Montreal Expos

Montreal Expos
Established 1969 (Expansion team)
Relocated December 3, 2004 (to Washington, D.C., as the Washington Nationals)
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
Other nicknames
  • The 'Spos
  • Nos Amours
Ballpark

[1] – The Expos played twenty-two home games in San Juan during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and the remainder in Montreal.

Colours
  • Blue, white, red

              

Major league titles
World Series titles (0)None
NL pennants (0)None
East Division titles (1)[2][3]1981
Wild Card berths (0)None
[2] – In 1981, a players' strike in the middle of the season forced the season to be split into two halves. Montreal won the division in the second half, despite having the second best record in the division when considering the entire season, two games behind St. Louis.

[3] – In 1994, a players' strike wiped out the last eight weeks of the season and all post-season. Montreal was in first place by six games in the National League East Division when play was stopped. No official titles were awarded in 1994.

Other team information
Retired numbers 8, 10, 10, 30, 42
Mascot Souki (1978), Youppi! (1979–2004)[1]
Theme Song Les Expos sont là ("The Expos are here") by Marc Gélinas
Rivals New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays (interleague play)

The Montreal Expos (French: Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec that played from 1969 through 2004. The Expos were awarded the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise outside the United States. After the 2004 season, Major League Baseball moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.[2]

Named after the Expo 67 World's Fair, the Expos started play at Jarry Park Stadium under manager Gene Mauch. The team's initial majority owner was Charles Bronfman, a major shareholder in Seagram. Following the 1976 Summer Olympics, starting in 1977 the team's home venue was Montreal's Olympic Stadium. After a decade of losing seasons, the team won 95 games in 1979, finishing second in the National League (NL) East division. The Expos began the 1980s with a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter, outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, third baseman Tim Wallach, and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson. The team won its only division championship in the strike-shortened split season of 1981, ending its season with a 3 games to 2 series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

After a number of up-and-down seasons, the team was sold to a consortium of owners in 1991, with Claude Brochu as the managing general partner.[3] Buck Rodgers, manager since the 1985 season and, at that time, second only to Gene Mauch in number of Expos games managed, was replaced early in the 1991 season. In May 1992, Felipe Alou, a longtime member of the Expos organization since 1976, was promoted to field manager, becoming the first Dominican-born manager in MLB history.[3] Alou would become the leader in Expos games managed while guiding the team to winning records, including 1994, when the Expos, led by a talented group of players including Larry Walker, Moisés Alou, Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martínez, had the best record in the major leagues until the strike forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. After the disappointment of 1994, Expos management began shedding its key players, and the team's fan support dwindled. Brochu sold control of the team to Jeffrey Loria in 1999,[4][5] but Loria failed to close on a plan to build a new downtown ballpark, and did not reach an agreement on television and English radio broadcast contracts for the 2000 season, reducing the team's media coverage.

In November 2001, Major League Baseball owners voted 28–2 to eliminate two teams—according to various sources, the Expos and the Minnesota Twins, both of which reportedly voted against the motion.[6] However, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, operator of Minnesota's Metrodome, received an injunction requiring the Twins to play in the Metrodome during 2002, so MLB could not shut down the Expos alone while easily preserving its 162-game schedule.[6] In December, the Boston Red Sox accepted a purchase bid from a group led by John W. Henry, owner of the Florida Marlins,[6][7] and so Henry sold the Marlins to Loria, and MLB bought the Expos from Loria.[6] In the collective bargaining agreement signed with the Players Association in August 2002, reducing the number of teams was prohibited through to the end of the contract in 2006.[8]

On September 29, 2004, the date of Montreal's last home game of the season, MLB announced that the Montreal franchise would relocate to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season.[2][9] The Expos played their final game on October 3, 2004 at Shea Stadium, losing by a score of 8–1 against the New York Mets, the same opponent that the Expos first faced at its start, 35 seasons earlier. The relocated team was named the Washington Nationals, and retained all the Expos' records, player contracts, and minor league affiliates, as well as their spring training complex in Viera, Florida.

Franchise history

Creation of the franchise

The original logo

In 1960, Montreal lost its International League team, the Montreal Royals, a Los Angeles Dodgers Triple A affiliate, when the Dodgers decided to cut back from three top-level farm teams to only two. They also wanted their top affiliates based closer to Los Angeles. The move to get a new team for Montreal was the result of a seven-year-long effort led by Gerry Snyder, who at the time was the member from the district of Snowdon on Montreal City Council. Snyder was a high-profile figure in Montreal during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to representing Snowdon on council from 1957 to 1982, Snyder chaired the city's Executive Committee during the 1960s, served as Mayor Jean Drapeau's primary liaison to the English-speaking community, and was instrumental in bringing both the 1976 Summer Olympics and the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada to the city.

Snyder presented a bid for a Montreal franchise to Major League Baseball's team owners at their 1967 December meeting in Mexico City. One potential wildcard in Montreal's favour was that the chair of the National League's expansion committee was influential Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, under whom the Royals had become affiliated with the Dodgers. On May 27, 1968, O'Malley announced that franchises were being awarded to Montreal and San Diego, to begin play the following year (1969).[10]

Snyder convinced Charles Bronfman, a major shareholder in the worldwide Seagram distilling empire, to lend his considerable weight to the project. Bronfman felt that the team needed a francophone as chairman of the board and the public face of the ownership group, and tapped financier Jean-Louis Lévesque for the post. However, in a harbinger of things to come, Snyder initially thought he'd lined up a consortium of 10 partners, but only six showed up for the initial owners' meeting on June 3. Lévesque grew frustrated with the ownership group's inaction and pulled out on July 31.[11] To make up the shortcoming in financing, Bronfman purchased the majority of the franchise's stock and became chairman. The other investors and founding directors included vice-chairmen Lorne Webster and Paul Beaudry, plus Sydney Maislin, Hugh G. Hallward, Charlemagne Beaudry (Paul's brother), and team President and Executive Director John McHale.[12]

With its long history of use in Montreal, "Royals" was one of the nicknames considered for the new franchise, but the Kansas City team had already adopted this name. Many names were suggested by Montreal residents (including the "Voyageurs" and, in a coincidental twist, the "Nationals", the name now used by the team in its current home in Washington), but the clear winner was "Expos." In addition to the tie-in with Expo 67, the nickname also had the advantage of being the same in either English or French, the city's two dominant languages.

