stadium ( French : Stade olympique ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Montreal , Canada , located at Olympic Park in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of the city. Built in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics , it is nicknamed "The Big O", a reference to both its name and to

6322-440: The cited cost for the new roof did not include hundreds of millions of dollars in additional work necessary to correct acoustics and remodel seats and restrooms. The Canadian Football League 's Montreal Alouettes became the stadium's first major post-Olympic tenant when they moved their home games there halfway through the 1976 season . Capacity was reduced from its Olympic capacity of 72,000 to 58,500, but leapt to 66,308 when

6431-449: The clubs' defiance by expelling them, an act which not only shocked baseball followers (New York and Philadelphia were the two most populous cities in the league) and the then sports world, but made it clear to clubs that league scheduling commitments, a cornerstone of competitive integrity, were not to be ignored. The National League operated with only six clubs during 1877 and 1878. Over the next several years, various teams joined and left

6540-421: The contract. In May 2011 a committee was formed to study the future of the stadium and improve the usage of the stadium, pool, and sports centre. A slab of concrete measuring approximately 8 by 12 metres (26 by 39 ft) fell from the roof of the stadium's underground parking facility on March 4, 2012. There were no injuries. The roof continues to deteriorate, with 7,453 tears as of May 2017, limiting use of

6649-438: The curved tower's spine. The elevator cabin ascends from base of the tower to the upper deck in less than two minutes at a rate of 2.8 m/s (6.3 mph), with space for 76 persons per trip and a capacity of 500 persons per hour. The cabin is designed to remain level throughout its trip, while providing a panoramic view to its passengers. The elevator faces north-east, offering a view to the north, south and east. It overlooks

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6758-450: The decision was made to move one club from the AL Central to the NL Central. Eventually, Milwaukee agreed (after Kansas City declined) to change leagues; the National League now had 16 teams, the American League 14 with the switch. Beginning with the 2013 season, the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central to the American League West, which now gave both leagues three divisions of five teams each. Often characterized as being

6867-421: The designated hitter rule in 2022 , and the expansion of interleague play to 46 games beginning in 2023 , has further blurred the lines between leagues. Though both leagues agreed to be jointly governed by a commissioner in 1920, they remained separate legal and business entities with their own president and management. This was the case until after the 1999 season, when the National League legally merged with

6976-417: The end of the 2011 season). In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks became the league's fifteenth franchise, and the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the AL to the NL, giving the NL 16 teams for the next 15 seasons. In 1994, the league was again reorganized, into three geographical divisions (East, West and Central , all currently with five teams; from 1994 to 1997 the West had one fewer team, and from 1998 to 2012,

7085-440: The fence. The total seating capacity for baseball was reduced from a high of around 60,400 to 46,000. The Expos were very successful in the stadium for a time, with above National League median attendance in 1977 and from 1979 to 1983. The Expos outdrew the New York Mets from 1977 to 1983, and 1994 to 1996, as well as the New York Yankees in 1982 and 1983. The stadium's playing conditions left much to be desired. For most of

7194-414: The franchise moved south to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season and became the Washington Nationals . Olympic Stadium's first baseball game was played on April 15, 1977. In front of 57,592, the Expos lost 7–2 to the Philadelphia Phillies . However, the Expos had to use a hacksaw to cut open the locks because the OIB did not have a master key . The Expos played five home playoff games in 1981; two in

7303-399: The increased popularity of the Alouettes and the small capacity of Percival Molson Stadium, the team considered returning to Olympic Stadium on a full-time basis, but instead renovated Percival Molson Stadium to increase its capacity. In addition, the stadium holds the record for the largest Grey Cup attendance, that of the 1977 Grey Cup game, in which the hometown Montreal Alouettes defeated

7412-435: The ineffective National Commission with a one-man Commissioner in the person of federal Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis . The National League circuit remained unchanged from 1900 through 1952. In 1953 the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee ; in 1966 they moved again, to Atlanta . In 1958 the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, bringing major league baseball to

7521-399: The institution of interleague play, little remains to differentiate between the two leagues. By 2011, MLB had changed its policy on interleague play, deciding to schedule interleague games throughout the season rather than only during specially designated periods. This policy would allow each league to have 15 teams, with one team in each league playing an interleague game on any given day. As

7630-402: The intent of the original roof. The option of a removable portion of the roof has since been removed from the scope of the project. The Olympic Installations Board has estimated the cost of demolishing the stadium would be between $ 500 and $ 700 million, though this figure is based on a preliminary two-month study and thus has a high margin of error. The high cost of demolition is due to

