Last game ever in Montreal for Expos today

[Iggy=Flames4ever]

did anyone watch this game? it was so emotional, I was actually crying for the last 2 innings of the game since I knew it was coming to an end but all those great years in the past (before 94) will always be rememberd......Good luck in Washington boys!!!

[I-Hate-Hulse]

The Expos may be gone but apparently everyone's favorite fuzzy orange hobo mascot will live on.

Youppi! Lives!!!



Delorme said the new ownership group in Washington could decide to bring Youppi along with the rest of the Expos. If not, Delorme said he has received interest from some individuals in Quebec who would look to buy the mascot's name and persona from the club.

Yeah, sure, something tells me poor old Youppi would go over great with DC fans, especially if they do call them the Generals. That French thing might not go over well too... might have to Anglicize him and call him Yuppie.... which probably won't go over well either...

[Resolute 14]

My god did Peter Angelos ever rape MLB over this move. Guaranteed revenue and guaranteed franchise value. He could destroy his team and still profit hugely from it.

[habernac]

I thought this first year player put it best:


Expos rookie Terrmel Sledge understood why Montrealers had turned on the club.

"I don't know all the history but I know this stadium sold out back in the day and that baseball took away all their superstars," he said. "They're probably fed up with it. I would be, too."


A sad end to a once proud franchise.

[flames_1987]

Wel guys, myn doesen 't go that far back at all. I'm only 18 so I really didn't get to relish in many big Expo moments. In 94, I really didn't care for baseball, and if I did it was the team that had just won to World Series. I grew up and began to like Baseball more and more. I was just in an overall hate of Toronto teams just because of the leafs, so I needed to pick a team. This was the offseason Minaya made a little buzz about the spos, he got Galaraga, Canseco lol, and on paper the team didn't look half bad. So I started following them and just became a die-hard Expos fan. I knew every player and every pitcher, I just found it so cool, how MLB and everyone had written them off but these guys kept working there asses off. I remember the big Colon trade and how shocked I was when I was MONTREAL EXPOS was where he went. The next biggest thing, well must've been last year. BELEIVER FEVER baby. That was one of the funnest sports times In my life. I remember that 4 game series against the Phillies when the Spos swept em, and in one of the games camce back from almost 8-0 to win. This summer I went to San Fran and got to see them for the first and last time. It really was a sad sad day, knowing that this is it for the spos. I really came to like the team as a whole, Wilkerson to me is gonna be an all star one day and Vidro already is. Also good luck to Minaya who is gonna make the Mets a playoff team, that guy is just that good. What hes done with the Expos is amazing, hes had to dump sooo much cap yet hes found away except for really this year. But Injurys didn't help that..

[troutman]

Driving home on Bow Trail last night west of Sarcee, and Expo fan placed a sign on the side of the boulevard:

"au revoir - nos amour".

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/base...s.ap/index.html

[Cowperson]

I still have a scrapbook I had put together of the 1973 race of the National League Least, the first pennant race of the Expos, a race where the Mets eventually won in spite of being only a few games over .500. Its filled with tons of clippings, the pictures, stories and box scores I had cut out of newspapers and glued into the scrapbook.

John Boccabella headlines. The Ron Hunt run for being hit by pitches most in a season (I believe that was the year), the effect of the big trade that brought Tim Foli, Ken Singleton and Mike Jorgenson to Montreal and the emerging Steve Rogers who would go 10-5 down the stretch with a miniscule ERA.

I remember it well.

In a small Alberta one horse town, I would listen for newscasts through afternoons, breathlessly hoping to hear an Expos score from Chicago, kind of obsessed, long before TSN, Sportsnet, The Score, the Internet, etc, etc.

Long before the Blue Jays, the country had Expos fever. I'll remember that but I'm glad they're moving. Now Expos fans can have a credible franchise to cheer for again.

Cowperson

[JLefebvre]

Hey guys,

As someone whose every summer has been dominated by Expos baseball and who has attended countless games at Parc Jarry and the Big O over the years, I really, really enjoyed reading about your memories of the team.

While we're at it, a big favour to ask to those of you who remember the golden days -- please take every opportunity to straighten out those with very short memories who will point to the last few years as being in any way representative of what kind of baseball town Montreal was or wasn't.

Required reading for anyone who is tired of national writers blindly following the crowd and piling on the city of Montreal and its baseball fans:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...&page=caple_jim

Former Montreal writer Brodie Snyder wrote years ago that the emergence of the Expos as a young, exciting, winning team in the late '70s and early '80s was a phenomenon that captured the city's imagination (and to only a slightly lesser extent, the country's) like few other individuals or groups could. During yet another tumultuous political time in the city and the province and the nation, summer days and nights would find Quebecois, Ontarians, northern New Yorkers and Vermonters and travellers from across Canada got together at the Big O for loud, exhuberant, singing and cheering shows of love for the Expos.

