Chicago Cubs open the major league season at the Tokyo Dome by defeating the New York Mets, 5 – 3

ByThis Day in Baseball

2000 – In Japan, the Chicago Cubs open the major league season at the Tokyo Dome by defeating the New York Mets, 5 – 3, in the first major league opening day ever played outside of the United States, Canada or Mexico. Jon Lieber gets the victory and Mike Hampton takes the loss. Shane Andrews, Mark Grace and Mike Piazza hit home runs in the game.

Expos and Labatt announce the C$100M sponsorship deal

ByTom

The Expos and Labatt announce the C$100M sponsorship deal, negotiated two years ago, will go forward as planned. The Brewery has committed to pay C$40M over the next twenty years for the naming rights to Montreal’s proposed downtown ballpark, and approximately another C$60M to be the team’s main sponsor, a role the company has played for the past 15 years.