The Expos had to overcome another obstacle before it could take the field: they had to find a home ballpark. Drapeau had written a letter promising the National League owners that a domed stadium would be ready by the 1971 season. However, city executive committee chairman Lucien Saulnier told Bronfman that Drapeau did not have the power to write such a letter on his own authority. Although the remaining partners had more than enough money to make an initial US$1.12 million payment on the expansion fee, they were not willing to commit a single penny without assurances that a park would be built. Just as the ownership group was about to give up, Drapeau summoned Bronfman to City Hall with plans for a new stadium.[11]

The team still needed a place to play for at least its first two seasons. Delorimier Stadium, the former home of the Montreal Royals, was rejected as unsuitable even for temporary use: it could not be renovated or expanded beyond its 20,000-seat capacity since it was in the middle of a residential area. Team officials initially settled on the Autostade, which had just been built for Expo '67, but city officials balked at the cost of adding a dome and 12,000 seats, as well as demands for increased rent by the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. By August 1968, the league was threatening to withdraw the franchise and award it to Buffalo, which had a stadium already in place—War Memorial Stadium. Out of desperation, Drapeau invited National League president Warren Giles to visit Jarry Park, a 3,000-seat community ballpark near the centre of the island. Giles liked the park's location, and decided it could be a suitable temporary facility. Within six months, the park was transformed into a 28,500-seat makeshift facility, saving the franchise.

Social impact of the Expos

Montreal's international profile was raised considerably in the 1960s. The 1967 World's Fair, called Expo 67, was a success, and the city soon won the bid for the 1976 Summer Olympics. The city also opened a new subway system, the Montreal Metro. This string of achievements was capped by the winning of one of the four expansion franchises awarded by Major League Baseball for 1969.[13]

The Montreal Expos were the first franchise awarded to a Canadian city by Major League Baseball. It was considered a huge step for the city of Montreal, the province of Quebec, the nation of Canada, and MLB. One of the challenges for French-language broadcasters was inventing a whole new lexicon to describe the game to fans.[14] The Expos' success inspired Major League Baseball to add a second Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays, in 1977.

Early years

The scoreboard at Jarry Park Stadium, 1969.

The Expos won their first game, on the afternoon of April 8, 1969, against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium, beating the Mets by a score of 11–10. The Expos took the field for the first time with Bob Bailey playing first base, Gary Sutherland playing second base, Maury Wills playing shortstop, Coco Laboy playing third base, Mack Jones playing left field, Don Hahn playing centerfield, Rusty Staub playing right field, John Bateman at catcher and Mudcat Grant on the mound. The first manager was former Philadelphia Phillies manager Gene Mauch. Wills had the first hit in Expos history and also scored the first run. The first home run in franchise history came from an unlikely source — relief pitcher Dan McGinn. Bailey had the first RBI, and Don Shaw was credited with the win. Carroll Sembera pitched the final inning against the Mets and recorded the first save.

The first game at Jarry Park was played on April 14 — an 8–7 Expos win over the St. Louis Cardinals, broadcast nationwide on CBC television and radio. A crowd of 29,184 jammed every corner of Jarry Park to watch the first major league baseball game ever played outside the United States. Jarry was only intended as a three-year temporary facility until what became Olympic Stadium could be completed, and so the stands were left completely exposed to the elements. As a result, the Expos frequently had to postpone games in April and September because there was no protection for the fans. Another problem was its orientation; first basemen were often blinded by the setting sun, forcing stoppages of play.[15] When it became apparent that Olympic Stadium wouldn't be ready for 1972, the league threatened to yank the franchise. However, the Expos managed to get a reprieve at the 1971 winter meetings. They would get a reprieve at all winter meetings until Olympic Stadium was ready for the 1977 season.

Following that first series in Montreal, the Expos went to Philadelphia to play the Phillies. On April 17, Bill Stoneman pitched the first no-hitter in the club's history, as the Expos won 7–0. Stoneman's feat gave the Expos the record for the earliest no-hitter recorded by any major league baseball franchise — only ten days after their very first game. It was Stoneman's fifth major league start and he finished with eight strikeouts and five walks.[16][17][18] Stoneman's second no-hitter came at the end of the 1972 season on October 2; he beat the New York Mets in Montreal at Jarry Park.[19] It was the first-ever major league no-hitter pitched in Canada and another 7–0 score, and Stoneman had nine strikeouts (and seven walks).

Rusty Staub and Mack Jones became the darlings of the Montreal fans during the early years of the team. Staub was affectionately known as "Le Grand Orange" (in tribute to his red hair), and with Jones in left field, its bleachers at Jarry Park came to be known as "Jonesville."

Staub was traded in 1972 to the New York Mets in exchange for 3 young prospects: first baseman-outfielder Mike Jorgensen, infielder Tim Foli, and outfielder Ken Singleton. While the trade landed Montreal three youngsters that would help the still maturing expansion team, many Montrealers were saddened to lose a popular player. Staub was reacquired by Montreal in July 1979. At his first game back in Montreal, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Staub received a long and heartfelt standing ovation from the adoring fans, welcoming "Le Grand Orange" back. Staub left the team for good after the 1979 season. His number 10 was eventually the first one retired by the Expos.

