Montreal Expos
The franchise's first identity: Montreal's National League club from 1969 to 2004.
The Montreal Expos were the franchise's first identity: a National League East club based in Montreal from 1969 to 2004, and the first Major League Baseball team located outside the United States.
Quick Facts
- Established
- 1969
- Relocated
- 2005 (to Washington, D.C.; became the Washington Nationals)
- League
- National League (1969–2004); East Division (1969–2004)
- Nicknames
- The 'Spos, Nos Amours
- Ballpark
- Jarry Park Stadium (1969–1976)
- Olympic Stadium (1977–2004)
- Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan, Puerto Rico) (2003–2004)
- Mascot
- Souki (1978); Youppi! (1979–2004)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Montreal was awarded a National League expansion team for the 1969 season, and the club was named after the Expo 67 World's Fair. The Expos played at Jarry Park Stadium before moving to Olympic Stadium in 1977, and they did not post a winning record in any of their first ten seasons. Their only division title came in the strike-shortened 1981 season, followed by a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 NLCS. Founding majority owner Charles Bronfman sold the team in 1991 to a group led by Claude Brochu.
Felipe Alou took over as manager in 1992, the first Dominican-born manager in the majors, and led four winning seasons, among them 1994, when the Expos had the best record in baseball before a players' strike ended the season. After that strike the club sold off its best players and attendance fell. Major League Baseball bought the team ahead of the 2002 season, and after the 2004 season it moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals.
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