Official: Expos to Washington

[Clockwork Orange]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1890915

WASHINGTON -- Major League Baseball will announce Wednesday that Washington will be the new home of the Montreal Expos, bringing the national pastime back to the nation's capital for the first time in 33 years, The Associated Press has learned.


A city official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington has been notified by Major League Baseball of the impending announcement.


The city is planning its own news conference at a downtown location Wednesday afternoon, the official said.


The announcement will come one day before the 33rd anniversary of the Washington Senators' final game. The Senators moved to Texas after the 1971 season, which was also the last time a major league team changed cities.


Baseball has been looking for a new home for the Expos since the financially troubled team was bought by the other 29 major league owners in 2002. The Washington official said the bidding group had been told that baseball had reached an understanding with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who had previously objected to having a team relocate just 40 miles from his franchise.


Las Vegas; Norfolk, Va.; Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Ore.; and Northern Virginia also made bids, but Washington clearly took the lead during negotiations over recent weeks, strengthened by its wealthy population base and a financial package that would build a new stadium primarily with taxpayers' money.


The negotiations have produced a 30-page document that would conditionally award the Expos to Washington, pending approval by the City Council. The document had not yet been signed as of Tuesday night, the city source told the AP.


Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, reached at his Milwaukee home, declined comment.


Plans call for a $440 million package that would include a new ballpark to be built along the Anacostia River about a dozen blocks south of the Capitol. The package also includes a $13 million refurbishment of RFK Stadium, where the team would play for three seasons while the new facility is being built.


Washington needed an answer from Major League Baseball this week because the ballpark legislation had to be introduced by Friday in order for it to be passed by Dec. 31, when terms expire for several pro-baseball City Council members.


The move must be approved by three-quarters of major league owners and survive legal challenges by the Expos' former limited partners.


After the announcement, the process of selling the Expos will start. A group that includes former Rangers partner Fred Malek has been seeking a Washington franchise for five years. In addition, several baseball officials have said in the past week that Stan Kasten, former president of the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Thrashers, might be trying to assemble a group.


The original Senators played in Washington from 1901-60 before moving to Minnesota to become the Twins. The expansion Senators played called Washington home from 1961-71 before moving to Texas.


In the Senators' last game, on Sept. 30, 1971, they led the New York Yankees 7-5 with two outs in the ninth inning when fans seeking souvenirs went on the RFK Stadium field, which could not be cleared. The Yankees wound up winning the game in a forfeit.


The Rangers retain ownership of the name "Washington Senators," baseball spokesman Carmine Tiso said after consulting with Ethan Orlinsky, a lawyer for Major League Baseball Properties, the sport's licensing division.


Montreal's last home game is scheduled for Wednesday night against Florida. Monday's series opener drew a crowd of 3,923 to Olympic Stadium.

[Breck Bronc]

Montreal deserved better than they've been treated for a long time now. The American media always makes fun of the small crowds they get at the Big Owe but there were so many factors involved that the joke should be on the American media.

I hope not one person shows up at Olympic Stadium tomorrow night for the Expos last game ever in Montreal.

Bud Selig and his cronies should be ashamed.

[Hogan11]

You wanna reaction? I'll give you one...picture the Broncos leaving for another city after supporting them for 35 years plus and see how you would feel.

Most people won't care about this.....but put yourself in that position and think about what you would feel.

I love baseball and this has been really hard for me...I'm really trying to adopt another team.....but it's not as easy as that, even if you visit that city and attend games there year in and year out. The team you support is the only team you support...until death do you part..........and this is death if'n there ever was one.

The people of Montreal are great people....they know their baseball and they've always treated me very, very well when I was there. They deserve much better than this.

A pox upon all the "MTL doesn't deserve baseball" bullshat, jaded hack collumnists, upon Bud Selig, Jeffrey Loria and upon Washington DC...a city that defines the term "vulture"...may they never have the satisfaction of a championship or a winning season...and may they come to eventually lose the team like they did the Twins and the Rangers....if I sound bitter it's beacuse I am.........**** them all!

The curse of Hogan is upon you......may you choke on it.

[Boogerboots]

The Ottawa media is all over this. Well since we don't have hockey right now there's not much else to talk about.

Most Expo fans felt they got jobed in '94 when the season was lost and the Expos were the #1 team in the league. I know that argument has been overdone but for a franchise that had the limited success as the Expos did, it's a backbreaker for many fans, they blamed the league.

The municipal and provincial govt's didn't help much either. Most politicos were concerned with the hightened concerns of seperation rather than sports. The NHL Nordiques left for Colorado without much of a fight. The only reason why the Expos stayed this long was because nobody was willing to buy into them. Had the provincial govt footed some cash for a new "retro" style stadium, they might be still around. but it never happened.

Funny how the MLB let the last game in Montreal to be versus the dreaded former owner, Jeffory Lauria and his Fish from Miami. That man personally put the last few nails into the coffin of this franchise. Also the MLB system in general is to blame where it allows teams like the Bo Sox and the Bankee$ to buy their teams while 2/3 of the league are counted out of contention on day 1. So many talented players left the Expos because they just couldn't afford them. Here's the Expos roster from 1994. You had Pedro pitching, Walker, Grissom and Alou in the outfield and a pretty good infield with Wil Corderro and Mike Lansing among others. All gone.

With the league setup as it is and with no new stadium, the Expos died a slow death. I'll remember the Expos as they were in the 80's with Gary Carter, The Hawk, Warren Cromartie and Tim Wallach. That was when the game was about what happened on the field.

