APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: EXPOS by Ted Blackman (Montreal Gazette)
MONTREAL - Fans here don't take expansion teams lightly anymore.
It was only last spring that the mighty Montreal Canadiens found themselves in a surprisingly tough match against the St. Louis Blues for the Stanley Cup. The Blues lost four straight, but only by a goal each time, and the local bettors who laid two goals took a bath. Some expansion club.
They won't write off the Expos, either, although the club is an expansion team and you know all about the Mets and Astros - and Senators, of course. Gene Mauch has warned them. He never saw the Blues play hockey, but he holds the same belief - make the least mistakes and you will fool people.
"We'll win more than people think we will," said Mauch, the bright young skipper charged with molding a team out of "players with their first big chance and players with their last." He sees no moreof a challenge with the Expos than he did with the Phillies he once inherited.
"We're better prepared to play ball and the Phillies were better prepared to pitch," he said, comparing his new team with the 1961 Phils - losers of 107 games. He expects the Expos to win more games than that and promises that Montreal fans will see their team play .500 baseball at home.
His premise is this: The pitching isn't the world's strongest, but the offense is fairly potent. The club will score plenty and despite the uphill pitching battle the Expos should be able to defend because they have three key players.
"A catcher, a shortstop and a second baseman," said Mauch. "That's why the Angels were so strong. When you've got a Gary Sutherland at second, a Maury Wills at short and a John Bateman behind the plate, you can help your pitching an awful lot."
The starting rotation consists of Mudcat Grant, Larry Jaster, Bill Stoneman and Howie Reed. Combined they started 25 games in the majors last year.
The bullpen pitched a total of 59 innings in the big leagues last season.
Not impressive, right? But Grant was a starter before the Dodgers stuck him in the bullpen, Jaster was shuffled back and forth at St. Louis, and Stoneman, a Cubs leftover, looked terrific in spring training. Reed won 15 at Oklahoma City last year.
"Grant will win more games than any pitcher on a first-year expansion team," Mauch promised. "Yeah, more than 14."
Even if the pitching staff performs with mediocrity, the Expos should win a few because of the offensive talent and experience in the field. Mauch has made it clear he wants no Met-type muffs and he has the men who should be able to wield big-league gloves.
Donn Clendenon, once he has worked himself into shape, will be the first baseman. Ex-Phillie Sutherland is a competent second baseman, Wills is aiming for All-Star status at short and Coco Laboy was a triple-A star at third in the Cards' system.
Bateman could be an excellent receiver and the outfield shows no great weakness - Mack Jones in left, Rusty Staub in right and Don Hahn or Don Bosch in center. The swing man is Manny Mota, on the recovery list as the season starts.
Staub is a proven .300 hitter and Mauch expects him to forget his choked-up Astrodome swing and hit 20 homers at Jarry Park. Jones, Mauch feels, will smash 25 downtown. Clendenon batted in 87 runs for the Pirates last year. Laboy drove in 100 at Tulsa, Sutherland hit .275 at Philly and the 36-year-old Wills still has it.
A few runs for, a few runs against. Lots of action. They will love it in Montreal. In other cities, they may be surprised.
RUSTY STAUB