As Snyder put it, when Tim Raines was creating havoc on the basepaths, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter were smacking the ball all over the park, Steve Rogers, Scott Sanderson and Ray Burris were befuddling hitters, Woodie Fryman and Jeff Reardon were coming in to close the deal and Youppi! was sliding on the dugouts and the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy, nobody but nobody in that place gave a damn about the referendum.

Thanks again for sharing your memories.

[JohnnyO]

I have never been an expos fan or a baseball fan.

But I have to say that the Fans in Montreal are brutal. Yah your team is gone because you never went to the game. Booing the US national anthem was awful and they should be ashamed. Then throwing GolfBalls onto the field which almost cancelled the last game ever there was bright.

As for Quebec and sports you lost the Nordiques, Alouettes (who later returned) and now the Expos. For the most part you are the worst fans in sports for supporting teams. Also as tax payer I have enjoyed paying for your Stadium since 1976 but its time to blow that money pit up.

[habernac]

Originally posted by JohnnyO@Sep 30 2004, 11:19 AM
I have never been an expos fan or a baseball fan.

But I have to say that the Fans in Montreal are brutal. Yah your team is gone because you never went to the game. Booing the US national anthem was awful and they should be ashamed. Then throwing GolfBalls onto the field which almost cancelled the last game ever there was bright.

As for Quebec and sports you lost the Nordiques, Alouettes (who later returned) and now the Expos. For the most part you are the worst fans in sports for supporting teams. Also as tax payer I have enjoyed paying for your Stadium since 1976 but its time to blow that money pit up.

Why comment on a situation you obviously know little about?

[JohnnyO]

Originally posted by habernac+Sep 30 2004, 11:26 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (habernac @ Sep 30 2004, 11:26 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-JohnnyO@Sep 30 2004, 11:19 AM
I have never been an expos fan or a baseball fan.

But I have to say that the Fans in Montreal are brutal. Yah your team is gone because you never went to the game. Booing the US national anthem was awful and they should be ashamed. Then throwing GolfBalls onto the field which almost cancelled the last game ever there was bright.

As for Quebec and sports you lost the Nordiques, Alouettes (who later returned) and now the Expos. For the most part you are the worst fans in sports for supporting teams. Also as tax payer I have enjoyed paying for your Stadium since 1976 but its time to blow that money pit up.

Why comment on a situation you obviously know little about? [/b][/quote]
Huh?

Olympic Stadium has cost approx $1billion
They booed the National Anthem Last Night.
Golf Balls were thrown Last Night and almost caused the game to be cancelled.
Attendence has been low for a long time. Indicating no one is going to the game.

??

[troutman]

Sportsnet poll:

Who your favourite Expo of all time? [2329 votes total]


Tim Raines (270) 12%
Andre Dawson (243) 10%
Gary Carter (464) 20%
Vladmir Guerrero (508) 22%
Larry Walker (519) 22%
Steve Rogers (40) 2%
Youppi (285) 12%


The correct answer is ANDRE DAWSON! Greatest Expo ever.

[habernac]

Originally posted by JohnnyO+Sep 30 2004, 11:32 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JohnnyO @ Sep 30 2004, 11:32 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Why comment on a situation you obviously know little about?

Huh?

Olympic Stadium has cost approx $1billion
They booed the National Anthem Last Night.
Golf Balls were thrown Last Night and almost caused the game to be cancelled.
Attendence has been low for a long time. Indicating no one is going to the game.

?? [/b][/quote]
For the most part you are the worst fans in sports for supporting teams.

Bullsh*t.
This team had awesome fan support until brutal ownership groups eroded their talent base to the point where the Calgary Cannons probably could have beat the team.

The fans are responsible for Olympic Stadium costing a billion dollars? Ok.....

A couple of idiots threw golf balls, very few booed the anthem before being drowned out by cheers. That's hardly the entire fan base.

The Nordiques never had a problem selling tickets, they had an antiquated building that couldn't support NHL hockey and its rising salaries.

[Cowperson]

If anyone is interested - and you have to watch for it - every once in a while, ESPN Classic Canada shows the Dennis Martinez perfect game.

He was really gunning them down that day!!

Cowperson

[JohnnyO]

Originally posted by habernac+Sep 30 2004, 11:53 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (habernac @ Sep 30 2004, 11:53 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Huh?

Olympic Stadium has cost approx $1billion
They booed the National Anthem Last Night.
Golf Balls were thrown Last Night and almost caused the game to be cancelled.
Attendence has been low for a long time. Indicating no one is going to the game.

??

For the most part you are the worst fans in sports for supporting teams.

Bullsh*t.
This team had awesome fan support until brutal ownership groups eroded their talent base to the point where the Calgary Cannons probably could have beat the team.

The fans are responsible for Olympic Stadium costing a billion dollars? Ok.....