[-Slap-]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

You wanna reaction? I'll give you one...picture the Broncos leaving for another city after supporting them for 35 years plus and see how you would feel.

Most people won't care about this.....but put yourself in that position and think about what you would feel.

I love baseball and this has been really hard for me...I'm really trying to adopt another team.....but it's not as easy as that, even if you visit that city and attend games there year in and year out. The team you support is the only team you support...until death do you part..........and this is death if'n there ever was one.

The people of Montreal are great people....they know their baseball and they've always treated me very, very well when I was there. They deserve much better than this.

A pox upon all the "MTL doesn't deserve baseball" bullshat, jaded hack collumnists, upon Bud Selig, Jeffrey Loria and upon Washington DC...a city that defines the term "vulture"...may they never have the satisfaction of a championship or a winning season...and may they come to eventually lose the team like they did the Twins and the Rangers....if I sound bitter it's beacuse I am.........**** them all!

The curse of Hogan is upon you......may you choke on it.

My heartfelt condolences, Hogan. I suggest they call the new franchise the Washington Bush Leaguers, because baseball's treatment of the proud Montreal franchise was bush league from start to finish.

Montreal's baseball history is a rich one. Below are a couple photos of the Montreal Royals' starting second baseman in 1946.

[-Slap-]

Originally Posted by Boogerboots

With the league setup as it is and with no new stadium, the Expos died a slow death. I'll remember the Expos as they were in the 80's with Gary Carter, The Hawk, Warren Cromartie and Tim Wallach. That was when the game was about what happened on the field.

Don't forget Andre "Hawk" Dawson's best friend, Tim "Rock" Raines.

[Jori]

When I went to Montreal last summer, I made sure I took in a game at Olympic Stadium. I had a feeling it would be my last opportunity to see them. The crowd was small and the Expos lost to the Phillies, but I wanted to know how my grandparents felt as they attended so many games. They were huge Expos fans and I know how much the 94 strike hurt them and many others badly. It's the same feeling you get when you walk the streets of Quebec City and think about the Nordiques. MLB has done this city a great disservice.

[Hogan11]

Au Revoir of the Year
So long. Farewell. Au revoir.


We all know the Montreal Expos needed to be put out of their misery. Nobody disputes that -- except for maybe their remaining 57 season-ticket holders. But that doesn't mean we can't have our memories:



It doesn't appear Youppi! will make the trek to D.C.


THE RAIN DELAY -- After sitting in a warehouse in France for 16 years, the Expos finally installed their (ahem) "retractable" roof atop Stade Olympique in April, 1987. And it sure did work great -- for one day. Unfortunately, on the second day, it got stuck in the upright and locked position, resulting in a 1-hour, 57-minute rain delay inside a domed stadium. Which inspired the great Richard Griffin, then the Expos' resident public-relations comic genius, to list starting pitcher Bryn Smith's five favorite rain songs on the next day's press notes. OK, here they are: "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," "Singin' in the Rain," "Purple Rain," "Rainy Day People" and "McArthur Park."


THE SEAL DELAY -- But that stuck-roof delay might not even have been the most inventive reason for a delay in Stade Olympique history. An even better one, according to Griffin, occurred in 1985, when a bunch of slithering seals in a pregame circus show were having so much fun sliding around on the wet tarp, it caused a 20-minute seal delay before they could be rounded up.


THE HIDDEN TEAM TRICK -- One little-known fact about Stade Olympique is that it ran a mere 1 billion dollars over budget (costing $1.1 billion Canadian instead of $120 million). So the least it could have done for that $1.1 billion was stay in one piece. Uh, nope. In 1991, a 55-ton slab of concrete escaped its seemingly secure cell on the side of the trusty Stade -- causing the closing of the stadium and launching the Expos on a fun little 28-days, 26-game, 14-city, 6,526-mile road trip. Mysteriously, the Expos ignored Griffin's suggestion for the perfect Stade Olympique promotion: Miner's Hat Day.


THE HIDDEN FLY-BALL TRICK -- It was in July, 1998 that veteran pitcher Mark Portugal slammed a long fly ball to left field that suddenly, well, disappeared. At least temporarily. Then everyone noticed the ball had creatively smacked into the fence -- and simply stuck there, like a wad of bubble gum. Turned out it had wedged into a seam in the padding, for an only-in-Stade-Olympique ground-rule double. "He's a man of many talents," teammate Mark Parent said of Portugal. "He's a very sticky guy."


THE EXPLODING HEAT PACK -- Back in the pre-roof era, there was no colder place south of the Arctic Circle than Stade Olympique. It was so cold, longtime reliever Kent Tekulve once told us, that "I used to go back in the clubhouse and jump in the sauna -- in full uniform, with my jacket on -- between innings." Normally, though, Tekulve just used to stash one of those chemical heat packs in his back pocket. But one night, something unfathomable happened: Tekulve had to bat -- and, miraculously, reached base. Whereupon he had to slide into second. And his heat pack exploded, all over him. So he pitched the ninth, entombed in heat-pack juice. "It wasn't that I left the pack in there because I forgot," Tekulve said. "'I just didn't expect to get on base."


THE BLIZZARD -- On April 20, 1981, the Hit King, Pete Rose -- unaware he would one day be the subject of a major ESPN motion picture -- walked to the plate in Montreal during a real, live snow storm. He then slushed a single up the middle, turned to umpire Bruce Froemming and asked for the ball. When Froemming looked at him funny, Rose replied: "Bruce, I've got almost 3,600 hits in my career. But I ain't ever got one in the snow. So I'd like to keep the ball."