The Expos moved into Olympic Stadium in 1977. Due to its roots as a track-and-field Olympic venue, and its multi-purpose design to serve as home to both the Canadian Football League Montreal Alouettes and the Expos, the stadium was less than ideal for baseball. As was the case with most multi-purpose stadiums, the different sizes and shapes of baseball and football fields required the lower boxes to be further away from the baseball diamond than with a baseball-specific stadium. In the case of Olympic Stadium (and later, Toronto's Exhibition Stadium and Skydome/Rogers Centre), compared with American stadiums, the problem was exacerbated by the greater length and width of Canadian football fields. The biggest problem was with the planned retractable roof, which was originally supposed to be installed in time for the 1976 Olympics. However, it was not installed until 1987, and did not retract until 1988. Even after completion, it never worked properly. It could not be used at all with winds above 25 miles per hour, and thus could not be closed to allow play to continue during rain accompanied by high winds. By 1992, the Expos and the Régie des Installations Olympiques, the provincial government agency that operates the stadium, decided to leave the roof permanently closed.

The Expos posted 10 straight losing seasons under Mauch (1969–75), Karl Kuehl and Charlie Fox (1976) and Dick Williams (1977–78). However, in 1979 under Williams the Expos posted a 95–65 record, the most single-season wins by the team in Montreal, and the first of five consecutive winning seasons. The Expos spent 88 days in first place (including 63 in a row) before finishing second in the NL East, two games behind the eventual world champion Pirates.

Promise of the 1980s

Baseball hat and home jersey worn by the Montreal Expos players from 1969 to 1991.

The Expos made the only postseason appearance in the Canadian portion of franchise history during the split season of 1981. In the 1981 playoffs, the Expos defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3–2 in the divisional series, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3–2 in the National League Championship Series, on a game postponed from Sunday to Monday afternoon due to rain. The difference in the game was a ninth-inning home run by Dodger Rick Monday. The game has since been referred to as Blue Monday.

Montreal was led through the 1980s by a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter, outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, third baseman Tim Wallach and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson. The promising aspects of the Expos gave rise to the name "Team of the 80s".[20] Attendance at Olympic Stadium went up each year from 1979 to 1983 (excluding the strike year in 1981),[21] and the fans would express their excitement in song — "The Happy Wanderer" being a fan favourite after offensive explosions.[22]

In spite of the team's talent, the Expos were unable to finish above third place from 1982 to 1991. They had up-and-down years, with a winning percentage of .484 in 1984 under managers Bill Virdon and Jim Fanning and 1986 under Buck Rodgers, but above .500 seasons in 1985, 1987, and 1990 under Rodgers.

Gary Carter was traded to the New York Mets in December 1984 for Hubie Brooks, Mike Fitzgerald, Herm Winningham, and Floyd Youmans.[23] Andre Dawson left as a free agent after the 1986 season.[24]

The Blue Jays were upset that the Expos were allowed to televise their games in portions of southern Ontario—an area the Blue Jays considered the heart of their fan base—and pressured MLB to make southern Ontario their exclusive home territory. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth proposed a compromise: the Expos could air 15 games a season in southern Ontario, but would have to pay for the rights to air anything beyond that. Bronfman refused to pay for the rights to additional games, and so for the remainder of their existence the Expos only had full broadcast rights in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and were mostly shut out of the more lucrative southern Ontario markets. In his book on the Expos, Up, Up, and Away, Grantland contributor and Montreal native Jonah Keri wrote that Bronfman had made a serious blunder by perceiving the Blue Jays as an ally rather than a potential threat, and thus missed a chance to stake out a deal establishing their right to air their games across Canada.[11]

Under new ownership

In the 1989 season, with the Expos vying for a post-season berth, the team traded Gene Harris, Brian Holman, and Randy Johnson to Seattle for Mark Langston.[25] Langston completed the season for the Expos with a 2.39 ERA (tied for the league lead in ERA+ with a 148 rating) and a league-leading 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.[26] Though the Expos led the National League East from the end of June to the start of August, and were two games behind first on September 6, they fell back to finish in fourth with a .500 record.[27] Langston, Hubie Brooks, Pascual Pérez, and Bryn Smith left after the season as free agents. Following a winter of rumours, at the start of the 1990 spring training season, Bronfman formally announced his intentions to sell the Expos, saying "After 21 years in baseball it's emotionally very draining. ... After a while, you're just burned out."[28] In November, at the press conference where the sale of the franchise to a local consortium was announced, Bronfman said that 1989 "... was the year we should have won. ... It was a very bitter disappointment."[29] Seagram executive Claude Brochu, the team's President and Chief Operating Officer since September 1986, became the managing general partner of the Expos, representing a consortium of 14 owners, which also included BCE, Canadian Pacific, the city of Montreal, Nesbitt Burns, and Univa (Provigo).[3][30] The official transfer of ownership occurred on June 14, 1991. However, the other members of the consortium treated their investments as charitable donations, and refused to commit any more money beyond that. Even though Montreal was the fifth-largest market in baseball (behind New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and Philadelphia), Brochu was forced to adopt a bargain-basement approach to running the team.[11]

With a new ownership group in place, the Expos traded Tim Raines to the Chicago White Sox in a five-player deal that brought Iván Calderón to Montreal.[31] Starting the 1991 season with a 20–29 record,[32] General manager David Dombrowski (who had inherited manager Buck Rodgers upon assuming the GM position in 1988)[33] fired Rodgers and replaced him with Tom Runnells, who completed the season with a record of 51–61 for an overall winning percentage of .441.[34] Runnells switched third baseman Tim Wallach to first base, a move unpopular with the Montreal fans. The season's most notable highlight was the perfect game thrown by Expos pitcher Dennis Martínez against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28, 1991. On September 8, a 56-ton concrete slab fell from the Olympic Stadium roof to an exterior walkway, forcing the Expos to play their final 13 games on the road.

