Exciting Montreal Expos

Up through the 1960’s, Quebec was something of a homogenous culture due to its largely agrarian society and Catholic orientation. But over the next couple of decades, the region began to forge a new identity that was helped in part by the creation of a new pro baseball team that played in the Major Leagues and the implementation of a metropolitan public transportation system. In 1960 Montreal lost its pro team, the Montreal Royals, which was an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1967 Montreal hosted the World Expo at about the same time as the next pro team was signed, thus creating the Montreal Expos. The Expos entered the Major Leagues in 1969. From 1969 to 2004 the Montreal Expos continued to play for Montreal in Quebec, Canada. But in 2004 the team moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals. The team first experienced several losing seasons following its inception. Then, under new management, it began to enjoy moderate success. Finally, by the early 1990s under manager Felipe Alou, the team ended up second in the National League east in 1992 and 1993. By the middle of the 1990’s,

however, the better players were traded or lost through free agency, and the team began a downward spiral despite a few decent season finishes. When the team was bought out, the story reflected a typical line of development for many smaller-town teams that are unable to compete with the teams playing for larger urban leagues. Adding insult to injury, the fan base remained unstable, and the team sometimes lacked vital support for critical games. Two players, Gary Carter and Tony Perez, made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Much has been written about the notable rise and fall of this interesting team, and you can find insightful comments by insiders at online blogs and chat rooms.