THE CHICKENS (PART ONE) -- There was no greater scoreboard feature in any ballpark ever constructed than the Stade Olympique chicken show. Any time an Expo reached first base and the opposing pitcher made a pickoff throw to first, they slapped an animated chicken on the video board. Two throws meant two chickens. Three meant three chickens. And, well, you get the idea. So one night, during a Pirates-Expos game, Pirates pitcher Bob Walk fired a surprise throw to first -- even though no pickoff attempt had been signaled by micromanager Jim Leyland. Up went a chicken. Walk then made another throw. And another. And another. At that point, a fuming Leyland sent pitching coach Ray Miller out to ask what the heck Walk was doing. A moment later, Miller burst into laughter on the mound, then returned to the dugout and reported to Leyland: "He said the record for chickens is six. He's just trying to get seven."


THE CHICKENS (PART TWO) -- But alas, a couple of years later, Walk's chicken record was blown away -- by the all-time pickoff-attempt king, Astros pitcher Jim Deshaies. Deshaies put so many chickens on that board, he couldn't count them all. So all he knows now is that his record was "at least 11." It took some major persistence to accumulate that much poultry. But "once they started hanging chickens," he reminisced, "I said, 'If you want to hang chickens, then by golly, we're going to hang some chickens.' " And now, thanks to the demise of both that scoreboard and the Expos, we know that no one will ever break that chicken record, including Colonel Sanders.


THE METRICS -- Another enjoyable aspect of Stade Olympique's cosmopolitan flair was that the distances listed on the outfield fences weren't measured in feet. This was Canada. So feet were out, and the always-confusing metric system was in. This, obviously, was a linear and lingual disaster waiting to happen. And the perfect guy to get entangled in that metric mess was -- who else? -- longtime Mets malapropper Ralph Kiner. Who told his listeners one fateful evening in 1996: "Down the left-field and right-field lines, it's 99 liters." Yeah, give or take a few quarts.


THE YOUPPSTER -- Maybe to some people, Vladimir Guerrero or Gary Carter were the face of baseball in Montreal. But to those who really understood its essence, there was only one symbol of the Expos' unique ambiance. That, of course, was their beloved mascot, Youppi! We once said that watching Youppi! motor across the dugout roof and slide into his own home plate was like watching Olivier perform Shakespeare. And we're sticking with that appraisal of his mascot artistry to this day.


But knowing that this moment, the end of the Youppi! era, was approaching, we spent the last few years asking some of our favorite humorists to sum up their own feelings about Youppi!



"When he used to bring his big 50-gallon barrel out and pretend he was playing the drums," Deshaies reminisced, "I mean, I could see that 100 times and still double over. ... See, I always took kind of the car-wreck mentality toward Youppi. It was like, 'It was so bad, it was great.' Know what I mean? So everyone else would be saying, 'Here comes that bleeping guy.' And I was, 'Great. Here comes Youppi!' "



"I still don't know what he is," Rich Donnelly said. "Most mascots, you know they're a bobcat or a bear or a bird. But you can't go to a zoo and say, 'Show me your Youppi!' I just don't know who drew him up. You know those paintings where you take an elephant and give him some paint and he splashes it all over a canvas with his tusk? To me, that's Youppi!"



What, exactly, is a Youppi!? "Let's see," Doug Glanville said. "You-pee. It's like U of P. I think it's a Penn thing. He had a quiet wisdom, so you think of the University of Pennsylvania. I think he might have been on some sort of spy mission in Canada. His grant probably ran out. They had to call him back. I wish him well."


And now, all of us wish him well. We don't know what it is to cover baseball in a world without Youppi! So we hope he can latch on with some independent team somewhere. Because without him, the baseball universe will never be quite the same.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

Not everyone in DC is happy with the move.

http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20041...3832-8311r.htm

Gay leaders to fight proposed ballpark


By S.A. Miller
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Leaders of the District's homosexual community say they will use their political clout to save a homosexual nightclub mecca that is likely to be razed to make room for a Major League Baseball stadium in Southeast.
Bob Siegel, landlord of several of the neighborhood's homosexual strip bars and adult theaters, said Mayor Anthony A. Williams and the D.C. Council cannot continue to ignore the displacement of the homosexual entertainment district.
"The most gay commercial strip in D.C. is going to be wiped out, and [Mr. Williams] doesn't say anything about that," said Mr. Siegel, who is an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member for the area. "It's like a fly swatter coming down and — boom — we are gone."