Dombrowski left Montreal in September to become the General Manager for the Florida Marlins expansion franchise,[35] and Dan Duquette became the Expos general manager.[33] Also during the offseason, the Expos made an effort to improve the baseball atmosphere at Olympic Stadium. Home plate was moved closer to the stands, and new seats were added closer to the field. Several faraway sections beyond the outfield fence were closed, replaced by bleachers directly behind the fence. The changes reduced the stadium's capacity from 58,000 to around 46,000.

At spring training in 1992, Runnells held a meeting while dressed in combat fatigues, giving the team's pre-season training the appearance of a boot camp. The team failed to respond to Runnells's attempt at humor, and Runnells was fired on May 22, with a 17–20 record.[36] Felipe Alou, a longtime member of the Expos organization since 1976, was promoted from bench coach to field manager, becoming the first Dominican-born manager in MLB history. Alou promptly returned Wallach to the third base position. Alou led the team to a 70–55 record, for an overall winning percentage of .537.[3] Under Alou, Montreal had winning records from 1992 to 1996, with the exception of 1995, and the team finished second in the National League East in 1992 and 1993.[21]

Dan Duquette left the Montreal Expos in January 1994 for his dream job, general manager of the Boston Red Sox. Kevin Malone, the Expos director of scouting, took over as Montreal's GM.[37]

Hope and disappointment in 1994

The Expos, wearing their original blue road uniforms, facing the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium

The year 1994 proved to be heartbreaking for the Expos. The team's key contributors included outfielders Larry Walker, Moisés Alou, Marquis Grissom, and Rondell White; infielders Wil Cordero and Sean Berry; starting pitchers Ken Hill, Pedro Martínez, and Jeff Fassero; and the relief corps of Jeff Shaw, Gil Heredia, Tim Scott, Mel Rojas and John Wetteland.[38]

The Expos had the best record in Major League Baseball, 74–40, when the start of a players' strike on August 12, 1994 brought the season to a premature close. The strike dragged on through the fall, forcing the cancellation of the playoffs and World Series. The team was six games ahead of the second place Atlanta Braves and on pace to win 105 games. Years later, Floyd said that the players thought they'd return to the field by early September at the latest. The announcement on September 14 that the season was canceled hit the players and fans particularly hard.[11]

Final decade

At this point, the consortium's lack of capital investment became a critical issue. Not only did the Expos suffer from the minority partners' refusal to make further investments, but they also had to contend with reduced television revenue from not being able to air their games in southern Ontario. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that while the Expos reported their revenues in Canadian dollars, they had to pay their players in U.S. dollars. Just days after district court judge Sonia Sotomayor scuttled the owners' plans to use replacement players during the 1995 regular season, Brochu instructed general manager Kevin Malone to conduct a fire sale and cut ties with the team's major stars. In a series of transactions that took place between April 5-8, the club severed ties with four of the stars of the 1994 team.[11] Larry Walker left as a free agent, and as the Expos had not offered him salary arbitration, they did not receive any compensation for Walker's departure. John Wetteland was traded to the New York Yankees, Ken Hill to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Marquis Grissom to the Atlanta Braves.[3]

Years later, Brochu said that he didn't want to unload Walker, Wetteland, Hill and Grissom, but the minority partners were not willing to invest any further money. Regardless, the fans were outraged. The Expos' attendance flatlined after the fire sale, dropping 26 percent from 1994.[11] Their average attendance would never top more than 20,000 per game during their last 10 seasons in Montreal.

Kevin Malone resigned as general manager in October 1995, saying "I'm in the building business, not in the dismantling business."[39] Moisés Alou and Mel Rojas left as free agents after the 1996 season,[40] and Pedro Martínez was traded after the 1997 season, shortly after winning the Cy Young Award.[41]

In 1997, Brochu announced plans for a new $250 million, 35,000-seat park in downtown Montreal to be named Labatt Park. It would have been a retro-classic park on the model of Camden Yards in Baltimore, with a brick facade reminiscent of historic Bonaventure Station. The club sought $150 million from the provincial government to finance construction. Brochu let it be known that the Expos could not stay in Montreal unless Olympic Stadium was replaced. Quebec's finance minister, Bernard Landry, appeared receptive to the proposal. However Premier Lucien Bouchard balked, saying he couldn't in good conscience authorize public funding for a stadium when the province was being forced to close hospitals. Additionally, Olympic Stadium still had not been paid for (the debt was not fully retired until 2006).[11]

In 1998, the Régie des installations Olympiques replaced Olympic Stadium's orange retractable roof with a permanent blue roof.[42] The retractable roof was removed after the Expos homestand ending on May 10, and on May 21, the Expos played their first outdoor home game since September 8, 1991.[43] During this time when Olympic Stadium was once again an open-air park, Rondell White became the only player to hit a ball out of Olympic Stadium, driving a foul ball out of the third-base side of the stadium in a game against the New York Yankees.[44]

The Expos had losing seasons until 2002, except for 1996, when the team finished second with a .543 winning percentage. In 2002 and 2003, the team finished with identical .512 records. After losing superstar Vladimir Guerrero to free agency, the Expos finished 2004, the team's final year in Montreal, with a 67–95 record.

