Writer 52 years.
#expos
historian with 10 books about the franchise, including 2024 release Explosion.
@ACTRAToronto
member. Hails from Douglas, Ontario.
Elroy Face's daughter Michelle tells me her double-vaccinated dad, the oldest surviving
#expos
player at 93, is holding his own in a Pittsburgh hospital, battling
#covid
-19. He can eat/walk, watch
@mlb
playoff games. "He's worn out. It's an exhausting thing. Fingers crossed.''
Hard to type this. My brother Bernard ( Bo) passed away today at Langley Hospice in B.C.
He was 74. He had battled cancer for the last 16 months.
He was a kind and wonderful soul.
He worked for Revenue Canada for 35 years & was a pretty good baseball player growing up.
Adios, Bo.
Friend Mark Secheyco has informed me 1985
#expos
player U.L. Washington has died at 70.
He had been suffering from cancer and had undergone recent surgery.
He was known for his toothpick & he was a solid back-up infielder.
This is a pretty neat
#expos
car owned by Jason Moehr of Orlando, Fla. He posted this on Facebook a little while ago. He especially loved No. 8 Gary Carter.
I always thought Borje Salming was indestructible. He was such a wonderful, classy player. It's emotional just typing this, now that he has passed away. This scene of him and Darryl Sittler crying will be etched in our minds forever.
Steve Rogers threw an amazing 129 complete games for the
#expos
from 1973-85. His ERA was a splendid 3.17. He won four important games in October, 1981. Happy birthday today, Steve.
Wishing speedy recovery to Spaceman after he collapsed in the bullpen while warming up for the Savannah Bananas amateur team Friday night. He was able to get up with assistance & went to hospital.
May 9, 1982: Spaceman was released by the
#expos
and he never pitched in the majors again. The day before, he protested Rodney Scott's release by going to a bar during a game.
What is your biggest
#expos
memory you witnessed in person?
Mine is Rusty Staub trying to step into the batter's box as a pinch hitter July 27, 1979 -- after a trade from the
@tigers
.
Over 59 ,000 people there at the Big O. Electrifying standing ovation for No. 6.
He started in the
#expos
mailroom, became a team scout, was GM of the
@bluejays
& won the World Series with the
@braves
last fall. Congrats to Alex Anthopoulos on being No. 1 on
@elliottbaseball
's
@cdnbaseballnet
Top 100 Most Influential Canadians in Baseball list for 2021.
I've written 14 books, 10 of them about the
#expos
.
And it's always a treat to see a new book show up at the doorstep in the final, printed product.
My first batch of author copies showed up today. The doorbell rings. Surprise.
Get your souvenir edition at Amazon. 264 pages.
May 21, 1985: The
#expos
released Steve Rogers, ending his tenure of 12+ years with the club.
He posted a lifetime record of 158-152 with a 3.17 ERA and an amazing 129 complete games.
This is bad/sad news. Former
#expos
P Scott Sanderson died today of cancer. Last year, he had his voice box removed and he suffered a stroke. He was bedridden for months. Tall and Hollywood-handsome, he was 62. Tim Wallach & Terry Francona were very close with Scotty.
Dec. 10, 1984: In a shocking move, the
#expos
dealt Gary Carter to the
@mets
for Hubie Brooks, Floyd Youmans, Herm Winningham & Mike Fitzgerald.
Owner Charles Bronfman asked/told new GM Murray Cook to make the swap because Kid was making too much $, about $2-million per season.
Dec. 31, 1972: Sad news.
Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash, helping to deliver goods to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua.
The
@pirates
star played Triple-A ball with the Montreal Royals in 1954.
Introducing the front cover of my new
#expos
book.
Due out Feb. 10.
264 pages, 110,000 words.
125 photos, 93 interviews.
Anniversary edition.
Dawna Dearing did a great job on the front and back covers and with the inside layout.
We're still doing some fine-tuning.
July 13, 1982: The
#expos
had five players named to the all-star game played in Montreal.
Here's trainer Ron McClain with Kid, Hawk, Cy, Rock, Scoop & Jim Fanning, who was a coach.
July 27, 1979: Pinch-hitter Rusty Staub tried to get into the batter's box in his 1st game back in
#expos
uniform after a trade earlier with Detroit.
Big O was rocked by standing ovations to celebrate his return. 59, 260 were there, including me as a fan.
Rusty popped up.
Sept. 29, 2004: Brad Wilkerson signs for fans prior to the
#expos
last home game.
That morning at 8:05 a.m. EST, MLB owners voted to approve the transfer of the Montreal franchise to Washington.
About 23,500 walk-up tickets were sold that day on top of ones already purchased.