D.C. Council member Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat and one of two openly homosexual council members, said he expects political pressure to defend the homosexual club scene. He said he is undecided on the stadium plan and wants to study the details before taking a position.
Council member David A. Catania, at-large independent and the council's other openly homosexual member, has said he opposes public financing of the ballpark. He also said any displaced businesses deserve fair compensation and accommodations from the city.
Frank Kameny, who is considered the father of District's homosexual rights movement in the 1970s, said the homosexual community probably cannot stop the stadium plan but has enough political leverage to win significant concessions from the city.
"Since we moved meaningfully into the political scene and became players in local politics, we achieved a considerable amount of clout and are listened to by the city council," said Mr. Kameny, 79. "We have good friends on the council."
Lenny Davis, manager of Glorious Health & Amusement, an X-rated homosexual movie house and video store, said many of the store's patrons are ready to lobby the council or even demonstrate to defend the Southeast's homosexual entertainment zone.
"The gay community is pretty strong, and if enough people go out to voice [opposition to the stadium plan], I think some consideration will be given," said Mr. Davis, 67. "A lot of money comes into this community from gays."
The administration selected a site near M and South Capitol streets SE for a ballpark for the new team. The location and the city's offer to publicly finance 100 percent of the construction helped persuade baseball officials to move the Expos from Montreal to the nation's capital — a decision announced Wednesday to much fanfare.
The mayor Friday introduced legislation to the D.C. Council that would give him authority to acquire the ballpark property through condemnation and finance the project with up to $500 million in bond issues.
The city set aside $65 million to buy the land, a sum far higher than its assessed value. But some property owners, including those of homosexual nightclubs, may dig in their heels and force the city to use eminent domain.
The $435.2 million stadium would replace about 60 properties in what is now largely a warehouse district in Southeast, including homosexual strip bars, dance clubs, adult theaters and bookstores lining O and Half streets.
The displaced businesses would include Glorious Health & Amusement, the female impersonator revue at Ziegfields, the nude stage show at the Follies and bars featuring nude male dancers, such as Wet, Secrets and La Cage Aux Follies, which is under renovation.
Homosexual night life has been a fixture of the neighborhood for more than 30 years.
"OK wouldn't be the right way to describe the neighborhood but neither would troubled," said Metropolitan Police Sgt. Brett Parson, supervisor of the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, which is staffed by openly homosexual members. "To compare it to other parts of the city, it is no worse."
Sgt. Parson said the area is surrounded by low-income housing and has a lot of daytime commercial traffic.
"But at night," he said, "it becomes almost exclusively a gathering place for gay, lesbian and transgender entertainment."
Mr. Siegel and other homosexual business leaders are clamoring for a meeting with the mayor and council members to strike a deal. They either want a new enterprise zone for homosexual clubs or a guarantee that their strip-bar licenses can transfer to suitable locations.
Otherwise, some will refuse to move, Mr. Siegel said.
The District's zoning and liquor laws restrict where strip clubs can relocate, and community opposition could derail moves by homosexual bars, dance clubs and theaters.
"We do have a concern that the NIMBYs and the puritans who routinely object to other people being able to choose adult entertainment will make it difficult for those businesses, if displaced, to find a new location," said Richard J. Rosendall, vice president for political affairs for the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Williams said he was aware of the predicament facing the homosexual entertainment businesses and will work with them to find a resolution.
"I want to be very, very prudent in how we approach it," he said. "We don't take lightly the displacement of any business, regardless of what it is about. We want to be very serious about this."
•Judith Person contributed to this report.

[Hogan11]

By David Schoenfield
Page 2

I've been to one Expos game. The roof leaked onto the yellow seats in front of us, the crowd was small, an usher booted us when we tried to sit in an empty section near Vladimir Guerrero and the cheese fries were a little soggy.

But I have fond memories of the Expos anyway. I possessed an Expos hat in college. I've played softball in a Guerrero Expos replica jersey. I believe Andre Dawson's MVP season with the Cubs was a sham and his true glory years were played out in Stade Olympique.

And now the Expos will be no longer. Maybe that's a good thing, considering baseball's treatment of the franchise in recent years. But let's mourn the loss of baseball in Montreal with 35 random notes, factoids and memories in honor of their 35 years in the National League:

1. High point in Expos history: Steve Rogers beats the Dodgers 4-1 in Game 3 of the 1981 NLCS to put the Expos one win away from the World Series.

2. Low point in Expos history: Blue Monday. Rogers comes on in relief in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the '81 NLCS with the score tied 1-1. Rick Monday hits a two-out home run that wins the game and series for the Dodgers.


Back in 1983, Gary Carter and the Expos were the toast of Montreal.

3. Or ... September 1991, when a huge cement beam collapsed at Olympic Stadium, forcing the team to play its remaining games on the road.

4. Or ... the 1994 strike. Despite baseball's second-lowest payroll, the Expos had the majors' best record at 74-40 when the strike hit on August 12. Led by Moises Alou, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, Ken Hill, Pedro Martinez and John Wetteland, the Expos had gone 20-3 over their previous 23 games.


Montreal's final home game before the strike drew 39,044 fans.

5. Baseball in Montreal did not die immediately following the fire sale of players in the spring of 1995. The Expos were 10th out of 14 NL teams in attendance in '95 and 11th in '96 (when the team won 88 games and missed the playoffs by 2 games). But owner Claude Brochu and his partners invested nothing in the team and by 2001, attendance had dipped to less than 8,000 per game.

6. In 1983, the Expos finished second in the NL in attendance (2,320,651). The first time the Expos finished last in the NL in attendance was 1991. The year original owner Charles Bronfman sold the Expos to Brochu and his group of investors: 1991.

7. Expos retired numbers: Gary Carter, No. 8; Rusty Staub and Andre Dawson, No. 10. Carter became the first Expos player inducted into the Hall of Fame.

8. Tim Raines. Will he be next? The most underrated player of the '80s, from 1983 to 1987 "Total Baseball" rates Raines as one of the National League's five best players each season.


Dennis Martinez pitches during his perfect game at Dodger Stadium.

9. No-hitters:

Bill Stoneman, April 17, 1969 at Philadelphia
Stoneman, Oct. 2, 1972 vs. New York
Charlie Lea, May 10, 1981 vs. San Francisco
David Palmer, April 21, 1984 at St. Louis (five innings, perfect game)
Pascual Perez, Sept. 24, 1988 at Philadephia (five innings)

Also, Mark Gardner pitched nine no-hit innings against the Dodgers on July 26, 1991 before allowing a hit in the 10th.