7739-409: The league: the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves (originally in Boston, and later Milwaukee). The Cubs are the only charter member to play continuously in the same city. The other two pre-1892 teams still in the league are the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants (originally New York), both of which joined in 1883. The National League became a 12-team circuit with monopoly status for

7848-644: The merger, the NL absorbed the St. Louis Browns (now known as the St. Louis Cardinals ), along with three other teams that did not survive into the 20th century—the Baltimore Orioles (not the current MLB team), Louisville Colonels , and Washington Statesmen . While four teams that moved from the AA remain in the NL today (Pittsburgh [1887], Cincinnati [1890], Los Angeles [originally Brooklyn; 1890], and St. Louis [1892]), only two original NL franchises (1876) remain in

7957-466: The more "traditional" league, a reputation most exemplified by the NL's more prevalent use of " smallball " tactics and lack of a designated hitter rule, which the AL implemented in 1973. However, with the advent of free agency in the 1970s allowing for more player movement between leagues, and the introduction of regular season interleague play in 1997, the difference in play between the two major leagues has diminished considerably. The NL's adoption of

8066-555: The natural grass was replaced with AstroTurf ahead of the 1977 season . The Alouettes remained there through 1986, the franchise's final season of operations; the team would shut down shortly after the start of the 1987 season . A revived Alouettes franchise returned for the 1996 and 1997 seasons , but then moved to the Percival Molson Stadium in 1998. The Alouettes used Olympic Stadium for select regular season games until 2009, and playoff games until 2012. Due to

8175-474: The new league, but reality set in as talent and money was split between the two leagues, diluting the league and decreasing financial success. After two years of bitter contention, a new version of the National Agreement was signed in 1903. This meant formal acceptance of each league by the other as an equal partner in major-league baseball, mutual respect of player contracts, and an agreement to play

8284-419: The newly christened American League (AL) when the minor Western League changed its name to the AL in 1900, with the approval of the NL, which regarded the AL as a lesser league since they were a party to the National Agreement. The AL declined to renew its National Agreement membership when it expired the next year, and on January 28, 1901, the AL officially declared itself a second major league in competition with

8393-559: The next 5 years: against the Cincinnati Reds on April 3 and 4, 2015, with combined attendance of 96,545, the Boston Red Sox on April 1 and 2, 2016, with combined attendance of 106,102, the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31 and April 1, 2017, combined attendance of 95,382, the St. Louis Cardinals on March 26 and 27, 2018, with combined attendance of 51,151 and the Milwaukee Brewers on March 25 and 26, 2019, with

8502-500: The offices of American League and National League presidents were discontinued and all authority was vested in the Commissioner's office. The leagues subsequently appointed "honorary" presidents to carry out ceremonial roles such as the awarding of league championship trophies. Additionally, the distinction between AL and NL umpires was erased, and instead all umpires were unified under MLB control. Following these actions, as well as

8611-402: The presence of the pitcher in the NL batting order. As the collective bargaining agreement came closer to expiring after the 2021 season, owners expressed their intentions to use the designated hitter in all games starting in 2022. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, rule changes were instituted in both leagues for the 2020 season , which included an abbreviated 60-game schedule,

8720-510: The project. Additionally, the project was plagued by circumstances beyond anyone's control. Work slowed to a snail's pace for a third of the year due to Montreal's typically brutal winters. As a result, the stadium and tower remained unfinished at the opening of the 1976 Olympic Games. The roof materials languished in a warehouse in Marseille until 1982, and the tower and roof were not completed until 1987. It would be another year before

8829-504: The project. Danny's Construction sued Birdair in 1999. In February 2010, after a lengthy trial, the Quebec Superior Court awarded a judgement in favour of Danny's Construction and dismissed Birdair's countersuit. The stadium's condition suffered considerably in the early 21st century. During the Expos' final years in Montreal, it was coated with grime, and much of the concrete was chipped, stained, and soiled. In 2009,

8938-402: The rest of the decade. The league became embroiled in numerous internal conflicts, not the least of which was a plan supported by some owners (and bitterly opposed by others) to form a "trust", wherein there would be one common ownership of all twelve teams. The NL used its monopsony power to force a $ 2,400 ($ 85,000 today) limit on annual player wages in 1894. As the 20th century dawned, the NL

9047-429: The revenue gathered by the tobacco tax. By 2014, the stadium's expense ranking had fallen to fifth, with the construction of costlier venues like MetLife Stadium , AT&T Stadium , and the new Yankee Stadium . Perceived by many to be a white elephant , the stadium has also been dubbed The Big Owe due to its astronomical cost. The stadium has generated on average $ 20 million in revenue each year since 1977. It

