The 1969 Expos: An expansion Team comes to Canada

[Big Train]

So this is basically going to be a replay of the Expos franchise which was my favorite team as a kid and got kind of a raw deal in the real world. We'll try to win a world series or two and keep the team in Montreal obviously. I'm also making a few tweaks to MLB rules I usually use which I'll detail below. I think I'll manually play out a lot of games for this team so progress will be rather slow but should be fun.

January 1969 MLB news :

Fans in Montreal and San Diego as well as AL fans in Kansas City and Seattle are looking forward to new franchises. In the meanwhile, talks between MLB owners and the nascent Players Association Have produced a landmark deal. Players will now qualify for arbitration after their first 140 games of MLB service time and qualify for free agency after 9 140 game years of service time. The league also agreed to a salary cap equal to double the average player payroll for the league.

With the combination of expansion and the financial changes it should be a whole new MLB era entering the 70s...

[Big Train]

April 1969 is in the books and The Expos are off to a surprisingly good 13-9 start, good for 2nd place in the NL East behind the Pirates. .Mike Wegner is the team's ace so far going 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA and Rusty Staub is proving why he is the team's most highly thought of position player with a .360 6HR 18 RBI line. I have a feeling this level of play can't last but who knows?

In other news, the Expos also won the lottery for the first overall pick in the amateur draft and grabbed Darrel Porter, who immediately is penciled in as the team's catcher of the future. Third base prospect Pat Scanlon was another notable draft pickup. Around the league, there was an interesting blockbuster trade as the Twins sent Tony Oliva to the Braves in return for Orlando Cepeda and Dusty Baker. Will be interesting who comes out the winner in that one. The Pirates [18-5] and Orioles [16-9] Had the best months while the defending NL champ Cardinals flounder in last at 5-18. On to May...

[Big Train]

May 1969 done and The Expos are hanging tough in second place with a 27-21 record. The offense has jelled together nicely in the early going as the team is second in the NL in runs scored and the top 3 in the rotation - Stoneman, Wegener and Jaster have been solid even if the last 2 spots have been question marks.

We did our first trade shipping 36 year old shortstop Maury Wills back to the Dodgers in return for slightly younger catcher Tom Haller and reliever Pete Mikkelsen doubtless the Dodgers wanted to unload Haller because he was struggling with them but our scout have thusfar been correct as he's performed pretty well in an Expos uniform.

Around the league, The Pirates have cooled off a bit but still hold a comfortable lead while the Giants and Dodgers have a good back and forth race going in the west. The Senators have surprisingly overtaken the slumping Orioles in the AL east while the Twins lead in the west.

Largely responsible for the Giants recent surge in the standings have been Juan Marichal [9-2 1.34] and Willie McCovey [ .345 with already 20HR and 54 RBI]

Rico Petrocelli of the Red Sox is putting together a nice season with 15 HR and a 1.005 OPS while Dan Bosman [8-1 1.91] is helping the Senators to pace their division.

[Big Train]

Jul. 4, 1969:

Well, inevitably the Expos fell on hard times this month and are now 41-40. Looks like the dream of a surprise contending run in the first season is not gonna happen. Injuries, which we dodged for the first 2 months, really nailed the team in June as we were without 3 of our best hitters: Staub, Clendenon and Bailey were sidelined most of the month and Bailey is still out for a couple more months.

Manny Mota is a bright spot with a flashy .339 average and had a 5 and 6 hit game . Maybe I can trade him to a contender although with trading difficulty set to very hard it'll be hard to make a good deal. The Expos are also losing the derby to be the best expansion team as the Kansas City Royals are 49-29 and leading the AL West by a game and a half. Can KC actually win the division in their first season?

The Pirates and Giants continue to have fairly comfortable leads in the NL and the Orioles lead in the AL East but have 3 other teams within 4.5 games of them. Cleon Jones is hitting at .403. Petrocelli and McCovey have 26 and 25 homers, Denny McClain pitched a no hitter and Juan Marichal continues his dominant season with 13 wins and a 1.82 ERA.

