Good News On A Crummy Day

My work day started horribly.  It got okay in the middle.  And then ended horrifically.


But then I see this story HERE, which can be summed up:

Major League Baseball is returning to Montreal — at least for a brief time. According to a report by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi on Tuesday, the Blue Jays are expected to officially announce that they will play a pair of exhibition games against the Mets at Olympic Stadium next spring. Via Twitter, Frédérique Guay  from TVA Sports says that the games will take place on March 28 and 29, 2014.

Olympic Stadium was home to the Expos for most of their time in Quebec. (John Iacono/SI)

...and once again I am happy.

Apparently they are still playing baseball...

from si.com

I would SO love a Nats-Os World Series!!

As Lee said on The Facebook, for Phillies fans, "Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth win games on back to back nights with game-ending homers. It's 2009, right? RIGHT?"

RIP: The Kid

Happy 71st Birthday Woodie Fryman!

His is not a household name, but Fryman's name shows up several times throughout the Expos' record book. He ranks fourth all time in shutouts (8), fifth in games played (297), seventh in saves (52), ninth in win percentage (.495) and tenth in both career ERA (3.24) and wins (51).


Woodie was inducted into the Montreal Expos’ Hall of Fame in 1995, and the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. On February 4, 2011, he died in his hometown of Ewing, Kentucky, where he was a tobacco farmer, two months shy of his 71st birthday.

Blogging From A To Z: E is for...

Expos...if they had been moved to the American League East and/or the strike of 1994 never happened....they'd still be at the Big O.

Happy 57th Birthday Warren Cromartie

Among the Montreal Expos Top 10 list, Cromartie ranks fifth in doubles (222), triples (30), games played (1,038) and at-bats (3,796), sixth in runs (546, hits (1,063) and total bases (1,525), and 10th in walks (310) and average (.280). His 659 at-bats in 1979 are a Montreal record.

This Day In Baseball History

On September 24, 1985, while a member of the Expos, Andre Dawson became just the second player in baseball history to hit two home runs in an inning TWICE in a career!

"It Was Twenty Years Ago Today..."

Youppi! is currently the official mascot for the Montreal Canadiens, but once upon a time he was the longtime mascot of Montreal Expo.



Youppi! was the first mascot to be thrown out of a Major League Baseball game!



On August 23, 1989, in the 11th inning, while atop the visitors' dugout, Youppi! took a running leap, landed hard and noisily on its roof, and then snuck into a front row seat. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda complained to the umpires and Youppi! was ejected (though he would later return and be confined to the home team's dugout roof. )


The Dodgers eventually won the game, 1 to 0, in 22 innings!! Official attendance was 21,742 and the game lasted for 5 hours and 14 minutes.



Orel Hershiser started for the Dodgers, whose line up included Willie Randolph, Eddie Murray and Mike Scioscia.



Pascual Perez, in his final season with the Expos, started the game. The Expos boasted Larry Walker, Andres Galarraga, Tim Raines, and Tim Wallach as starters with Marquis Grissom pinch hitting late in the game.

Vlad's 400th Career Homer

Former Montreal Expos great Vladimir Guerrero hit his 400th home run last night. It was a solo shot in the 7th that ended up being the game-winner, as it gave the Angels an 8-7 lead, which they held on to.

Guerrero became the 45th player in Major League history to reach 400 home runs, passing Andres Galarraga and Al Kaline, who both hit 399.

He also became one of nine active big leaguers with 400, joining Carlos Delgado, Jason Giambi, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Jim Thome.

But more impressively, he became only the sixth player in Major League history with 400 homers and a career batting average of at least .320. While his batting average is a little shaky and might not hold up, he is in some impressive company (listed alphabetically)...

Jimmie Foxx .325 534 HR
Lou Gehrig .340 493 HR
Vladimir Guerrero .322 400 HR
Stan Musial .331 475 HR
Babe Ruth .342 714 HR
Ted Williams .344 521 HR

Up One Game to None

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for any former member of the Montreal Expos. But, Vlad, you are not the speedster you once were....

And Ellsbury continues to impress me, both at the dish and in the field...


And welcome to the post season, Mr. Bay!

Elsewhere, the Dodgers shock the Cubbies, the Devil Rays continue to defy logic and the Phils got one last night and are about to beat CC for number 2!

And no new episode of "The Office" tonight because of the Vice Presidential debate. :(