Purchase by Jeffrey Loria

On December 9, 1999, American art dealer Jeffrey Loria became the Expos' managing general partner, chairman and CEO, purchasing Claude Brochu's ownership stake, and naming his stepson, David Samson, executive vice-president.[4][5] Loria made his initial splash by signing Graeme Lloyd for $3,000,000,[45] and acquiring Hideki Irabu's $4,125,000 contract[46] and Lee Stevens's $3,500,000 contract[47] in trades.[4] The total sum of these contracts was nearly 50% of the 1999 payroll.[48] Before the 2000 season, Loria tried to renegotiate the team's radio and television deals. At the time, the Expos were getting the lowest broadcasting revenue in the majors. However, The Sports Network, the team's cable partner since 1985, was only willing to offer $5,000 per game—a pittance compared to the $200,000 received by the Blue Jays. Loria decided to cut ties with CIQC (formerly CFCF), the team's English flagship for all but two years of their existence, but was unable to find a suitable replacement. CJAD, the flagship in 1989 and 1990, only offered a brokerage deal similar to its deals with the Alouettes and Canadiens, where the Expos would pay CJAD for the airtime. CKGM, who had carried the Expos in their inaugural season, made a similar offer, requiring a $1,000 per game fee. While the Expos renewed their French-language radio broadcast deal with the Telemedia network—whose flagship, CKAC, had carried Expos games since 1973—the only English-language broadcast available during the 2000 season was via Internet audiocasts; no television coverage was available in either language. Dave Van Horne, the team's English-language play-by-play announcer since the team's inception, left for the Florida Marlins after the season.[11]

Loria shared Brochu's dissatisfaction with Olympic Stadium, saying soon after he bought the team, "We cannot stay here."[49] Like Brochu, he was very committed to building Labatt Park. Before he formally closed on the purchase, Loria significantly altered the plans for the proposed downtown ballpark, changing it to a more modern design with curved contours and glass. During the 2000 season, Loria requested additional public funding, but Bouchard reaffirmed the Quebec government's previous refusal, given its other budgetary cuts to essential services. Without government funding, the plans for the proposed downtown ballpark were cancelled.[11]

Attendance in the 2001 season dropped to fewer than 10,000 per game (lower than some minor-league teams), raising questions about the franchise's viability in Montreal. Felipe Alou was fired at the end of May,[50] ending his Montreal managerial career with a total of 691 wins, the most of any manager in the franchise's history.[51] On November 6, 2001, MLB's owners voted 28–2 to eliminate two teams—according to various sources, the Expos and the Minnesota Twins, both of which reportedly voted against the motion.[6]

Loria initially owned only 24 percent of the team. However, after a series of cash calls in 2000 and 2001 went unanswered, Loria gradually wound up with a commanding 93 percent of the stock.[11]

Purchase by Major League Baseball

Former Expos General Manager Omar Minaya.

On December 20, 2001, the Boston Red Sox were sold to a partnership led by Marlins owner John W. Henry. The purchase was approved by the MLB owners in January.[6][7] To clear the way for Henry's group to formally take control of the Red Sox, Henry sold the Marlins to Loria for $158.5 million. The deal, which included a $38.5 million no-interest loan from MLB, was approved by the other owners on February 1, 2002. Loria and the other owners then voted 30–0 to form a Delaware partnership, Expos Baseball, LP, to buy the Expos from Loria for $120 million.[6] After both deals closed, Loria moved virtually all of the Expos front office and on-field staff, including general manager Larry Beinfest and field manager Jeff Torborg, to Miami — leaving the Expos without personnel, scouting reports, and office equipment, including the team's computers. Without a viable owner willing to operate the team in Montreal, it was widely thought that the sale of the Expos to MLB was the first step in the process of either moving the team or folding it altogether.

However, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, operator of the Metrodome, won an injunction requiring the Twins to play there in 2002.[6] Without a second team to join them in oblivion, the loss of the Expos would have left MLB with an odd number of teams, thus requiring one team to be idle every day. With this constraint, it would have been logistically difficult to preserve a 162-game schedule within MLB's six-month season. As MLB could not find a suitable new home for the Expos at that late date, and was not willing to alter the schedule, it was forced to keep the Expos in Montreal for the short term. MLB named former Anaheim Angels president Tony Tavares team president, Mets assistant general manager Omar Minaya vice-president and general manager and MLB's chief disciplinarian Frank Robinson manager. While Tavares served mainly as the commissioner's representative, most day-to-day operations were left in the hands of Minaya, the first Latino baseball operations chief in major league history.

Minaya inherited a difficult situation. He was hired only 72 days before the start of spring training, and there were only six other employees in baseball operations left in Montreal, as those who hadn't followed Loria to the Marlins had taken jobs elsewhere. Under the circumstances, the Expos made a fairly strong showing, winning 17 of their first 27 games and surging to a first-place tie by the start of May. With the Expos four games above .500 in late June and no clearly defined guidance from MLB on the team's future other than a hard limit on payroll, Minaya decided to pursue a last attempt to bring a championship to Montreal in hopes of attracting a local buyer. He acquired pitcher Bartolo Colón from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for future All-Stars Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore as well as 2008's AL Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee. The gambit did not result in a post-season berth for the Expos, and Colón was traded to the Chicago White Sox during the off-season.

For much of the season, it appeared that the Expos would cease to exist once the season ended. According to Keri, the owners ultimately decided to have the Expos and Twins play a lame-duck season in 2002 before they folded.[11] However, in August, the so-called contraction issue was postponed further, as MLB signed a collective bargaining agreement with the players association that prohibited MLB from seeking to reduce the total number of teams, through the end of the agreement in 2006.[8]

Although their attendance increased from 7,935 per game in 2001[52] to 10,031 in 2002,[51] MLB decided that the Expos would play 22 of their home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003. Although the approximately 19,000-seat stadium was less than half the size of Montreal's Olympic Stadium, attendance in San Juan averaged 14,222, compared with 12,081 in Montreal.[21] The Puerto Rican baseball fans embraced "Los Expos" (particularly Puerto Rican players José Vidro, Javier Vázquez and Wil Cordero, and other Latin players like Vladimir Guerrero and Liván Hernández) as their home team (as well as the Latin players from other teams), all the while hoping the team would make a permanent move to Puerto Rico. Thanks in part to the San Juan games, the Expos were able to draw over a million fans at home in 2003 for the first time since 1997.[21] The Expos' season in Puerto Rico was chronicled in the MLB-produced DVD Boricua Beisbol — Passion of Puerto Rico.

