Memorable Moments at Olympic Stadium All Star Game Site: 1982  Tim Raines record 71 stolen records as a rookie in 1981. Tony Gwynn's 3,000 hit on August 6, 1999. Pete Rose's 4,000 hit on April 13, 1984. Vladamir Guerrero's 31 game hitting streak in 1999. OLYMPIC STADIUM 4549 av. Pierre de Coubertin Montreal, PQ, H1V 3N7, Canada

 

   Since it opened in 1977 as a baseball stadium, Olympic Stadium has become one of the worst stadiums in the sport.  The Montreal Expos began playing in Jarry Park in 1969. The team hoped to be playing in a new domed stadium by 1972. But they had to play five more years in Jarry Park. With Montreal hosting the 1976 Olympics, a new stadium would have to be constructed. The new stadium was named Olympic Stadium and became the first to have a retractable roof. But because of construction delays, Olympic Stadium opened unfinished for the Olympics. The retractable roof was unfinished because a 522 foot tower next to the stadium was only about a quarter of its planned height. The retractable fabric roof, which was to be suspended from the tower by cables, also was not in place. But the field, working spaces, and spectator areas were complete at the stadium allowing the Olympics to take place at the stadium.

The Expos moved into Olympic Stadium on April 15, 1977. Over 57,592 fans filled the stadium to see the Expos on opening day. Without the retractable roof, an opening smaller than the playing field was present from 1977 to 1986. Finally, in 1988 the tower was completed and the roof was added. But their were many problems with it. Hoisted by 26 steel cables, the enormous fabric roof was supposed to fold into the adjacent leaning tower, much like a giant umbrella, but it did not. The Kevlar membrane roof cost $700,000 in annual upkeep. The roof was orange inside and took 45 minutes to open. The roof remained closed until 1997, when it was removed. The Expos played the 1998 season without a roof until 1999 when a new one was installed. It however, was not retractable. In 1991, the stadium was remodeled. The seating capacity was reduced to 46,500 and the installation of new modern scoreboards and new retractable stands were added so football could be played. The Expos are currently trying to have a new ballpark built in downtown Montreal. Whether a new ballpark will be constructed is unknown.

          
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Name: Olympic Stadium 
Location: Montreal, Canada
Tenants: Montreal Expos (MLB), Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
Capacity: 46,500 (MLB), 56,245 (CFL)
Surface:  Astroturf 
Construction Began: 1974
Opened: April 15, 1977 (MLB)
Cost: $500 Million
Architect: Roger Taillibert
Dimensions: 325-L, 375-LC, 404-C, 375-RC, 325-R
Seating Chart

Ballpark Photos

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