[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 305 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 305

 Expressing the sense of Congress that Major League Baseball officials 
should select Monterrey, Mexico, to host 25 percent of the total number 
  of Montreal Expos games in the 2004 season as a gesture of goodwill 
                 between the United States and Mexico.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2003

  Mr. Filner submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that Major League Baseball officials 
should select Monterrey, Mexico, to host 25 percent of the total number 
  of Montreal Expos games in the 2004 season as a gesture of goodwill 
                 between the United States and Mexico.

Whereas the Montreal Expos were bought by the other 29 Major League Baseball 
        franchises between the 2001 and 2002 seasons;
Whereas to increase revenue, Major League Baseball officials decided to relocate 
        22 Montreal Expos' home games in the 2003 season to San Juan, Puerto 
        Rico, where the Expos drew an average attendance of 14,222, compared to 
        an average attendance of 12,081 in Montreal in the 2003 season;
Whereas Monterrey, Mexico, is a metropolitan area with a population of about 3.8 
        million people, is located approximately 130 miles south of Laredo, 
        Texas, and is one of the safest cities in Latin America;
Whereas in 1999 the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies played the major 
        league season opener before a sellout crowd of 27,104 in Monterrey, and 
        in 1996 the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets played a 3-game 
        series in Monterrey;
Whereas Monterrey is the longtime home of the Monterrey Sultans of the Mexican 
        League, and their stadium, Estadio Monterrey, is a ballpark that could 
        be expanded to more than 30,000 seats;
Whereas Monterrey Industrial Little League has won 2 Little League World Series 
        Championships, and Monterrey is home to 1,500 Dallas Cowboys season 
        ticket holders and therefore Monterrey has a strong sports history;
Whereas Major League Baseball officials have spent many months discussing a 
        long-term site for the Montreal Expos franchise, and despite their 
        intention to choose a location by the end of the regular season, no 
        long-term site has yet been selected for the 2004 season; and
Whereas a commitment from Major League Baseball officials to play 25 percent of 
        the total number of Montreal Expos' home games in the 2004 season in 
        Mexico would be a gesture of friendship and goodwill between our 
        countries and cultures, like that shared with our other neighbor, 
        Canada: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Resolution may be cited as the ```If You Build It They Will 
Come' Baseball Friendship Resolution''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress Major League Baseball officials should 
select Monterrey, Mexico, to host 25 percent of the total number of the 
Montreal Expos' home games in the 2004 season as a show of goodwill 
between the United States and Mexico.
                                 <all>