Itching to play ball

His career has taken him from the classrooms of Boston University to the front offices of the Red Sox and Atlanta Braves, to the chairmanship of a major real estate development firm.

You might think John Alevizos is ready for a break.

Hardly.

The 84-year-old Weston resident is taking on his latest business venture. He is undaunted, but it may prove to be one of his most challenging yet: proposing to buy the Montreal Expos, move them to Connecticut, and rename them the Colonials.

His chances are unclear, but a successful bid would allow him to return formally to a sport where he spent time as a player, consultant, and general manager.

''I've always had a hankering to get back in," he said during a recent interview at his home.

But as with true baseball fans everywhere, who are celebrating the opening of the 2004 season, it's probably the case that he never really left.

''I just love it, that's all," he said.

Alevizos, the son of Greek immigrants, was born in Boston and grew up within walking distance of Fenway Park, and said he was often allowed to catch batting practice for visiting major league teams. Occasionally, he even took some swings, and said he even played briefly as a catcher and third baseman in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

After living in Newton for almost 60 years, Alevizos and his wife now live in a sprawling home in the southeast corner of Weston. His home office is neatly decked with memorabilia, including baseballs signed by Mickey Mantle and Carl Yastrzemski. News of his interest in heading a group of investors to buy the Expos emerged last month.

Schooled in marketing and demographics, Alevizos believes there are enough people in central Connecticut to support a new franchise. He has sent faxes to executives of the Red Sox and the New York Yankees to rebut their concerns that the team would infringe on fan attendance or broadcasting rights.

Alevizos isn't saying specifically where he would build a stadium -- an endeavor he put at $300 million -- but said he is considering several sites near major highways and does not expect to need state funding. He also will not say how much he has offered for the team, only that it is ''appreciably" more than the $125 million Major League Baseball paid to purchase the Expos in 2002. Nor would he give details on how much of his own money he is putting up.

He began working for the Red Sox in the early 1970s, after 20 years as a professor of marketing research at Boston University. Later, Alevizos helped Toronto land an expansion team and briefly served as general manager of the Atlanta Braves in 1976.

His friends, like former pitcher and Red Sox legend Luis Tiant, say Alevizos's business knowledge and passion for baseball would make him a strong team owner.

''That's the kind of people we need in the game -- people who love baseball," Tiant said by phone from spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.

Tiant met Alevizos when both worked for the Red Sox. Tiant, who lives in Southborough and now is a Spanish-radio broadcaster of Red Sox games, said the two have kept in touch over the years, often meeting in Florida during spring training. He described Alevizos, who lives with his wife, Koula, and has three grown children and seven grandchildren, as a ''family man."

Alevizos's son, Robert, who pitched for the Chicago Cubs minor league system, said baseball has ''been a part of our family forever." He remembers legendary Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky hitting him ground balls during spring training. His father's creativity and tenacity, he said, have been the building blocks for his success.

''He's a very competitive man," Robert Alevizos said. ''I believe it emanates from his sports background."

John Alevizos said his experience as an owner of the minor league Manchester (N.H.) Yankees attracted the attention of the Red Sox. As a Red Sox executive, he oversaw work on Fenway Park and frequently interacted with Sox owner Tom Yawkey, whom he described as a ''very, very dedicated baseball person." Even as a vice president, Alevizos said, he preferred watching from the bleachers.

Although Alevizos does not go to Fenway as often as he would like, he is especially impressed with the new open-air concessions concourse that has been installed behind right field.

''I'm very disappointed I didn't think of that," he said.

Dick Bresciani, a current Red Sox vice president, said Alevizos helped the Red Sox develop a spring training camp in Winter Haven, Fla.

''He was a friendly guy to me," Bresciani recalled.

The Expos, a franchise that has struggled to attract fans, have long been a target for relocation or dismantling. According to published reports, baseball officials are considering proposals to move the Expos to Virginia, Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., Mexico, Puerto Rico, San Antonio, and Las Vegas. Through a spokesman, Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago White Sox and chairs the Expos relocation committee, would not confirm or deny that the committee had received Alevizos's proposal.

A spokesman for Major League Baseball, Rich Levin, declined to comment on specific proposals, but he said the league hopes to make a decision this season. Although league officials will not comment, Alevizos believes his Connecticut plan will receive due consideration.

Cary Tarpinian, a longtime friend and vice president at Newton-based Saracen Development, acknowledged that competition from the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees might be a hurdle, but said he thought the plan was a ''great idea."

''John's got the time and he knows everybody in baseball," Tarpinian said. ''I don't count him out."

But Andrew Zimbalist, a professor at Smith College and an expert on sports economics, believes Alevizos's plan could be a long shot. He wasn't familiar with all of the details, but Zimbalist said he believes the group does not have a solid stadium plan and might have difficulty getting the blessing of New York and Boston. ''It would diminish the large market advantage that the New York teams and the Red Sox have," he said.

Alevizos has a home in Jupiter, Fla., the former home of the Expos spring training facility. He estimates that he attends as many as 40 spring training games a year, and is confident in the strength of the Expos' current roster, citing players like Peter Bergeron and Tony Armas.

He also respects manager Frank Robinson and general manager Omar Minaya, who would likely be pleased to hear that, as owner, Alevizos would want to increase the team's payroll by as much as $50 million.

If his Expos plan falls through, Alevizos has responsibilities in local government, serving on Weston's traffic advisory committee. Traffic has become an issue in his neighborhood, he said, because drivers often use local roads as shortcuts to nearby highways. The committee is talking about stop signs or speed bumps.

And regardless of whether the Colonials come to be, Alevizos maintains a sentimental allegiance to the Red Sox. He does not foresee his loyalty to Boston weakening.

What about a Red Sox-Colonials World Series? ''That would be terrific, wouldn't it?" he said.

Emily Shartin can be reached at eshartin@globe.com.