10. El Perfecto: Two days after Gardner's game (which he lost), Dennis Martinez beat the Dodgers with a perfect game.

11. Almost perfect: Pedro Martinez pitched nine perfect innings at San Diego on June 3, 1995 before allowing a hit in the 10th.

12. The longest game: 1-0 loss at home to the Dodgers on August 23, 1989. Rick Dempsey homered off Dennis Martinez in the top of the 22nd inning.


13. Vladimir Guerrero. Only eight Expos have ever hit 30 home runs in one season and Guerrero did it five times. Henry Rodriguez, Larry Parrish, Rusty Staub, Carter, Dawson and Tony Batista and Brad Wilkerson (both this season) each did it once.

14. The franchise has had only 20-game winner. Ross Grimsley, who didn't bathe on days he pitched, went 20-11 with a 3.05 ERA in 1978.

15. The franchise did have a Cy Young Award winner, however -- Pedro Martinez in 1997, when he went 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA and 305 strikeouts. He was traded to Boston that offseason.


16. The 1982 All-Star Game at Olympic Stadium featured four Expos in the starting lineup: Rogers, Carter, Dawson and Raines. The National League beat the American League 4-1 behind Dave Concepcion's home run.


The Expos sent five players to the 1982 All-Star Game in Montreal.

17. No Expo won an MVP Award. Gary Carter finished second in the voting in 1980, Andre Dawson finished second in 1981 and 1983, Moises Alou finished third in 1994 and Vladimir Guerrero finished fourth in 2002.

18. Youppi!

19. Jarry Park. The team's original home was supposed to be temporary, but lasted eight seasons, until the team moved into Olympic Stadium in 1977.

20. Pete Rose, wearing on Expos jersey, collected his 4,000th career hit at the team's home opener in 1984.

21. The 1980 pennant race. The Expos and Phillies entered the final weekend tied for first place with a three-game series in Montreal. The Phillies won 2-1 on Friday as Mike Schmidt drove in both runs. The Phillies clinched the next day with a 6-4 win in 11 innings, tying it in the ninth and winning it on Schmidt's two-run homer off Stan Bahnsen in the 11th.

22. Ellis Valentine's legendary arm. Valentine and fellow outfielder Warren Cromartie each had 24 assists in 1978.

23. Best defensive player: Andre Dawson won six Gold Gloves in center field.

24. Best trade in franchise history: Pedro Martinez acquired from Dodgers for Delino DeShields in 1994.

25. Worst trade in franchise history (pre-1995): Ken Singleton and Mike Torrez traded to Baltimore after 1974 season for Dave McNally, Rich Coggins and Bill Kirkpatrick (none lasted even two months with the Expos).


26. Or ... fighting for a playoff spot in 1989, Montreal traded a young left-hander named Randy Johnson to Seattle for Mark Langston. The team collapsed in September and finished 81-81 and Langston left as a free agent.

27. The fire sale. Following the 1994 strike, the Expos lost Larry Walker to free agency and traded away outfielder Marquis Grissom and pitchers Ken Hill and John Wetteland. Conventional wisdom says the Expos never recovered, but that's not exactly true as the '96 Expos nearly made the playoffs.


The Expos are waving goodbye, leaving only the memories.

28. Mr. Expo: Gary Carter. He played 10 seasons with the Expos, making seven All-Star teams and was twice the All-Star Game MVP in an Expos uniform (1981 and 1984).

29. Kid K: Rookie right-hander Bill Gullickson fanned a club-record 18 Cubs at home at on September 10, 1980, a major-league record for rookies until Kerry Wood fanned 20 in 1998. Gullickson spent six solid years with Montreal, although he never became the big strikeout pitcher that game would have indicated.

30. After 10 losing seasons, Montreal final had its first winning season in 1979. The Expos won 23 games in September and finished 95-65, two games behind Pittsburgh, and weren't eliminated until the next-to-last day of the season.

31. Le Grand Orange: Rusty Staub played only three full seasons in Montreal (1969-1971, part of 1979) but was one of most popular Expos in history.

32. Ouch. Ron Hunt set a major-league record in 1971 when he was hit by 50 pitches.

33. Team records. Batting average: Vladimir Guerrero, .345, 2000; home runs: Guerrero, 44, 2000; RBI: Guerrero, 131, 1999; runs scored: Tim Raines, 133, 1983; stolen bases: Ron LeFlore, 97, 1980; wins: Ross Grimsley, 20, 1978; ERA: Pedro Martinez, 1.90, 1997; strikeouts: Martinez, 313, 1997; saves: John Wetteland, 43, 1993.

34. Feats by opposition players: Tony Gwynn collected his 3,000th career hit in Montreal off Dan Smith in 1999; David Cone pitched a perfect game against the Expos in 1999. Darryl Strawberry's mammoth moonshot in the 1988 season opener at Olympic Stadium that ... well, who knows how far it would have gone if didn't hit the roof.

35. Archi Cianfrocco, Rex Hudler, Coco Laboy, Larry Biittner, Milton Bradley, Pepe Frias, F.P. Santangelo, Woodie Fryman, Oil Can Boyd, Andres Galarraga, Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans, Pascual Perez, Carlos Perez, Tony Perez, Rowland Office, John Boccabella, Miguel Dilone, Dave Cash, Ugueth Urbina, Mark Grudzielanek, Felipe Alou, Bill Lee ...

[FADERPROOF]

I feel for you Hogan, never had a team of mine move like this and I hope it never happens, but I've been pretty close to it when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore back in 1995.

