• Home
  • Start Here
  • History
    • Expos
    • Royals
  • Community
    • Individuals
    • Organizations
  • Culture
    • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

MTL Baseball

BASEBALL LIVES IN OUR CITY

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

BASEBALL LIVES IN OUR CITY

  • FrançaisFrançais
  • Players
    • Gear
    • Tips
    • Training
  • Coaches
    • Coaching Philosophy
    • Tools
  • Fans
    • Expos Encounters
    • Road Trips

Archives for February 2017

Eight Memories of The Kid Five Years After He Left Us

February 16, 2017 By Jan Sauvé-Frankel Leave a Comment

Memories of The Kid Hall of Fame

Gary Carter’s Plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY

On this day five years ago, Montrealers mourned the loss of one their most beloved sports icons. Gary “The Kid” Carter succumbed to brain cancer on February 16, 2012. Today, baseball fans across the city shared their memories of one of the greatest Expos in history. MTL Baseball did some digging and found eight memories of The Kid on video for Montrealers to look back on five years after he left us.

The Kid Was a Superstar in Montreal

Gary Carter put up incredible numbers with the Expos from 1974 to 1984. Per 162 games in his first tenure in Montreal, he averaged 25 home runs and 92 runs batted in while hitting .271. The Kid  was an All-Star seven times. Carter won three Gold Gloves as the best defensive catcher in the National League and three Silver Sluggers as the best hitter at the position.

Simply put, he was an incredible player.

He also had a knack for performing under the spotlight. He loved the glory that came with being a superstar in Montreal. Some of his teammates even called him “Camera Carter”.

In 1981, when he was first selected to start at catcher in an All-Star Game, The Kid responded in a big way.

1. Here is Carter connecting for his second home run of the 1981 All-Star Game that was played in Cleveland.

2. Carter won the Most Valuable Player award for that same All-Star Game. His two home runs helped the National League claim a 5-4 victory. Here’s The Kid receiving the award and flashing his trademark smile.

1981 was quite a year for The Kid. Before the players went on strike, he caught Charlie Lea’s no-hitter on May 10. He won the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award before the regular season resumed following the end of the strike. The Expos made the postseason for the first and only time in their history.

Carter was at his best in the playoffs, hitting .421 with two home runs and six runs batted in against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.

3. Here’s The Kid hitting a home run against the Phillies in the series. And yes, that’s Dave Van Horne using his signature “Up, Up and Away!” home run call.

Of course, 1981 was bittersweet for Carter, the Expos and their fans. The team came oh so close to reaching the World Series. Then Blue Monday happened.

The Kid Finally Wins the World Series

After Carter was traded to the New York Mets following the 1984 season, he got an opportunity to play in the World Series two years later.

After coming so close in 1981 with the Expos, Carter did his best to guide the Mets to victory. He hit .276 with two home runs and nine runs batted in.

4. The Kid hit two home runs in Game Four to tie the series.

Of course, the Mets would win a thrilling World Series in seven games. Carter’s leap into Jesse Orosco’s arms after the final out made for an iconic image in baseball history.

The Kid Caps His Hall of Fame Career Where it All Began

Eventually, Gary “The Kid” Carter would return to the city where it all began. Montrealers got to watch him on the field for one final season in 1992.

5. Carter was no longer a superstar, but he did give fans one more memorable moment, driving in the only run of the game in the seventh inning on September 27, 1992. Watch Carter drive the ball over his former teammate Andre Dawson’s head. Listen to the crowd go crazy. Watch The Kid soak it up.

6. Carter would be back in Montreal in 1993 as the team retired his jersey.

7. 10 years later, Carter would make one last speech as an Expo. He became the first Montreal Expo inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Kid Inspires a Baseball Renaissance in Montreal

It seems that Carter’s death five years ago has awakened a passion for baseball that was dormant in Montreal for many years. As Mitch Melnick said in this Vice article, Carter’s death tapped “deep feelings and emotion that people had put aside. And people realized how much they missed baseball.”

8. Since then, a movement to bring back the Expos has been growing. One of the biggest ambassadors for baseball in this city is Annakin Slayd, a local hip hop artist. Slayd has made a name for himself with songs that pay tribute to the city’s local sports teams and iconic athletes. He’s also embarked on a school tour to discuss the importance of Jackie Robinson’s impact in Montreal.

Here’s Annakin Slayd’s touching tribute to Gary Carter that captures his best memories of The Kid.