Led by Vladimir Guerrero, the 2003 Expos were part of a spirited seven-team Wild Card hunt. On August 28, they found themselves in a five-way tie for the lead with Philadelphia, Florida, St. Louis, and Houston. However, MLB, led by Bud Selig, in what ESPN's Peter Gammons called "a conflict of interest", decided that it could not afford an extra $50,000 to call up players from the Expos' farm system to take advantage of MLB's expanded roster limit during September. Several players, including relief pitcher Eric Knott, were sent back to the minors to maintain the team's approximately $35 million budget. This doomed any hopes of reviving the franchise. Minaya later said, "Baseball handed down a decree"—the Expos would not be allowed to call up players from the minors on September 1, as it was deemed too expensive. Minaya and Robinson would have to make do with what they had. "It was a message to the players," Minaya said. "It was a momentum killer." He also stated: "They're a tough group of guys. You cannot ever forget 2003; they were as good as the Marlins, who won the World Series. But nobody knows this because nobody saw Montreal in 2003. What killed us was not getting the call-ups."[53] This restriction was later cited by shortstop Orlando Cabrera as the reason he wanted to leave the team (he would be traded away in July, 2004).[54]

The Expos had a 12–15 record from August 29 to the end of the season,[55] finishing eight games out of the wild card race.[56]

A panoramic shot of an Expos game at Olympic Stadium.

Final season

The Players' Union initially rejected continuing the San Juan arrangement for the 2004 season, but later relented. Meanwhile, MLB actively looked for a relocation site. Some of the choices included Washington, D.C.; San Juan; Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Oregon; New Jersey;[57] Northern Virginia;[58] Charlotte, North Carolina;[58] and Norfolk, Virginia. During the decision-making process, Selig added Las Vegas, Nevada, to the list of potential Expos homes.[59][60]

Banner raised during Montreal's final game in Olympic Stadium

On September 29, 2004, MLB announced that the Expos franchise would move to Washington, D.C. for 2005.[2] Later that night, the Expos played their last game in Montreal, a 9–1 loss to the Florida Marlins before a season-high crowd of 31,395 fans.[9] Although the team had worried about fan reaction, there were only a couple of incidents with objects thrown on the field.[9] To commemorate their unfinished 1994 season, the Expos unfurled a banner reading "1994 Meilleure Équipe du Baseball / Best Team in Baseball." The fans gave standing ovations to team stars Tony Batista, Brad Wilkerson, and Liván Hernández, and applauded loudly up until the final out. After the game, thanks were given to the crowd by Claude Raymond in French, Jamey Carroll in English, and Hernandez in Spanish.[9][61]

The end of the legal fight to keep the Expos in Montreal came on November 15, when arbitrators struck down a lawsuit by the former team owners against MLB and former majority owner Loria. The MLB franchise owners approved the move to Washington in a 28–1 vote on December 3. Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos cast the sole "nay" vote, resenting the franchise's relocation and intrusion into the Baltimore/D.C. market.

The Expos played their final game on October 3, 2004 at Shea Stadium, losing by a score of 8–1 to the New York Mets, facing the same franchise in the same venue where the Expos first started, 35 years earlier.

After the move

Further information: Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals organization sold the rights to Youppi!, the Expos mascot, to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team. They would remain wards of the commissioner's office until 2006, when they were sold to current owner Ted Lerner.

As of the 2014 offseason, Endy Chavez (Seattle Mariners), Bartolo Colón (New York Mets), Bruce Chen (Kansas City Royals), Maicer Izturis (Toronto Blue Jays) and Scott Downs (Kansas City Royals) are the only remaining Expos on major league rosters. Current Nationals infielder Ian Desmond was drafted by the Expos in 2004 but didn't play his first big league game for the franchise until the 2009 season. Outfielder Roger Bernadina signed a free agent deal with the Expos in 2001 but didn't appear in a Nationals game until 2008. The Nationals released Bernadina late in 2013, leaving Desmond as the sole remaining link to the Expos franchise on the current Washington Nationals roster.

In 2012, former Expo Warren Cromartie founded the Montreal Baseball Project to "bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal."[62] An Expo fan support group, ExposNation, attended games at Rogers Centre in Toronto during September 2012 and July 2013, to demonstrate support for baseball in Montreal.[63][64]

The Toronto Blue Jays hosted two pre-season games at Olympic Stadium against the New York Mets prior to the 2014 season. Tributes to Gary Carter and to the 1994 Expos season were held during the pre-game ceremonies. Two more pre-season games were scheduled in 2015 as the Blue Jays played the Cincinnati Reds. The two teams split the series.

In October 2014, it was reported that Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg, frustrated with efforts to build a new stadium for the team in the Tampa Bay area, had discussions with Wall Street associates about moving the Rays to Montreal.[65][66] In November 2014, it was reported that Bell Canada, Stephen Bronfman, ex-shareholder of the Expos, as well as Larry Rossy, CEO of Dollarama, and Mitch Garber, are teaming up as investors attempting to bring a MLB team back to Montreal.[67]

Notable games

1960s

1970s

1980s

Andrés Galarraga played with the Expos from 1985–1991, and again in 2002.

1990s

2000s

The Montreal Expos playing at Olympic Stadium during their final season.

No-hitters

The first no-hitter in Expos history was pitched by Bill Stoneman during its ninth game, on April 17, 1969, winning 7–0 against the Philadelphia Phillies and striking out eight batters. The team's second no-hitter was another 7–0 victory thrown by Stoneman in the first game of an October 2, 1972, doubleheader at Jarry Park, against the New York Mets.

The Expos' third no-hitter came from Charlie Lea on May 10, 1981, against the San Francisco Giants. The fourth and final no-hitter in the history of the Montreal franchise was a perfect game by Dennis Martínez on July 28, 1991, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Expos broadcaster Dave Van Horne, called the final out on the telecast: "In the air...center field...El Presidente, El Perfecto!" Martinez's perfect game was the thirteenth in Major League Baseball history.