I flet my dad's pain then, he was born here in Ohio and grew up a Browns fan, getting to watch Otto Graham and Jim Brown and a young man, seeing them win their final championship in 1964, and going through all the heartbreak of the 80's with the Denver Broncos winning in crazy fashion to deny them a shot at a Super Bowl.

It was devestating to him and to the people here, and I still remember the gloom over this city once the move took place. Hell, as weird as it sounds, a lot of people starteds following the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns most hated rival, because this was now the local team to us. My dad semi-followed the Lions because he was a big Barry Sanders fan plus we have freinds up in Detroit, but it was nothing compared to his like for Browns.

The MLB **** on Montreal from the moment they were around, Chris Berman talked about it last night during the Red Sox-Angels game, mainly how no one knew how good of players Dawson and Vlad were until they played ball in America and how it was unfair in the treatment that the Expos received from the MLB all along.

[Hogan11]

The End of My Expos Era
October 08, 2004

by Tod Hoffman

September 29, 2004—I could rush down to the clubhouse and join the scrum of journalists asking members of the Expos how they feel having just played the last major-league game in Montreal.

But I won’t.

I know what they’ll say. That it’s a shame. That they feel bad for those fans who supported them. That they’ll really miss Montreal. Then they’ll pack their bags and head off to their winter homes. Come April, they’ll be in DC, saying how great it is that baseball’s back in the nation’s capital. That they’re happy for the fans. That they really like Washington.

So, no, I’ll just sit here a moment with my thoughts. Because I’m more an Expo than anybody currently with the team. I’ve been here since 1969. And I’ll still be here come April.

I was in Jonesville, the fabled left-field bleachers at Jarry Park, during April games played in swirling squalls of snow. I grew up idolizing John Bateman and Gary Sutherland and Pepe Mangual, Steve Rogers and Boots Day (if only because of his name). Back then, you didn’t keep track of the wins and losses. You simply cherished every visit to the ballpark.


I was in a downtown brasserie in 1981 when they faced off against the Dodgers in their only post-season appearance. I was devastated when Monday smashed the most notorious home run in Expos history, eliminating them from World Series contention.

Along with all Montrealers, I got impatient with the team in the late 1970s, when they failed year upon year to play even .500 baseball. In 1979, I was rewarded for my loyalty when the club won ninety-five games—more than they would ever win again—and finished in second place.

I was in a downtown brasserie in 1981 when they faced off against the Dodgers in their only post-season appearance. When Rick Monday came to the plate, and manager Jim Fanning brought starter Steve Rogers in to relieve, I cheered Fanning’s logic. Yes, bring in your best for the most crucial situation. I was devastated when Monday smashed the most notorious home run in Expos history, eliminating them from World Series contention.

I was in the upper deck of the Olympic Stadium in 1982 for the one and only time the All-Star Game was played there.

I kept thinking the strike of 1994 would be settled before it was too late. Baseball wouldn’t allow the World Series to be cancelled. Not when Montreal held the best record in the majors. Not when the franchise had finally assembled a remarkable collection of young stars who could bring home a championship. But it did.

I didn’t desert my team as player after player fled for more money and better futures. I ignored the yearly rumours predicting the team’s departure. I endured the humiliation of listening to home games broadcast out of Puerto Rico.

But tonight, the end is official. It must be, because 31,395 people have packed the Stadium. They aren’t here to watch an Expos–Marlins game. They’re here for the sense of occasion. Had the team’s marketing people succeeded in creating this atmosphere on a more regular basis, we surely wouldn’t all be here tonight.


When the game was over, every player returned to the field to accept the cheers of the crowd and to toss balls into the stands.Nobody wanted to leave. For the first time in many years, people wanted major league baseball in Montreal. Too late.

The contest was decided early on. Florida established a 4-0 lead in the second inning, and the demoralized Expos are not the sort of team you look to for stunning come-from-behind rallies. By the fifth, it was 9-1 for the Marlins. Carl Pavano, a prospect Montreal acquired from Boston for Cy Young Award–winner Pedro Martinez, is finally exhibiting the talent that once made him a hot commodity. But he’s doing it for Florida, racking up his eighteenth win and solidifying himself as a Cy Young candidate in his own right.

Old highlights were shown on the scoreboard to the clichéd strains of Sinatra’s “My Way” and Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” and Jann Arden’s “Will You Remember Me.” Fans cheered and cried. They stood through the ninth inning, reacting to every pitch from rookie reliever Chad Cordero as if something precious was on the line. And something was. The memory they would preserve of these moments. It was not to be a funereal gathering, but a celebration of the franchise this city once adored.

For the trivia buffs, it all ended on Terrmel Sledge’s pop-up to former Expo Mike Mordecai at third.

In 1971, the Washington Senators had to forfeit their final home game during the seventh inning because unruly fans kept disrupting play. The Expos left with far more dignity and class than that. When the game was over, every player returned to the field to accept the cheers of the crowd and to toss balls into the stands.

Nobody wanted to leave. For the first time in many years, people wanted major league baseball in Montreal. Too late.

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by DenFan38

I feel for you Hogan, never had a team of mine move like this and I hope it never happens, but I've been pretty close to it when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore back in 1995.

I flet my dad's pain then, he was born here in Ohio and grew up a Browns fan, getting to watch Otto Graham and Jim Brown and a young man, seeing them win their final championship in 1964, and going through all the heartbreak of the 80's with the Denver Broncos winning in crazy fashion to deny them a shot at a Super Bowl.