[Big Train]

July 1969:


Expos pull off blockbuster trade:

In Early July the Expos shocked their fans by sending fan favorites Manny Mota and Donn Clendenon along with Tom Haller and Howie Reed to Kansas City for outfielder first baseman Mike Fiore. Opinion is divided on this trade as the Expos gave up 3 starters in return for one but proponents point to the fact that while all players going to the royals are in their 30s Fiore is having a great season, 24 years old and well regarded by scouts.

Expos stumble in July. Fall to 48-60 and 4th place:
A combination of injuries and totally ineffective pitching has led the Expos to by far their worst month in team history. Experienced baseball fans all knew this kind of stuff was coming with an expansion team. On the other hand - Fans can be excited by the addition of Mike Fiore and super-prospect Darrel Porter who was recently called up and made startinfg catcher. The future looks fairly bright even if the present is gruelling dog days.



"Miracle Royals" The Talk of MLB:

Speaking of Kansas City. This expansion team is turning heads by somehow holding down first place in the AL West by 3 and a half games over the Twins. The Senators are also hanging around tied with the Orioles for first with the Red Sox and Yankees also within 4 games. The Dodgers have closed to within 2 and a half of the Giants in what looks to be a 2 team race while the Pirates with a mighty lineup, clutch pitching and the majors best record look to be cruising to the pennant in the NL East Could the ALCS matchup be the Royals and Senators? It's safe to say exactly zero people would have predicted that at the beginning of the season but it actually could happen.
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Ageless Willie Mays hits HR #600 Youngster Carew leads AL to victory in the all star game .

[Big Train]

August 1969 Recap:

August was not as dreadful as July at least for the Expos. We played the west division all month and didn't get blown out nearly as much as in July. We could have easily won a few more games if our bullpen didn't keep blowing leads. We end the month at 59-76 and in 4th place. We've already beat our real life counterpart's 52 win total with a month more to play so that's something. We also have all our important players back from the DL. So our lineup seems a little less patchworked.


Around the league: The Royals are for real. Barring an epic collapse they will win the AL West as they've got hot at the right time to open up a 9.5 game lead. Apparently OOTP thinks this team that lost 93 games in reality had some hidden potential?

The O's have finally opened a bit of a cushion in the AL east. Currently up on the Yankees by 3 and a half and Red Sox by 4. The NL West is the tightest pennant race with the the Dodgers cutting the Giants lead to only a game and the Astros within striking distance at 4 back. The Pirates have a 12 game lead, the majors best record and, having lost something like 11 of 12 games to them so far this year, I can confirm they are a beast of a team powered by Willie Stargell who is having a great season.

[Big Train]

September: The Expos finish their first season 70-92. Not that bad really considering the level of team we had..In the pennant races there was heartbreak for the Giants as the Dodgers got red hot in September and caught and past them. Winning 100 games behind Don Sutton's dominant season (20 wins, sub- 2 ERA).

The Yankees also tried a September push but the Orioles put together a streak of their own and ended up winning their division rather easily.

In the LCS, the Orioles made midnight come early for the Cinderella Royals. Sweeping them out of the playoffs in convincing fashion despite an injury to one of their big sluggers - Boog Powell. The Pirates and Dodgers series was much closer. Sutton and Osteen pitched well for the Dodgers but in the end the explosive Pirates offense was just a little too much and the Bucs won in 5. . That set up a Pirates vs Orioles World Series and the teams split the first 4 games and then Baltimore made a thrilling late inning comeback to erase a 5 run deficit in the late innings and win game 5 in 10 frames. They then beat the perhaps demoralized Pirates in game 6 to claim the world championship. Frank Robinson was Series MVP.

Major Awards:

Top NL Pitcher for 1969 Named: He's in the early phase of his career, but this past season Don Sutton performed like a veteran on the hill for the Los Angeles Dodgers and walked away with the National League Cy Young Award in the process.

The 24-year-old Dodgers star fashioned a 20-4 won-loss record in 1969 with a 1.76 ERA. In 275.2 innings of work and 36 starts, Sutton struck out 239 while giving up 172 hits and 71 walks. He held opposing batters to a .179 average.

Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants finished second in voting, while Tom Seaver of the New York Mets finished third.
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Cy Young Award Goes to McDowell: The Cleveland Indians have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making.
It's Sam McDowell, this year's American League Cy Young Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.

McDowell compiled a 18-4 record in 34 starts, tallied 250 strikeouts in 273 innings and recorded a 2.24 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .198 batting average against him.

Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers finished second in voting, while Bill F Butler of the Kansas City Royals finished third.
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1969 AL #1 Star is Boston's Petrocelli: Rico Petrocelli took Major League Baseball by storm this year and he did it all at the age of 26.

For his spectacular campaign, the Boston Red Sox star has been named the 1969 American League Most Valuable Player Award recipient.

"To be considered amongst the best in the league is pretty overwhelming," said the third baseman.

On the season he compiled a .331 batting average to go with a .442 on-base percentage. The native of Brooklyn, New York also added 32 doubles, 1 triple, 44 home runs, 129 RBIs and 112 runs scored.

Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles finished second in voting, while Boog Powell of the Baltimore Orioles finished third.

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National League Names #1 Player: There's something special about a guy who can stride up to the plate and put the ball anywhere -- in the stands, off the wall, into the gap, down the third base line. You name the place and Willie McCovey probably put it there on his way to winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award for 1969.

The San Francisco first baseman belted out 174 hits in compiling a .314 batting average and racked up 22 doubles, 2 triples, 48 home runs, 124 RBIs and 117 runs scored.

Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers finished second in voting, while Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates finished third.
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1969 Best AL Rookie Picked: The American League Rookie of the Year Award has been given to Pat H Kelly of the Kansas City Royals.

In the 1969 season the 25-year-old left fielder played in 151 games, recording a .319 batting average with 16 home runs, 75 RBIs and 124 runs scored.

Bill F Butler of the Kansas City Royals finished second in voting, while Edward Gagle of the California Angels finished third.
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Hebner Is NL's Top Rookie: Richie Hebner, first baseman of Pittsburgh, was the cream of the freshman crop in the National League and today he received the 1969 Rookie of the Year Award.

He played in 153 games, compiling a .353 batting average with 211 hits, 12 home runs, 65 walks, and a .422 on-base percentage. Hebner also chipped in 89 RBIs and scored 87 times.

Joe Hague of the St. Louis Cardinals finished second in voting, while Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers finished third.

[Big Train]

Getting started with 1970:

Big hall of fame class but only Stan Musial gets in on the first ballot. Early Wynn, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider and a few others will have to wait and hope...

It was a great amateur draft with Mike Schmidt and George Brett leading the class. We missed out on those guys but The Expos did pick up Jim Rice with the 5th overall pick and Phil Garner in the second round so can't complain too much. We also picked up a decent pitching prospect, Bob Forsch, who the Cardinals had put rather impatiently put on the waiver wire. I know he was good in reality and his ratings look like he may develop into something.

The Expos also sign Joe Pepitone after the Yankees don't offer him arbitration. He is a decent power hitter and we need someone better than Coco Laboy as our firstbaseman (Staub can play there but he is better in right).

Looking around at our team - Our outfield with Rusty Staub (.316 29HR 82RBI), Mike Fiore (.289 21HR 82RBI .437 OBP) and Mack Jones pitching in 26HR of his own is definitely the bright spot of our team. I wouldn't mind trading Jones as he is 31 especially now that we have Jim Rice coming in a couple of years but have found it hard to get a sufficiently good prospect for him so far.

We have the young Darrell Porter at catcher who played a couple of months in the big leagues and I think proved he belongs. While he only hit .218, he did manage 8HR in 243 AB and also 45 walks. Pepitone at 1st hit 18HR for the Yanks last year with a .240 average. If he could duplicate that i'd be pleased. Gary Sutherland grabbed the second base job and hit .259 in limited action. He isn't great but isn't terrible. Likewise for Ron Brand at shortstop who provides good defense and was able to keep his average around .250 last year. Bob Bailey at third is quite a good player managing 15 HR and 21 doubles in 377 at bats last year. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year.