RIP Kid.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog

Braves Trade Recalls a Controversial Expos Blockbuster

February 14, 2017 By Jan Sauvé-Frankel Leave a Comment

Phillips Trade Recalls Controversial Expos Blockbuster

Brandon Phillips While Still With the Cincinnati Reds

On Sunday, the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds completed a trade that sent Brandon Phillips to his hometown in exchange for a couple of pitching prospects. On the surface, this was hardly an earth-shattering move between two non-contender teams. However, a closer look recalls a controversial Expos blockbuster from the team’s final seasons in Montreal.

By acquiring Phillips, the Braves reunited him with Bartolo Colon, who signed with Atlanta as a free agent in November. Expos fans recall that Omar Minaya sent Phillips to Cleveland in a package deal for Colon during the 2002 season. Minaya was going all-in for the postseason. Some people called it the “Trade of the Decade”. Instead, it became an example of how trading the farm for a rental player can backfire on a team.

The Controversial Expos Blockbuster

The full deal was Phillips, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens for Colon and Tim Drew. At the time, only Stevens was on the active big-league roster for the Expos. Colon was an ace pitcher in Cleveland. Phillips, Lee and Sizemore were top prospects but hadn’t played a big-league game with the Expos yet.

Colon Part of Controversial Expos Blockbuster

Bartolo Colon With the White Sox After the Expos Traded Him

It was an exciting trade and Colon pitched well in Montreal. He went 10-4 with a 3.31 Earned-Run Average. However, the Expos didn’t make the playoffs and wound up trading Colon to the White Sox in the subsequent offseason in a payroll-cutting move.

While Colon was an established ace, there was little chance he would stay in Montreal for more than a few months. Phillips, Lee and Sizemore became All-Stars outside of Montreal. The Indians clearly won the deal.

The 2002 trade may have tilted heavily in Cleveland’s favour but it has taken numerous twists over the years.

Colon and Phillips are two of the last remaining connections to the Montreal Expos in Major League Baseball. Colon is technically the last former Expo remaining in the big leagues since Phillips never played with Montreal’s Major League team.

As it stands, Phillips is a fading player who will serve as middle-infield depth on a bottom-feeding team. Sizemore and Lee may never play again in the big leagues. As for Colon, he reinvented himself as a pitcher and remains a highly-productive fixture in the starting rotation.

Oh yeah, and baseball fans will forever love “Big Sexy” for this:

While the Braves may have been bitter rivals to Expos fans for years, they now have a special connection to Nos Amours. By reuniting two of the last remaining players connected to the Expos, the Braves have given nostalgic Montrealers a reason to follow their games this season.

Unless of course they don’t want to be reminded of that controversial Expos blockbuster that backfired in 2002.

 

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Bartolo Colon, Expos

27 Reasons to Love Vladimir Guerrero on His Birthday

February 9, 2017 By Jan Sauvé-Frankel Leave a Comment

Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero with the Orioles.

Three weeks ago, Vladimir Guerrero just missed the cut for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A week ago, he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Today is Guerrero’s birthday, so it’s a perfect opportunity to remind ourselves of his greatness. Here are 27 reasons to love Vladimir Guerrero that show why he will likely be going to Cooperstown in 2018.

His Brilliant Career Started With the Expos

1. Here is Vladimir’s first career hit with Nos Amours. A fresh-faced, lanky Guerrero would later become one of the greatest players in Expos history.

2. It didn’t take long for Guerrero to show off his prodigious power. This clip is great because it shows former Expos’ manager Felipe Alou’s genius as well as Vladimir’s tremendous raw talent.

Listen to the colour commentator second-guess Alou for bringing in Guerrero to hit against dominant Braves closer Mark Wohlers. He declares it a “white flag” from Alou, as if the legendary manager were giving up by bringing in the rookie.

Vlad wastes no time in making the announcer eat his words. This is so good.

He Wowed Expos Fans With His Power

3. Guerrero had incredible raw power.

Watch him clobber this pitch as Rodger Brulotte loses his mind.

4. Vlad played in eight seasons with the Expos (really seven since he only played as a September call-up in 1996). He hit over 30 home runs in five of them. Guerrero hit over 40 in both 2001 and 2002. He hit 25 in an injury-shortened final season with the Expos in 2003.

5. Here’s Vlad hitting his 30th home run of the season in 2001.

He Amazed Expos Fans With His Arm

6. Guerrero had a cannon for an arm as a right fielder. He finished with over ten outfield assists in six of his eight seasons with Montreal. Most runners quickly learned not to test his arm.