It was devestating to him and to the people here, and I still remember the gloom over this city once the move took place. Hell, as weird as it sounds, a lot of people starteds following the Pittsburgh Steelers, Browns most hated rival, because this was now the local team to us. My dad semi-followed the Lions because he was a big Barry Sanders fan plus we have freinds up in Detroit, but it was nothing compared to his like for Browns.

The MLB **** on Montreal from the moment they were around, Chris Berman talked about it last night during the Red Sox-Angels game, mainly how no one knew how good of players Dawson and Vlad were until they played ball in America and how it was unfair in the treatment that the Expos received from the MLB all along.

I appreciate that Den....most people won't care at all....but I do and it comforts me to know that I'm far from alone and that others can see the great miscarriage of justice that was going on with this situation.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Sorry to hear the news Hogan! As you might remember, Ive been a Expos fan for a lot of years even after we got the Rockies (although not as dedicated).
I've seen a lot of players for the Expos come through Denver (Bears), some great players to be sure. It's a shame the good Expo teams never got the support (within the organization) they deserved.

[Hogan11]

I only wish I was old enough to catch a game at Parc Jarry....I've seen pics and film...that place was so makeshift and close to the action that it looked like a lot of fun to be there.....

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

Don't forget Andre "Hawk" Dawson's best friend, Tim "Rock" Raines.

I never will! I met Raines personally and talked with him several times at Bears games. Denver had great teams (in the 70s and early 80s). Raines seemed to always have time for us fans who got to the games early. Wallach always had time for us too.

Some stats on Raines that not a lot of people are familiar with.............


The American Association batting title was won by 20-year-old second baseman Tim Raines, who beat out Oklahoma City’s Orlando Gonzalez by .0002, .3543 to .3541. In addition, Raines set a league record by stealing 77 bases and tied for the league lead in triples (11). His stolen base total would have been higher had he not spent 18 days with Montreal in July-August. He was named to the American Association and National Association Class AAA All-Star teams, was voted the league’s Rookie of the Year and was chosen The Sporting News’ Minor League Player of the Year. In 1981 he moved up to the majors where he stayed for 19 years, the first ten with Montreal. Raines led the National League in stolen bases his first four seasons. In the strike-shortened 1981 season he stole 71 bases in 88 games, hit .304 and was named The Sporting News’ National League Rookie of the Year. From 1981-86 Raines stole 454 bases. He led the National League in batting (.334) and on base percentage (.413) in 1986. He played in seven consecutive Major League All-Star Games, 1981-87, and was the 1987 game’s MVP, going 3-for-3. He was traded to the White Sox in December, 1990, played five years with Chicago, three with the Yankees and one with Oakland. He was named outfielder on The Sporting News’ National League All-Star Team in 1983 and 1986. Raines had a .295 major league average with 1,548 runs, 2,561 hits and 807 stolen bases. He holds the major league career record for the highest stolen base percentage (300 or more attempts), .847. While with the White Sox, he set an American League record by stealing 40 consecutive bases without being thrown out. In 2001, Raines attempted a comeback with Montreal, his stated goal to play in the majors with his son, Tim Raines, Jr., who was signed by the Orioles and played for Frederick (Carolina) in 2000.

[Hogan11]

Makes no difference to me really, I've had enough and have officially joined the Pirates camp, but it would make me happy to see Selig & MLB get another big black eye over this trechery....



DC Council Chair proposed alternate ballpark site, could derail Expos' move to Washington

By DERRILL HOLLY, Associated Press Writer
November 5, 2004
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The chair of the District of Columbia Council proposed Friday that a new ballpark be built next to RFK Stadium instead of a site south of the U.S. Capitol, a plan that could cause Major League Baseball to drop the scheduled move of the Montreal Expos to Washington.

Council Chair Linda Cropp made the proposal to cut costs for the new ballpark, which she estimates would be $600 million on the original site, far above the estimate in the $435 million deal Mayor Anthony A. Williams signed in September.

``The costs are going up so high that I believe it will have a negative effect on our business community,'' Cropp said. ``By moving to RFK Stadium, we have an automatic 20 percent reduction in cost.''

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Washington's contract with the Expos calls for funding for a ballpark at the original site to be approved by Dec. 31. Cropp said there would be an $83 million savings in land acquisition under her plan.

``This is going to blow the thing up,'' said a livid Williams, warning it could undo 30 years worth of efforts to get the city a team to replace the expansion Washington Senators, who became the Texas Rangers after the 1971 season.

Cropp said she is willing to risk losing the Expos if baseball owners refuse to accept the RFK location.

``I would hope that baseball would be extremely reasonable,'' Cropp said.

Washington's contract with the Expos does not allow for a change in the stadium site without the team's approval.

``We have an agreement with the mayor whereby he has until the 31st of December to obtain passage of the legislation effectuating the stadium agreement,'' said John McHale Jr., an executive vice president in the commissioner's office who has been involved in planning the move. ``Until that time comes, we're not going to get excited.''

In another development, baseball spokesman Rich Levin said reports in Friday's editions of The Washington Times and USA Today that the Expos would be renamed the Nationals were premature. Levin said other names, such as the Senators, remain under consideration and that baseball still was conducting focus groups.

Cropp's ballpark plan is supported by Council members Carol Schwartz, David Catania and Phil Mendelson. There are 13 members of the Council, and seven must approve a financing plan.

``I said I'm not getting involved in the local politics,'' Expos president Tony Tavares said. ``I have no opinion about any of that stuff. I'm ignoring it all. I'm just concentrating on launching the team here.''

Cropp has discussed her proposal with officials from the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the D.C. Restaurant Association and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, and said business leaders have signaled their support for any plan that allows for future business development -- especially if it trims costs.