The Expos offense was actually pretty good last year and I expect a repeat of that. Unfortunately our pitching is a different story. Bill Stoneman and Mike Wegener won 13 games each last year with acceptable ERAs in the mid-3s but Larry Jaster (4.84 ERA) was bad and an assortment of Dave Hartmann, Carl Morton and Wade Blasingame were worse. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of options but I'm hoping a couple of pitchers in the minors turn into surprises. If not we will definitely need to take a pitcher or two high in the next draft. Dan McGinn is good as a 26 year old bullpen stopper but our other relievers blew a lot of leads last year so that is another area we need to improve.

The computer has the Expos down for 69 wins in 1970, I'd like to think maybe we could do a little better but probably 70-75 wins is our ceiling this year. The computer also likes 3 of the division winners from last year (Pirates, Orioles and Royals) to repeat with the Astros supplanting the Dodgers. We shall see...

[Big Train]

Apr. 1970 Report:

The Expos get 1970 off to a nice start going 14-7 and sitting just 2.5 games out of first. playing well both offensively and pitching wise. Mike Wegener gets Expo of the month as he goes 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA and is leading the league with 41 strikeouts. Newcomer Joe Pepitone also got some Expo of the Month consideration with his .345 6HR 18 RBI line. The team's hot start has been a shock and while some regression is inevitable we're enjoying this while it lasts. About the only sour note is that center fielder Mke Fiore injured himself although we don't know jhow long he will be out yet. If it's a long time that could be a significant blow to the team though.

Around the league, the Mets ride a ten game win streak to a 15-3 April, the Majors best record. The Astros hold a 2 game edge on the Dodgers. The Orioles have a 1 game lead over the Tigers and the AL West continues to be kind to expansion teams as the Brewers - coming off over 100 losses last year with their Seattle Pilots moniker and sticking Mike Schmidt directly into their major league lineup - are somehow tied for first with the Twins.

Rico Petrocelli picks up right where he left off last year batting .394 in April batting .394 with 7HR and 21RBI in April to earn batter of the month .The Royals Bill F. Butler puts up a 3-0 1.85 mark. Good enough for pitcher of the month. In the NL, Philly's John Briggs provides a silver lining for that last place team with his .406 3HR . 18RBI mark and Jerry Koosman of the Mets puts up a minuscule 0.26 ERA and a 3-0 record to be named the leagues best hurler.


Game of the sim:

Canadian great Fergie Jenkins had a hell of pitchers duel with Mike Wegener. Neither starter allowed a run and Jenkins got a standing ovation from the Montreal crowd when he was lifted in the 11th inning. It's worth noting that Wegener had a 1 hit complete game shutout in which he struck out 11 batters on opening day, his previous start to this. That is definitely the runner up for game of the sim and also the reason he was pulled after 7 innings in his great duel with Jenkins. The Cubs finally eked out a win 1-0 in the 14th inning.

[Big Train]

May 1970 Report:

The Expos stumble back to .500 in May as injuries to Fiore and Jones push the team's weak bench into service and every starting pitcher other than Mike Wegener struggles with consistency. They sit at 25-25 . 6,5 games out and have fallen to third behind suddenly red hot Pittsburgh.
Rusty Staub did go .349 8HR 22RBI in May and is currently leading the NL in OPS and the top all-star vote getter in RF ahead of Hank Aaron so that's enough to earn him Expo of the Month.

Around the league:

Speaking of Hank Aaron, The Hammer got his 3000th hit this month and Angels pitcher Jim McGlothin missed baseball immortality by the narrowest of margins - He allowed no hits or walks in a win against the high powered Red Sox but he was let down by his defense and lost the perfect game due to an error. He was credited with a no hitter though.