9156-517: The roof as safe because it had been badly ripped in a June windstorm. For the 1992 season, it was decided to keep the roof closed at all times. The Kevlar roof was removed in May 1998, making the stadium open-air for the 1998 season. Later in 1998, a $ 26 million non-retractable opaque blue roof was installed. In 1999, a 350 m (3,770 sq ft) portion of the roof collapsed on January 18, dumping ice and snow on workers that were setting up for

9265-632: The stability of the AA. Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the Union Association and the Players' League . The Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion St. Louis Maroons joining the NL. The Players' League was established in 1890 by the Brotherhood of Professional Base-Ball Players, the sport's first players' union, which had failed to persuade

9374-449: The stadium being built of pre-stressed concrete, which rules out a controlled implosion or wrecking ball, and instead would require carefully removing the rebar wire which is under tension. In February 2024, Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx announced that the expected cost of the new roof had increased to $ 870 million. She said the new roof will take four years to construct, and is expected to last for 50 years. She said demolition of

9483-570: The stadium closed. Events cannot be held if more than 3 centimetres (1.2 in) of snow are predicted 24 hours in advance, such as caused postponement of the Montreal Impact home opener soccer match in March 2014. A contract for a new permanent steel roof was awarded in 2004, with an estimated $ 300 million price tag. In June 2010, the Olympic Installations Board sought approval from the provincial government for

9592-402: The stadium floor remained closed from December to March. Birdair, the fabric provider and designer of the roof, was later sued for the roof failure. The installer of the roof, Danny's Construction, having suffered tremendous cost overruns along with its subcontractor Montacier, due to changes in the plans and specifications and delays, was terminated during the construction, and Birdair completed

9701-656: The stadium has been likened to that of the Australian Pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan , although Taillibert had previously explored the concept of an umbrella-style roof for a theatre in Cannes (1964) and Piscine Carnot in Paris (1967). Soon after Montreal was awarded the 1976 Games, Drapeau struck a secret deal with Taillibert to build the stadium. It only came to light in 1972. The Olympic swimming pool

9810-434: The stadium is "unthinkable" and not an option, for multiple reasons: the structure is an icon of Quebec, Montreal's Metro runs directly beneath the stadium, multiple businesses lease space in the office tower, and demolition would cost an estimated $ 2 billion. However, Le Journal de Montréal reported that the number was inflated, and demolition would cost only a small fraction of that amount. In addition, they reported that

9919-449: The stadium opened (in an unfinished form), the total costs had risen to C$ 1.1 billion. The Quebec government introduced a special tobacco tax in May 1976 to help recoup its investment. By 2006, the amount contributed to the stadium's owner, the Olympic Installations Board (OIB) ( fr : Régie des Installations Olympiques), accounted for 8% of the tax revenue earned from cigarette sales. The 1976 special tobacco tax act stipulated that once

10028-475: The stadium received approval to remain open in the winter, provided weather conditions are favourable. However, the Olympic Installations Board issued a report stating that the roof was unsafe during heavy rainfall or more than 8 centimetres (3.1 in) of snow, and that it rips 50 to 60 times a year. The city fire department warned in August 2009 that without corrective measures, including a new roof, it may order

10137-403: The stadium replaced Jarry Park Stadium as the home ballpark of the National League 's Montreal Expos . As a part of the team's franchise grant, a domed stadium was supposed to be in place for the 1972 baseball season. However, due to the delays in constructing Olympic Stadium, until 1977, the Expos annually sought and received a waiver to remain at Jarry. As late as January 1977, it was thought

10246-728: The stadium was paid off, ownership of the facility would be returned to the City of Montreal. In mid-November 2006, the stadium's costs were finally paid in full, more than 30 years after it opened. The total expenditure (including repairs, renovations, construction, interest , and inflation) amounted to C$ 1.61 billion, making it—at the time all costs were paid off—the second most expensive stadium built (after Wembley Stadium in London). Despite initial plans to complete payment in October 2006, an indoor smoking ban introduced in May 2006 curtailed

10355-486: The stadium's history of numerous structural and financial problems has largely branded it a white elephant . Incorporated into the north base of the stadium, inclined at 45°, and not completed until a full decade after the stadium's opening, is the Montreal Tower . At 165 metres (541 ft) it is the world's tallest inclined tower . The stadium and Olympic Park grounds border Maisonneuve Park , which includes