Williams plans to speak to residents Monday night on the city's cable television station, hoping to win support. Williams will offer the opposition equal time.

The ballpark proposal has drawn intense criticism from many city residents, who prefer to focus on schools rather than a ballpark. Three Council members who supported Williams' plan were ousted in September's Democratic primary by foes -- including former Mayor Marion Barry, who last week criticized the deal at a council hearing.

``Why should we subsidize these millionaires?'' Barry said, this week following his general election victory.

[Sassy]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

You wanna reaction? I'll give you one...picture the Broncos leaving for another city after supporting them for 35 years plus and see how you would feel.

Most people won't care about this.....but put yourself in that position and think about what you would feel.

I love baseball and this has been really hard for me...I'm really trying to adopt another team.....but it's not as easy as that, even if you visit that city and attend games there year in and year out. The team you support is the only team you support...until death do you part..........and this is death if'n there ever was one.

The people of Montreal are great people....they know their baseball and they've always treated me very, very well when I was there. They deserve much better than this.

A pox upon all the "MTL doesn't deserve baseball" bullshat, jaded hack collumnists, upon Bud Selig, Jeffrey Loria and upon Washington DC...a city that defines the term "vulture"...may they never have the satisfaction of a championship or a winning season...and may they come to eventually lose the team like they did the Twins and the Rangers....if I sound bitter it's beacuse I am.........**** them all!

The curse of Hogan is upon you......may you choke on it.

REP for your passion as a fan... (It wouldn't let me give you more rep in private...)

[DB-Freak]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

You wanna reaction? I'll give you one...picture the Broncos leaving for another city after supporting them for 35 years plus and see how you would feel.

Most people won't care about this.....but put yourself in that position and think about what you would feel.

I love baseball and this has been really hard for me...I'm really trying to adopt another team.....but it's not as easy as that, even if you visit that city and attend games there year in and year out. The team you support is the only team you support...until death do you part..........and this is death if'n there ever was one.

The people of Montreal are great people....they know their baseball and they've always treated me very, very well when I was there. They deserve much better than this.

A pox upon all the "MTL doesn't deserve baseball" bullshat, jaded hack collumnists, upon Bud Selig, Jeffrey Loria and upon Washington DC...a city that defines the term "vulture"...may they never have the satisfaction of a championship or a winning season...and may they come to eventually lose the team like they did the Twins and the Rangers....if I sound bitter it's beacuse I am.........**** them all!

The curse of Hogan is upon you......may you choke on it.

How about that for your new team?

[Hogan11]

Sorry Freak...but since I've been attending Pirates games yearly since 1999, they've grown upon me...The Burgh is a riot as well....much more fun than you'd expect.
I signed a letter of intent to be a Pirates fan the minute the Expos left Montreal earlier this year and after 35 years of rooting the Expos on, I have to say goodbye and move onto Pittsburgh and the Pirates.

No way in hell am I becoming a fan of the "Washington Nationals" ..The Pietasters being from there is that cities lone saving grace in my book....God I hate that place.

[Bronco LB 59]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Sorry Freak...but since I've been attending Pirates games yearly since 1999, they've grown upon me...The Burgh is a riot as well....much more fun than you'd expect.
I signed a letter of intent to be a Pirates fan the minute the Expos left Montreal earlier this year and after 35 years of rooting the Expos on, I have to say goodbye and move onto Pittsburgh and the Pirates.

No way in hell am I becoming a fan of the "Washington Nationals" ..The Pietasters being from there is that cities lone saving grace in my book....God I hate that place.

Oliver Perez is the best young phenom starting pitcher in baseball and nobody knows about this K machine. You're going to enjoy watching him become the National League's Johan Santana in the next few seasons.

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by Bronco LB 52

Oliver Perez is the best young phenom starting pitcher in baseball and nobody knows about this K machine. You're going to enjoy watching him become the National League's Johan Santana in the next few seasons.

I've heard of this kid and look forward to seeing him pitch next year. I see Bay got the ROY award, a Pirates first....I knew of him back when he was in the Expos farm system.

Call me crazy, but I really think that the Pirates can compete next year in the central...if everyone stays healthy and they catch a break or two.

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by Bronco LB 52

Oliver Perez is the best young phenom starting pitcher in baseball and nobody knows about this K machine. You're going to enjoy watching him become the National League's Johan Santana in the next few seasons.

Perez is an absolute gem, with allthe talk of Kris Benson last year, the real guy on that staf is Perez.

I didn't know much about the guy, but I took a road trip to PNC Park last year and got to see him pitch. He went 6 innings, gave up just 1 hit, and K'd 8, McClendon took him out because he walked a lot of better(I believe 6) and had a high pitch count. Would've gotten the W as Pittsburgh was up 2-0 on the Mariners until the bullpen blew it in the 8th and lost 4-2, but I was duley impressed with the way Perez pitched.

[-Slap-]

Washington might blow this whole thing.

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by -Slap-

Washington might blow this whole thing.

I'll laugh my ass off if they do.....the Hogan Curse is working already

I'm gone to the Pirates, reguardless.

Wonder what MLB will do if DC doesn't live up to it's end of the deal and the former owners win the RICO lawsuit against Loria, Selig and MLB?

The Expos back in MTL under local ownership isn't exactly what the league wants, since they'll be back to the shoestring budget and firesales.....rumors on the Expos boards are if the franchise is awarded back to the former owners, they'll ask that MLB finance a new stadium in downtown MTL as compensation for the damages......picture that black eye to MLB for a moment, will ya?