7. Here’s one perfect example.

This is why runners were better off staying put when Guerrero came up with the ball in right field.

DON’T. TEST. VLADDY.

8. Here’s Vladimir using a perfect bounce at the plate to save a run from scoring on fellow Expos legend Pedro Martinez.

He Put Up Monster Numbers With the Expos

9. In eight seasons with Montreal, Guerrero hit .323 with 234 home runs, 641 runs, 702 runs batted in and 123 stolen bases over 1004 games.

From 1998-2002 he absolutely dominated the National League. In that 5-year stretch, he .325 with 197 home runs, 524 runs, 582 runs batted in and 111 stolen bases. That averages out to 39 home runs, 104 runs, 116 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases per season.

That’s insane.

10. Vladimir is the only Expo player to be a part of the elite 30/30 club. He hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases twice in his career. Vlad did it in back-to-back seasons in 2001 and 2002.

He actually just missed making the extremely exclusive 40/40 club in 2002. He finished one home run shy of joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano as the only players in Major League Baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single-season.

Here’s his final chance at accomplishing the feat. He just missed a home run down the line in right field before the first base umpire denied him getting one more opportunity with a questionable call.

11. Guerrero finished his Expos career in style by joining another exclusive club in his final season in Montreal.

On September 14, 2003, he hit for the cycle by getting a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game.

Vladimir is one of only six players in Expos history to hit for the cycle. The others are Tim Foli (1976), Chris Speier (1978), Tim Raines (1987), Rondell White (1995), and Brad Wilkerson (2003).

Here’s his last great Expos moment.

He Got to Shine on a Larger Stage After He Left Montreal

12. While Vladimir never got to experience the postseason during his time in Montreal, he did make it to the playoffs six times after he left the Expos. He even got to play in a World Series with Texas in 2010.

13. Guerrero may not have been able to match his regular-season production in the postseason, but he still had some signature playoff moments.

Here’s Vladdy tying a playoff game with a grand slam in his first postseason with the Angels.

14. Here’s another clutch game-tying home run in the playoffs in 2009.

15. Vladimir played in four All-Star Games as an Expo, and was a respectable 2-for-6 in those games. However, he never had a real “All-Star Moment” with the Expos.

Here he is with his first “All-Star Moment” in 2006.

16. Even though Guerrero participated in the 2000 Home Run Derby with the Expos, he didn’t make it out of the first round, hitting only two home runs.

Here he is winning the 2007 Home Run Derby as a member of the Angels.

He Still Had All the Tools After He Left the Expos

17. Vladdy still had a cannon.

18. STILL. DON’T. TEST. VLADDY.

19. Guerrero could still rack up the big hits.

Including the home runs.

And the clutch hits.

20. He still had MASSIVE power.

21. And he could still run when he had to.

He Could Do Things Nobody Else Could Do

22. Vladimir Guerrero was widely regarded as the best “bad-ball” hitter in baseball. There wasn’t a pitch he couldn’t hit.

Not even those in the dirt were safe.

Here’s Carlos Peña discussing how Vladdy could lock into any pitch. Enjoy the sound effects and computer graphics. Target acquired!

He Reached Some Important Milestones Before Ending His Career

23. Here’s Vladimir getting his 300th career home run with the Angels.

24. Here’s Vladdy getting home run number 400 with Anaheim.

25. Vlad finished his career with 449 home runs (38th all-time), 1328 runs (116th), 1496 runs batted in (57th) and 181 stolen bases.

He averaged 100 runs, 34 home runs, 113 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases for every 162 games (a full season) over the course of his career. He hit .318 lifetime (56th).

Here he is with Baltimore knocking his final home run over the fence in an illustrious career.

26. In 2011, Guerrero became the all-time hits leader among Dominican-born players. This clip is great because you get to hear Felipe Alou describe Guerrero as a player.

Guerrero is currently third all-time in hits among Dominican-born players. Adrian Beltre and Albert Pujols have since passed him.

He Should Go into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo

27. Vladimir may have had more signature moments in the playoffs and the All-Star Game after he left Montreal, but his prime was in Montreal and he’ll always be an Expo to us. I’m not sure he made the same impact on Angels fans.

In any case, Vladimir asked the fans which team he should represent should he be elected to the Hall of Fame.

In case I have the honor of being selected to Cooperstown, which cap will you like me to use in the plaque?.