In the NL East The Mets hang on for now but the defending champ Pirates are right on their heels just one and a half games out after winning 12 in a row at one point. The defending NL champs are winning despite being without Roberto Clemente all month as well as Dock Ellis and Bob Veale - Two key rotation members. The Astros continue to hold a narrow lead over the Dodgers while the Orioles have opened up a 7 game lead in their quest to repeat. The A's have taken over the lead in the AL West although the Twins are just 2.5 out. Reggie Smith (BOS) [.413 8HHR and 26 RBI in may] and Dave Kingman (SD) [.336 15HR in May] take batter of the month. Pitcher of the month oddly goes to a pair of relief aces - The Dodgers' Ken Tatum has a ridiculous 0.27 ERA in 33 IP while the Orioles' Jack Baldschun is even better, not allowing any runs at all in about the same amount of innings.


Expos game of the Sim:

There weren't a lot of highlights for the Expos this month but one game in which our middling third starter went into Shea Stadium and outdueled the first place Mets' ace Jerry Koosman 1-0 with help from a tired bullpen was pretty cool. Jaster held the first place team to 3 hits over 7 innings and Bill Bailey drove in the game's only run for a double. Jaster and his 3.72 ERA on the year somehow managed to pitch like an ace that night.


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[Big Train]

June 1970 report:

Not a good month for the Expos as they fall to 36-42 a half game out of last. Hard to believe sometimes this is the same team that played with such poise in April. One person definitely not to blame though is Expo of the month Bob Bailey. Bailey hit .398 in June to raise his NL leading batting average to .375 with 8HR and 48 RBI.

A pair of Twins - Harmon Killebrew (.361 9HR 27RBI in June) and Bob Miller (7 saves and a 1.04 ERA in 17 innings in June) win the player of the month aweards in the AL. While stalwart stars Willie Stargell .504 OBP 11HR 28 RBI in June) and Don Sutton ( 5-2 1.80 ERA in June) grab the hardware in the NL. The Twins are the hottest team in the majors with a 15 game winning streak and have grabbed the lead in the AL west by 4 games but the Orioles continue to boast the majors' best record at 56-21 and a sizable 12 game lead in their division. In the NL races little changes although the Mets are a little more secure with a 4 game lead over the Pirates and the Astros extend their lead over the Dodgers to 5 games.

Game of the Sim - June 6 - Rusty Staub becomes the first Expo ever to hit for the cycle leading hiss team to a 9-7 win over the Braves.

[Big Train]

July 1970 report:

The Expos continue to be consistently inconsistent. They end up July with an 8 game winning streak against the west coast teams to climb back 3 games above .500 - 54-51. The All-Star Game was played at Jarry Park and The hometown Expos also somehow sent 5 players - Staub, Bailey, Wegener and relievers Dan McGinn and Don Shaw . Rusty Staub goes 2 for 2 with a homer in the game to lead the NL but Boog Powell one ups him with 2 homers as the Junior Circuit prevails. The team was rumored to be trying to trade veterans like Mack Jones and Joe Pepitone but remained silent as the trade deadline passed.



In the NL West the Astros crash and burn while the Reds get hot. The Reds and Dodgers are tied atop the division while the Astros awful month drops them to 6 games out. The Mets see their lead over the Pirates shrink to 2 games. In the AL - The Orioles continue to roll with a 76-29 record and a huge division lead and the Twins maintain a 4 game lead over the A's.

Reds players Johnny Bench and Gary Nolan grab Player of the month honors as they lead their team's hot streak. Nolan had 6 wins in July while Bench hit .398 with 12 HR.

In the AL The Yankees Mel Stottlemyre and Rico Petrocelli of the Red Sox win player of the month.

No huge moves at the trade deadline. The Orioles did send 2B Davey Johnson to the Cards in return for a couple of relievers to shore up their bullpen and there were a couple of other minor moves.

Game of the Sim - Bill Stoneman has had a rough year so far going 5-13 but he was on top of his game on July 30th as he pitched a 4 hit shutout.But the Dodgers Claude Osteen matched him step for step and the game was scoreless going into the bottom of the ninnth when Coco Laboy - Getting a rare start at 1B- Got a walk off hit to win it for the home side 1-0.