Oct. 7, 1981: Steve Rogers worked 8.2 innings & Jeff Reardon picked up the save as the
#expos
beat the
@phillies
3-1 to take Game 1 of the NLDS at the Big O.
I've done close to 85 interviews for my upcoming
#expos
book, including close friends Lenny Webster & Marquis Grissom.
110,000 words, 100 photos, 60 chapters. Anniversary edition.
New details about the final days in 2004 & a closer look at 1994.
Includes 1969 to the end.
30 years ago this week, the Expos signed this guy in the Dominican Republic. At the time, he drew little interest from other teams. He sure turned out pretty good.
I'm a
@LinkedIn
member but I rarely go on there.
Yesterday I did -- to see
#expos
great Steve Rogers recently celebrated 35 years full time with the
@mlbpa
's pension dept.
Congrats, Steve.
His affiliation with the PA is close to 50 years: many years as Mtl player rep/assistant.
Prayers for
@mapleleafs
legend Eddie Shack, who is in poor health because of throat cancer, which I reported a few weeks ago. Today, former Leafs beat reporter Howard Berger posted on Facebook that Eddie is in palliative care.
July 27, 1979: the Big O was rocking with 59,260 for Rusty's
#expos
return following a trade with the
@tigers
. When he appeared as a pinch hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader, there was an 8-minute Standing O. My favourite Expos moment. I was there.
Feb. 21, 1974: One of my growing-up heroes with the
@mapleleafs
died in a car crash.
Tim Horton.
50 years ago today. Sad day for hockey.
Horton seemed invincible, strong as an ox like Gordie Howe.
A rough-and tough defenceman with some offence thrown in.
Oct. 16, 1981: Jerry White cemented his place in Expos' lore with a three-run homer as the
#expos
beat the
@dodgers
4-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS.
The Big O was a-rockin' with 54,372 on hand.
Steve Rogers went the distance, scattering seven hits for the W over Jerry Reuss.
My favourite photo from the 1982 all-star game, courtesy trainer Ron McClain at left. Him & Jim Fanning book-end Kid, Hawk, Cy,
@timraines30
&
@alscoop16
. This rare photo appears in my new
#expos
book Bases Loaded.
Oct. 5, 1992: Gary Carter was placed on the voluntary retirement list, thus ending his great career.
He asked not to be used in the last 6
#expos
games that season because he wanted to be remembered for a hit in his last game: that memorable double on Sept. 27.
April 1, 1986: Sad news for Terry Francona. He was released by the
#expos
. He had become less productive after bad injuries to both of his knees. I've always been a fan of his, especially since he has done so good as a manager.
Many thanks to all who wished me Happy Birthday, including about 800 on Facebook. My wife got me this Levis coat as a gift enhanced with a familiar crest by a tailor's sewing machine.
The
@GoldenKnights
won the Stanley Cup and the only person I like to think of is the original coach, Gerard Gallant.
He steered them into the final years ago in their first season. He is not forgotten, at least not with me.
Bill Lee not only pitched for the
#expos
but 4 seasons in Moncton, N.B., 2 in Longueuil, Que., 1 in Sydney, N.S., in many 1-game events & tournaments, has done a ton of fund-raisers in Canada so that makes him a quasi-Canadian. Best wishes to Spaceman on his 75th birthday today.
May 25, 1989: The
#expos
acquired Mark Langston from the
@mariners
for Randy Johnson, Brian Holman and Gene Harris.
A month earlier, Buck Rodgers had told me this trade was in the works.
It didn't work out for Montreal.
May 22, 1992: Felipe Alou became the new
#expos
manager, replacing the fired Tom Runnells.
This is Felipe in a team-issued photo at the news conference.
TR managed the team for parts of two seasons with middling results after taking over from Buck Rodgers.
All the best to Hubie Brooks on his birthday today.
He played with aplomb for the
#expos
for five seasons after being acquired as part of the Gary Carter trade.
I'm glad I called Ralph Terry a few months ago to talk some baseball. His voice sounded low and I asked him how he was doing. "Well, I'll be 86 pretty soon.'' Sad to hear he died today.
@yankees
great.
"We have this guy in rehab. Would you be interested in taking him?'' -- That was
@orioles
GM Hank Peters asking
#expos
GM Murray Cook. Guy in question was Dennis Martinez. Cook said yes. Deal was made 35 years ago today.
Sept. 16, 1993: It was an awful scene. Moises Alou rounded first after a single in St. Louis and broke his left leg when it got caught in the turf.
You don't want to see the video.
He made a terrific recovery to come back for the start of the 1994 season.