— Vladimir Guerrero (@VladGuerrero27) March 14, 2016

The people have spoken Vladimir.

2017 is Rock’s turn in Cooperstown. 2018 will belong to Vladdy and his legion of Expos fans.

Happy birthday Vlad! Thanks for all the memories.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Blog

Vladimir Guerrero Among 2017 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees

February 2, 2017 By Jan Sauvé-Frankel Leave a Comment

Vladimir Guerrero Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Vladimir Guerrero as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

Vladimir Guerrero will have to wait at least a year to go to Cooperstown. He won’t have to wait that long to proclaim himself as a baseball hall of famer. Following an official announcement this morning, Guerrero is among the 2017 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees.

The museum announced in a press release on their website that Guerrero will join former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, Baseball Canada President Ray Carter, longtime B.C. umpire Doug Hudlin and the 2015 Senior Mens Team Canada squad that took home gold in the Pan Am Games as inductees on June 24, 2017.

“I was surprised and excited to hear that I’m being inducted,” said Guerrero through a translator during a media conference call this afternoon.  “I knew that I would need to wait at least one more year to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, but I’m very pleased to join the Canadian hall of fame first, since I was given my first opportunity to play Major League Baseball in Canada.”

The museum posted the following on its Twitter feed this morning:

@CDNBaseballHOF 2017 Inductees. @RoyHalladay @VladGuerrero27 Ray Carter, Doug Hudlin, Team Canada 2015 SR Mens Team Pan-Am @baseballcanada pic.twitter.com/8HYPsh1dEQ

— CDN Baseball HOF (@CDNBaseballHOF) February 2, 2017

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is in St. Marys, Ontario.

Guerrero also joins other former Expos notables Dennis Martinez (2016), Felipe Alou (2015), Tim Wallach (2014), Tim Raines (2013), Larry Walker (2009), Steve Rogers (2005) and Gary Carter (2001) as inductees of the museum.

Furthermore, the former Expos All-Star is the fourth Dominican player in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. The others are Felipe Alou, George Bell (2013) and Tony Fernández (2008).

Guerrero shared the following on his Twitter account:

I'm very happy to be among list of 2017 inductees of @CDNBaseballHOF. It's a great honor for me and my family. God bless you. pic.twitter.com/lZyislFQ8j

— Vladimir Guerrero (@VladGuerrero27) February 2, 2017

Join Guerrero for the Festivities at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ontario.

The induction ceremony will be part of an entire weekend of activities in Toronto and St. Marys. The ceremony will take place at the Hall of Fame grounds with the following itinerary for June 24:

9am-5pm – museum open for tours
9am-10:15am – Inductee press conference  (media only)
11:00am-1:00pm – Induction Ceremony for 2017 Inductees
1:30pm-3:00pm – autograph session with 2017 Inductees and other special guests.

There will also be a Baseball Family Festival all day.

Admission for the ceremony is 10$ for members and 20$ for non-members. You can find more details on this page:

Induction Day

You can read the rest of the press release announcing the Class of 2017 Inductees here:

CANADIAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME UNVEILS 2017 INDUCTEE CLASS

Filed Under: News

Searching for Unexpected Expos Encounters

February 1, 2017 By Jan Sauvé-Frankel 2 Comments

If you’re old enough to have seen the Expos play in either the Olympic Stadium or Jarry Park, you may have been lucky enough to experience some unexpected Expos encounters.

It could be something as innocuous as bumping into a player on the street and asking for an autograph. Or, it could be that unbelievable run-in that you share at parties to get a laugh out of everyone. In any case, many Expos fans have had the good fortune to experience one of those types of moments.

MTL Baseball hopes to share many of those stories that Montreal baseball fans have been through over the years.

To get the ball rolling, I’ll share a couple of unexpected Expos encounters I had as a youngster while attending games at the Olympic Stadium.

Unexpected Expos Encounters at Olympic Stadium

The Mysterious Autograph

I’m not sure exactly which year this happened in, but I’m guessing it was 1994 or 1995.

I had just started high school so I was still a kid at the time. My mom had taken me to see an Expos game at the “Big O”. I don’t remember anything about the game. When the game ended, we headed over to Pie-IX station to ride the subway back home.

Once we were in the subway car, I looked over at a man seated a couple of doors down from where we were. I nudged my mother with my elbow and she bent down to hear what I had to say. I whispered to her that it was Wil Cordero, the Expos shortstop at that time.