Two other no-hit games were pitched in shortened games. David Palmer won 4–0 on April 21, 1984 in 5 innings during the second game of a doubleheader vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. Pascual Pérez beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1–0 in a 5-inning game on September 24, 1988.

Baseball Hall of Famers

Retired numbers


Gary
Carter
C
1974–84 & 1992
Andre
Dawson
RF/CF
1976–86
Rusty
Staub
OF
1969–71 & 1979
Tim
Raines
LF
1979–90 & 2001
Jackie
Robinson
2B
Retired 1997
The Montreal Canadiens (and former Expos) mascot Youppi! raise the Montreal Expos' retired numbers to the rafters of the Bell Centre.

The Montreal Expos have retired four numbers in honour of five players, including Jackie Robinson's number 42 which was retired throughout baseball in 1997. Robinson had special ties to baseball in Montreal. He started his minor league career with the Montreal Royals in 1946. The Royals were then a AAA affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On August 14, 1993, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his first payment to the National League for the Montreal expansion franchise, Charles Bronfman was inducted to the Expos Hall of Fame as its inaugural member. In a pre-game ceremony, a circular patch on the right field wall was unveiled, with Bronfman's name, the number 83, which he used to wear during spring training, and the words "FONDATEUR / FOUNDER".[72]

When the franchise moved in 2004, the Washington Nationals returned the numbers retired by the Expos (except for 42) to service and assigned them to new players. In 2010, while honouring newly inducted Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, the team introduced a "Ring of Honor" at Nationals Park that included Gary Carter and Andre Dawson.[73]

On October 18, 2005, the Montreal Canadiens honoured the departed team by raising an Expos commemorative banner, listing the retired numbers, to the rafters of the Bell Centre.

