In 1969, Montreal became the first MLB team located outside of the U.S. The team was named for an Exposition, a World’s Fair, that the city had hosted in 1967. Never much of a National League threat, the Expos ceased playing in 2004, and the team moved to Washington, DC.
The team played at Jerry Park Stadium, but the plan was to build a new stadium, Olympic Stadium, and the team started playing there in 1977.
Felipe Alou was a solid manager (photo. Sporting New)
The first decade of play was rough, littered with losing, and without playoff appearances. Things got better in 1981 when Montreal won its first division title but then lost to the Dodgers in National League Championship Series (NLCS). Flash forward to 1994 when the Felipe Alou-led team had a franchise-best record (74-40). But MLB players went on strike, and there wasn’t a World Series that year.
Perhaps the larger issue is that baseball never really caught on in Montreal, and fan attendance was a problem. After flip-flopping ownership, in 2002, Major League Baseball purchased the team. Multiple attempts to save the franchise–like playing games in San Juan, Puerto Rico–didn’t pan out. In September 2004, Major League Baseball announced that the franchise would be relocated to Washington D.C.
The Expos live on through merchandise and in fans’ hearts, and there’s even talk (from time to time) about bringing back baseball to Montreal. After all, the city has a spot in baseball history: it’s where Jackie Robinson played AAA ball before being called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
So will we ever MLB’s return to this regal Quebec city? Probably not. And, if so, memories will have to do.