10464-435: The stadium's unusual design and Taillibert's unwillingness to back down from his original vision of the stadium even in the face of escalating costs for raw materials. It did not help that the original project manager, Trudeau et Associés, seemed to be incapable of handling some of the most basic construction tasks. In 1974, the Quebec provincial government lost patience with the delays and cost overruns and fired Taillibert from

10573-494: The stands of the South End Grounds started a fire. The blaze quickly got out of hand and swept through downtown Boston, destroying or damaging 100 buildings. Team owners argued with each other, and players hated the NL's $ 2,400 salary cap. Many teams also ran into trouble with city governments that forbade recreational activities on Sunday . Billy Sunday , a prominent outfielder in the 1880s, became so disgusted with

10682-661: The state capital of Albany, New York ), Worcester ( Massachusetts ), Boston , and Providence . In 1883, new New York and Philadelphia clubs began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city and the New York franchise (later named Giants) now in San Francisco since 1958. The NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the American Association began play in 1882. The AA played in cities where

10791-580: The struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight charter members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain still in operation today as the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs . When all eight participants for 1881 returned for 1882—the first off-season without turnover in membership—the "circuit" consisted of a zig-zag line connecting the eight cities: Chicago , Detroit , Cleveland , Buffalo , Troy (near

10900-411: The team jumping equestrian events. The building's design is cited as a masterpiece of Organic Modern architecture. Taillibert based the building on plant and animal forms, aiming to include vertebral structures with sinews or tentacles, while still following the basic plans of Modern architecture . The stadium was originally slated to be finished in 1972, but the grand opening was cancelled due to

11009-417: The use of the designated hitter in all games, and expanded rosters. The National League reverted to its old batting rules during the 2021 season , but starting with the 2022 season , they permanently adopted the designated hitter rule after a new CBA was ratified. For the first 96 years of its coexistence with the American League, National League teams faced their AL counterparts only in exhibition games,

11118-454: The venue in winter to when there are three or fewer centimetres of snow on the roof. In 2015, a new high definition scoreboard was installed, replacing the aging two-panel display dating back to the stadium's renovations in 1992. In November 2017, the Quebec government approved a new roof, estimated to cost $ 250 million. The new roof was then planned to be removable, allowing the stadium to either be open-air or enclosed, consistent with

11227-458: Was disputed by some, such as former Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland , who claimed that the American League is more difficult because AL managers are required to know exactly when to pull a pitcher, whereas an NL manager merely pulls his pitcher when that spot comes up in the batting order. Overall, there were fewer home runs and runs scored in the National League than in the American, due to

11336-546: Was established with eight charter members, as follows: The National League's formation meant the end of the old National Association after only five seasons, as its remaining clubs shut down or reverted to amateur or minor league status. The only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the White Stockings or later Phillies . The first game in National League history

11445-474: Was in trouble. Conduct among players was poor, and fistfights were a common sight at games. In addition to fighting each other, they fought with the umpires and often filled the air at games with foul language and obscenities. A game between the Orioles and Boston Beaneaters (a precursor to today's Atlanta Braves) in 1894 ended up having tragic consequences when players became engaged in a brawl and several boys in

11554-498: Was inconvenient to them. William A. Hulbert (1832–1882), a Chicago businessman and an officer of the Chicago White Stockings of 1870–1889, approached several NA clubs with the plans for a professional league for the sport of baseball with a stronger central authority and exclusive territories in larger cities only. Additionally, Hulbert had a problem: five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from

11663-690: Was played on April 22, 1876, at Philadelphia 's Jefferson Street Grounds , at 25th & Jefferson Streets, between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston baseball club. Boston won the game 6–5. The new league's authority was soon tested after the first season. The Athletic and Mutual clubs fell behind in the standings and refused to make western road trips late in the season, preferring to play games against local non-league competition to recoup some of their financial losses rather than travel extensively incurring more costs. Hulbert reacted to

11772-418: Was removed to make room for a larger scoreboard with replay capability. That scoreboard was installed ahead of the 1992 season . Also ahead of the 1992 season, the running track was removed, home plate was moved closer to the stands and new seats closer to the field were installed. Several distant sections of permanent seating beyond the outfield fence were closed, replaced with bleacher seats directly behind

11881-542: Was set back even further than comparable seats at American multipurpose stadiums. The upper deck was one of the highest in the majors; as was the case with most of its multipurpose counterparts, most of the upper-deck seats, particularly those in the outfield, were too far away to be of any use during the regular season. The Expos were not consulted on the stadium's location, design, or construction even though they were slated to be its primary tenants. Nonetheless, for most of their tenure they put considerable effort into making

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