A couple of idiots threw golf balls, very few booed the anthem before being drowned out by cheers. That's hardly the entire fan base.

The Nordiques never had a problem selling tickets, they had an antiquated building that couldn't support NHL hockey and its rising salaries. [/b][/quote]
Bottom line they booed and threw stuff on the field. 10-100-10,000 doesn't matter how many its just not right. and it has happened before.

The Cost of Olympic Stadium could have seen a Dome stadium built in each of Canadian major cites. Which was heavily funded by federal and provincial money.

Agreed that the cost of salaries is a major cause for teams leaving. But to see less then 10,000 people in a stadium that holds 60,000 night after night year after year shows lack of support. Baseball is not fair as the rich teams can afford to pay the tax and do so. That is why the NHLPA is out to lunch if they think a tax is better then a cap. What is the point in baseball there are a half dozen elite teams and the rest will never be able to compete.

Anywho baseball is not even a sport IMO with or without the Expos. If you can't play in the rain, you can play 2 games in one day and you can play 160 games in a season. How hard a game is it really.

[habernac]

Bottom line they booed and threw stuff on the field. 10-100-10,000 doesn't matter how many its just not right. and it has happened before.


So we're all jerks in Calgary because a few goofs threw stuff on the ice here? Whatever....

Anywho baseball is not even a sport IMO with or without the Expos. If you can't play in the rain, you can play 2 games in one day and you can play 160 games in a season. How hard a game is it really.


Opinions are like ***holes....... If you're such a big fan of the game, why bother with the thread at all?

The Cost of Olympic Stadium could have seen a Dome stadium built in each of Canadian major cites. Which was heavily funded by federal and provincial money.


Again, is this the fans' fault? We aren't debating whether the Big Owe was a money pit.

Agreed that the cost of salaries is a major cause for teams leaving. But to see less then 10,000 people in a stadium that holds 60,000 night after night year after year shows lack of support. Baseball is not fair as the rich teams can afford to pay the tax and do so. That is why the NHLPA is out to lunch if they think a tax is better then a cap. What is the point in baseball there are a half dozen elite teams and the rest will never be able to compete.


And why, again, should the fans stick around to watch a team that has zero hope of being competitive?

[JohnnyO]

Originally posted by habernac@Sep 30 2004, 12:56 PM
Bottom line they booed and threw stuff on the field. 10-100-10,000 doesn't matter how many its just not right. and it has happened before.


So we're all jerks in Calgary because a few goofs threw stuff on the ice here? Whatever....

Anywho baseball is not even a sport IMO with or without the Expos. If you can't play in the rain, you can play 2 games in one day and you can play 160 games in a season. How hard a game is it really.


Opinions are like ***holes....... If you're such a big fan of the game, why bother with the thread at all?

The Cost of Olympic Stadium could have seen a Dome stadium built in each of Canadian major cites. Which was heavily funded by federal and provincial money.


Again, is this the fans' fault? We aren't debating whether the Big Owe was a money pit.

Agreed that the cost of salaries is a major cause for teams leaving. But to see less then 10,000 people in a stadium that holds 60,000 night after night year after year shows lack of support. Baseball is not fair as the rich teams can afford to pay the tax and do so. That is why the NHLPA is out to lunch if they think a tax is better then a cap. What is the point in baseball there are a half dozen elite teams and the rest will never be able to compete.


And why, again, should the fans stick around to watch a team that has zero hope of being competitive?

The Expos were done 5 or 6 years ago. Put a bullet in the horse and send it to the glue factory already!!

And yes Flames fans looked like poor sports when they threw stuff.

But to boo another countrys anthem shows a complete lack of respect. I think this is the worst thing in sports that a fan can do.

[Resolute 14]

Nothing personal Johnny, but you are talking straight out of your ass.

I love how you are more forgiving of a hundred Flames fans throwing things than four or five Expo fans. I guess it is easier to paint people with a wider brush when you know you aren't in it's path, eh?

[looooob]

As Snyder put it, when Tim Raines was creating havoc on the basepaths, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter were smacking the ball all over the park, Steve Rogers, Scott Sanderson and Ray Burris were befuddling hitters, Woodie Fryman and Jeff Reardon were coming in to close the deal and Youppi! was sliding on the dugouts and the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy, nobody but nobody in that place gave a damn about the referendum.
I'm getting verklempt

[JohnnyO]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Sep 30 2004, 01:51 PM
Nothing personal Johnny, but you are talking straight out of your ass.

I love how you are more forgiving of a hundred Flames fans throwing things than four or five Expo fans. I guess it is easier to paint people with a wider brush when you know you aren't in it's path, eh?

Ummm no.

Flames fans didn't boo the US national anthem.

And the idiot Flames Fans were p*ssed at the Refs and it was the end of the game.

What was the point of throwing golf balls in the middle of the game for no real reason other then there season is over so they can hit the links?