Montreal Expos
The first MLB team outside the U.S., the Expos brought big-league baseball to Montreal from 1969 to 2004.
The Montreal Expos were a professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (NL) East division from 1969 to 2004.
Quick Facts
- Character
- Defining Playoff Rivalry
- Affiliation
- National League East (1969–2004)
- First appears
- 1969 Season Opener
- Status
- Dormant (Expos relocated to Washington in 2005)
- Key event
- 1980 NLCS
- Legacy
- Phillies' first World Series title since 1915
Lore & Background
The Expos were named after the Expo 67 World's Fair. They originally played at Jarry Park Stadium before moving to Olympic Stadium in 1977. The team won its only division title in the strike-shortened 1981 season, but lost the 1981 National League Championship Series (NLCS) to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Felipe Alou became MLB's first Dominican-born manager in 1992 and led the team to four winning seasons, including 1994, where the Expos had the best record in baseball before a players' strike ended the season. After the 1994 strike, the Expos sold off their best players, and attendance declined. Major League Baseball bought the Expos ahead of the 2002 season. In their final two seasons, the team played 22 home games each year at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On September 29, 2004, MLB announced the franchise would move to Washington, D.C., and the Expos played their final home game in Montreal before relocating and being renamed the Washington Nationals.
Reader's Guide
The Expos posted an overall win–loss record of [not specified in source] during their years in Montreal. Vladimir Guerrero leads the franchise in both home runs and batting average, and Steve Rogers in wins and strikeouts. Three pitchers threw four no-hitters: Bill Stoneman (twice), Charlie Lea, and Dennis Martínez, who pitched the 13th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The Expos retired four numbers in Montreal, and nine former members have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with Gary Carter, Andre Dawson and Tim Raines' plaques depicting them with Expos caps.
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