She tried to convince me to ask him for his autograph, but I was too shy to do such a thing. I had my baseball glove with me. I brought that glove with me to every game I attended on the off chance that I would catch a fly ball, even if we were sitting way up in the nosebleed section. My mom took the glove from me and walked over to Cordero.

I watched as the Expos’ All-Star shortstop signed my glove. My mom then asked the man sitting next to Cordero for his autograph as well. I could see that he was a little reluctant to sign my glove, but he did it anyway.

My mom brought the glove back to me, obviously happy to have acquired a couple of Expos autographs for her shy little boy. I was excited to have Cordero’s autograph, but I couldn’t make out the other name on the glove.

Luckily, I had bought a souvenir baseball with all of the Expos’ signatures on it at the Olympic Stadium. I quickly checked the ball to compare the signatures. Sure enough, there was Cordero’s. A perfect match. I looked for the other man’s signature on the ball, but nothing came close to it.

Now, it’s possible the man was a call-up who wasn’t with the Expos when my souvenir ball was produced. I prefer to think that he was just a random friend of Cordero’s travelling with him after the game.

It’s funnier to think that my mom just didn’t know any better and got this man to sheepishly sign my glove right next to Wil Cordero’s autograph.

For years, I would proudly show my friends my baseball glove signed by Wil Cordero and his anonymous friend who my mother thought was an Expos player.

Unexpected Expos Encounters in the Felipe Alou YearsThe Fading Legend

A couple of years after my Wil Cordero experience, I went to a game with a couple of high school friends.

This game is easily traced. It was in the middle of Felipe Alou’s tenure as manager.

I remember that Lee Smith got into the game with a lead in the late innings but gave up a couple of runs to blow the save.

Since Lee Smith only played for the Expos in 1997 and only blew one save, it’s clear that I was at the game on May 25, 1997.

When the game was over, my friends and I got on the Metro at Pie-IX station.

To my surprise, Lee Smith, the all-time saves leader at that point, was sitting right near my friends and I. I shared this information with my friend, who hadn’t recognized the hulking closer.

My buddy thought I should ask Smith for his autograph. I glanced over at the living legend who was sitting next to a lady, possibly his girlfriend. He looked like he had just blown a save and wasn’t too happy about it.

I told my friend I didn’t think it was a good idea.

Next thing I know, my buddy’s asking Lee Smith to sign the team picture we received at the gates before the game.

To his credit, Smith agreed and signed our pictures. He didn’t look too happy about it, but he did it anyway.

At the time, I thought it was nice of him to sign autographs for a couple of teenagers after a rough game.

Little did I know it would be the last blown save of his career. Smith got into only eight more games with the Expos before leaving the team in the middle of the season.

He tried to make a comeback later in the season. Smith wanted to play anywhere but “way the hell out in Canada”. Unfortunately, nobody would give the living legend another chance and his big-league career was over.

Lee Smith would remain the all-time saves leader until Trevor Hoffman passed him in 2006. Mariano Rivera would push Smith down to third on the all-time list in 2011.

Both Hoffman and Rivera should make it into the Hall of Fame, but Smith missed out this year in his final turn on the ballot.

I’m glad I got to see him while he was still the Saves King. It’s also kind of strange that I got to see the last blown save of his career and still got his autograph.

Let's Hear About Your Unexpected Expos Encounters

I Want to Hear Your Stories

Those are two unexpected Expos encounters that stand out in my memory.

I’m sure that you all have more interesting stories to tell about brushes with members of Nos Amours.

I’d love to hear all about them and share the best ones on this site for everyone in the MTL Baseball community to enjoy.

Keep in mind, I’ll only share stories that are clean and suitable for our younger readers.

So, if you’ve had memorable unexpected Expos encounters, please share them with us. You can leave a comment on this article or on Twitter or Facebook.

I’d like to make this a regular type of post on the site, so if you’ve got a fun story to share with everyone, let’s get it out there!

Filed Under: Expos Encounters, Fans

Follow MTL Baseball on Twitter

My Tweets

Latest Video

Latest Content

  • Everything to Know About ExposFest
  • Perry Giannias Pays Tribute to Family and Baseball at ExposFest
  • Everything to Know About the Montreal Baseball Hack Day
  • Hacking into Montreal Baseball Culture Through Digital Design
  • Tim Raines Tribute Will Kick Off “Montreal Baseball Weekend”

Archives

  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017

Copyright © 2023 MTL Baseball Productions / Les Productions MTL Baseball
 ·