Team captains

Broadcasters

See also

References

  1. ↑ Carpenter, Les (2005-04-16). "Alas, Youppi! Unable To Shout 'Yippee!'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bloom, Barry M. (September 29, 2004). "MLB selects D.C. for Expos". MLB.com. Retrieved September 29, 2004.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Montreal Expos (1996). Expos Media Guide 1996.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Montreal Expos (2000). Expos Media Guide 2000.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Blair, Jeff (1999-12-10). "Expos to field better team, Loria says Ebullient new chairman vows to increase salary limit, build new ballpark for 2002 season". The Globe and Mail (Canada). pp. S.1.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Schoenfield, David (2002-02-05). "Still 30 teams: Contraction timeline". ESPN. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mnookin, Seth (2006). Feeding the Monster. How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-8681-2.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Deal in place, games go on" (Press release). MLB.com. 2002-08-30. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Myles, Stephanie (2004-09-30). "31,395 say goodbye". Montreal Gazette. pp. C1.
  10. ↑ "Key dates in Expos history". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2004-09-29. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11 Keri, Jonah (2014). Up, Up and Away. Random House Canada. ISBN 9780307361356.
  12. ↑ "History of the Expos at the Major League Baseball Official website". Retrieved 2006-11-04.
  13. ↑ "Washington Nationals". Baseball Almanac Online.
  14. ↑ Chipello, Christopher J. (2005-06-03). "Expos' move marks end of baseball era in French". Wall Street Journal (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  15. ↑ Zucco, Tom (1980-08-08). "Baseball's history reveals plenty of freak happenings". St. Petersburg Times. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  16. ↑ "Stoneman hurls 1st no-hit game of 1969 season". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. April 18, 1969. p. 17.
  17. ↑ Blackman, Ted (April 18, 1969). "Stoneman no-hits Philadelphia". Montreal Gazette. p. 1.
  18. ↑ Associated Press (1969-04-18). "Stoneman of Expos Hurls No-Hitter to Beat Phils, 7-0". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
  19. ↑ MacDonald, Ian (October 2, 1972). "Stoneman repeats his no-hit gem". Montreal Gazette. p. 27.
  20. ↑ MacDonald, Ian (2008-01-18). "Expos patriarch McHale at age 86". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Montreal Expos (2004). Expos Media Guide 2004.
  22. ↑ The Sports Network. "Au Revoir Expos: Farewell to Montreal". TSN.ca. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  23. ↑ Sports Reference, Inc. (2007). "Gary Carter statistics". Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  24. ↑ Sports Reference, Inc. (2007). "Andre Dawson statistics". Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  25. ↑ Montreal Expos (1990). Expos Media Guide 1990.
  26. ↑ Sports Reference LLC (2009). "1989 National League Standard Pitching". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  27. ↑ Falvey, Christopher J. "Live MLB Baseball pennant races, scores, standings, stats, graphs, charts throughout Major League history". Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  28. ↑ Campbell, Neil A. (1990-03-23). "Bronfman drained from exercise of owning Expos". Globe and Mail. pp. A.17.
  29. ↑ Farber, Michael (1990-11-30). "Bronfman was perfect owner – a fan; English Montreal gently gives way to French Montreal, again". Montreal Gazette. pp. F.1.
  30. ↑ Blair, Jeff (1991-06-15). "Brochu group goes to bat for baseball survival here; Expos sale official as Bronfman era ends". Montreal Gazette. pp. C.1.
  31. ↑ Sports Reference, Inc. (2007). "Tim Raines statistics". Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  32. ↑ Baseball-Reference.com. "Buck Rodgers Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Baseball America. "Executive Database: Franchise: Washington Nationals". Baseball America. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  34. ↑ Baseball-Reference.com. "Tom Runnells Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  35. ↑ MLB Advanced Media. "History: Marlins Timeline". MLB.com. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  36. ↑ James, Bill (1997). The Bill James guide to baseball managers: from 1870 to today. New York: Scribner. p. 352. ISBN 0-684-80698-3.
  37. ↑ The New York Times (1994-01-27). "Duquette to Be Red Sox General Manager". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  38. ↑ Sports Reference (2008). "1994 Montreal Expos Statistics and Roster". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  39. ↑ The New York Times (1995-10-03). "Expos' G.M. Decides to Go". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  40. ↑ Montreal Expos (1997). Expos Media Guide 1997.
  41. ↑ Montreal Expos (1998). Expos Media Guide 1998.
  42. ↑ Gouvernement du Québec (2004). "History of the Olympic Park". Gouvernement du Québec. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  43. ↑ New York Times (1998-05-20). "National League: Roundup". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  44. ↑ Myles, Stephanie (1998-06-11). "Expos' play gives fans few reasons to cheer : Yankees 6 Expos 2". Montreal Gazette (Montreal Gazette). pp. F.1.
  45. ↑ "Graeme Lloyd statistics". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  46. ↑ "Hideki Irabu statistics". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  47. ↑ "Lee Stevens statistics". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  48. ↑ "1999 Montreal Expos". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  49. ↑ Smith, Curt (2001). Storied Stadiums. New York City: Carroll & Company. ISBN 0-7867-1187-6.
  50. ↑ CBC News (2001-05-31). "Alou fired as Expos manager". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Montreal Expos (2003). Expos Media Guide 2003.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Montreal Expos (2002). Expos Media Guide 2002.
  53. ↑ Carpenter, Les (2005-04-04). "Minaya Laid Foundation For Success". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  54. ↑ Chass, Murray (2005-06-07). "Nonpartisan Nationals Winning Fans". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  55. ↑ Sports Reference. "2003 Montreal Expos Schedule, Box Scores, and Splits". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  56. ↑ Falvey, Christopher J. "Live MLB Baseball pennant races, scores, standings, stats, graphs, charts throughout Major League history". Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  57. ↑ The Charlotte-Monterrey-New Jersey-Portland-Northern Virginia-Norfolk Expos
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 Diamos, Jason (March 14, 1999). "BASEBALL: SPRING TRAINING -- MONTREAL; Alou Hopes Expos Stay Put". The New York Times.
  59. ↑ Las Vegas rolls the dice on Expos move
  60. ↑ Las Vegas Expos not such a long-shot
  61. ↑ Todd, Jack (2004-09-30). "Adieu, Nos Amours". Montreal Gazette. pp. A1.
  62. ↑ http://montrealbaseballproject.com/english/about/
  63. ↑ http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/09/03/expos-fans-make-noise-in-toronto/
  64. ↑ http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/20/expos-nation-takes-toronto-by-storm
  65. ↑ "MLB commish Bud Selig's nightmare is Cubs dream as Joe Maddon leaves Rays". New York Daily News. October 24, 2014.
  66. ↑ "Report: Rays owner discussed move to Montreal". TSN. October 26, 2014.
  67. ↑ "Report: Bell among group of investors interested in bringing MLB team to Montreal". TSN. November 7, 2014.
  68. ↑ Keri, Jonah (2007-12-29). "Raines: 'I played the game with excitement, focus'". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  69. ↑ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Montreal Expos 11, New York Mets 7". Retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  70. ↑ Anderson, Dave (1987-05-05). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Nobody Wanted Raines". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  71. ↑ Mitchell, Fred (2010-01-27). "Dawson 'disappointed' he won't wear Cubs cap". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  72. ↑ Blair, Jeff (1993-08-15). "This used to be his playground; Bronfman was always a fan; Original owner steps into Expos Hall of Fame". Montreal Gazette (Montreal Gazette). pp. D.1.
  73. ↑ Koski, Ian (2010-08-09). "DC baseball greats' names to be displayed at Nats Park". Nationals Daily News. Retrieved 2011-03-30.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montreal Expos.
National League Eastern Division Champions
Preceded by:
Philadelphia Phillies		 1981 Succeeded by:
St. Louis Cardinals
Histories of teams in Major League Baseball
AL East – Baltimore Orioles • Boston Red Sox • New York Yankees • Tampa Bay Rays • Toronto Blue Jays
Central – Chicago White Sox • Cleveland Indians • Detroit Tigers • Kansas City Royals • Minnesota Twins
West – Houston Astros • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim • Oakland Athletics • Seattle Mariners • Texas Rangers
NL East – Atlanta Braves • Miami Marlins • New York Mets • Philadelphia Phillies • Washington Nationals
Central – Chicago Cubs • Cincinnati Reds • Milwaukee Brewers • Pittsburgh Pirates • St. Louis Cardinals I · II · III · IV
West – Arizona Diamondbacks • Colorado Rockies • Los Angeles Dodgers • San Diego Padres • San Francisco Giants
Relocated teams
Milwaukee Brewers (1901) • Baltimore Orioles (1901–02) • Boston Braves (1870–1953) • St. Louis Browns (1902–53) • Philadelphia Athletics (1901–54) • New York Giants (1883–1957) • Brooklyn Dodgers (1883–1957) • Washington Senators (1901–60) • Milwaukee Braves (1953–65) • Kansas City Athletics (1955–67) • Seattle Pilots (1969) • Washington Senators (1961–71) • Montreal Expos (1969–2004)
Defunct teams
New York Mutuals (1876) • Athletic of Philadelphia (1876) • Hartford Dark Blues (1875–76) • St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876–77) • Louisville Grays (1876–77) • Indianapolis Blues (1878) • Milwaukee Grays (1878) • Syracuse Stars (1878) • Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876–80) • Worcester Worcesters (1880–82) • Providence Grays (1878–85) • Buffalo Bisons (1879–85) • Cleveland Blues (1879–84) • Troy Trojans (1879–82) • St. Louis Maroons (1885–86) • Kansas City Cowboys (1886) • Detroit Wolverines (1881–88) • Indianapolis Hoosiers (1887–89) • Washington Nationals (1886–89) • Cleveland Spiders (1887–99) • Baltimore Orioles (1892–99) • Louisville Colonels (1892–99) • Washington Senators (1891–99)