MONTREAL, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The Montreal Expos announced Friday they have signed a one-year lease to remain in Olympic Stadium, the place they have called home since 1977.
It remains to be seen if the Expos will be playing at all next season, or any other, with contraction still a possibility.
On Nov. 6, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said two teams would be contracted before 2002. Montreal -- among the bottom teams in terms of revenue last season -- is a strong contender.
The Expos have requested that the 13-year-old artificial turf at Olympic stadium be replaced with a softer carpet, but they did not address the status of the new playing surface.
Attendance has been a bigger factor for Montreal, which averaged only 7,935 fans for 81 home games last season. The stadium, which was built for the 1976 Winter Olympics, holds 46,620.