[Big Train]

August 1970 review:

Expos continued good play at the beginning of the month and were actually legitimately in the pennant race for a few exciting days but have now fallen back to Earth after getting swept by the Reds. They still sit a somewhat respectable 67-65 8 games out and need only 3 wins in the last month to equal last year's win total.

Johnny Bench is making some history for the Reds - His .330 41HR 110RBI numbers would already give him perhaps the greatest catcher season in history and he still has a month to add to those numbers. Meanwhile Reggie Jackson, after being injured early in the year, is powering the A's with 32 HR in only 286 AB. He's also batting .350.


3 of the 4 pennant races changed leaders in August. In the NL East the Pirates stake out a 3.5 game lead as the Mets fade meanwhile the red hot Reds open up a 5 and a half game lead on the Astros with the Dodgers slumping their way pretty much out of the picture.
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In the AL West the A's take over the lead by 4.5 on the Twins and the AL East continues to be all Orioles all the time as the birds fly high 50 games over .500 with a 16.5 game lead.

[Big Train]

September 1970:


The Expos finish above .500 just in their second season! Playing good baseball down the stretch to end up at 83-79 Rusty Staub finishes hiis excellent season with a hot streak and wins batter of the month for September. He winds up passing his team mate Bob Bailey to win the batting title. [ .354 with 38HR and 129 RBI]. What a spectacular season for La Grande Orange!. Bob Bailey [.346 19HR 102RBI] and Joe Pepitone [.273 38HR 125RBI] gave the Expos a trio of mashers that gave NL pitchers fits. Darrel Porter adds another 24HR out of the catcher spot. I am happy this team's offense seems to be really clicking.

There were some improvements on the pitching front as well Mike Wegener finishes with 16 wins and a 2.65 ERA to establish himself as the ace of the staff but Bill Stoneman takes a step back as he sees his ERA balloon to 4.84. Our bullpen was better as we picked up a couple of veterans off waivers - Moe Drabowski and Don McMahon - to shore things up and they did their jobs and Dan McGinn had a very good season as the closer/stopper.

The guy fighting for the 5th starter spot at the beginning of the year, Wade Blasingame, that same guy who had an ERA of 6.91 and 19 losses in 1969, somehow turned things around to go 11-3 with a 3.91 ERA this year. Yeah, that has "fluke" written all over it but he has at least earned himself another year on the team.

Overall, this is an amazing performance. I was not expecting this team to be close to .500 and obviously the production out of Staub and Pepitone and Bailey was way more than anyone could reasonably expect.

The Races:

Well really only one race was decided in September as the Reds, Orioles and A's punched their tickets with little drama. But in the NL East the Pirates got hammered by injuries, losing their young star Richie Hebner and a couple of starting pitchers to the DL and the young and feisty Mets just wouldn't quit. The Mets - who had led the division for most of the season - grabbed the lead back in mid September and held on to win by 2 and a half games.


The playoff matchups:

Mets (90-72) vs Reds (96-66): The Reds have a great offense led by presumptive MVP Johnny Bench and Pete Rose and Tony Perez. They've also put together a nice staff with rookie of the year candidate Burt Hooton joining Gary Nolan at the top of the rotation. The Mets may have the best pitching in the league when healthy but they are hurt badly by injuries to Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman. They will be counting on Tom Seaver's golden arm to carry them. The Mets made some smart trades to acquire Ron Hunt and Graig Nettles. Giving them a lineup that may not be heavy on star power but can hurt you from any slot in the lineup.

Orioles (112-50) vs A's (100-62): Crushingly for the A's, Reggie Jackson has got himself hurt again. He hit 40 HR in 355 AB with a .341 avg to probably win the MVP and power his team past the Twins with a superhuman effort but the A's will have to count on their other young sluggers such as Sal Bando and Rick Monday in the playoffs The top two of the Ai's staff are Catfish Hunter and Lew Krausse and they both had great seasons. The Orioles are obviously the team to beat. - 112 wins and looking to prove they are a dynasty caliber team. Frank Robinson and Boog Powell both had good seasons again to lead a balanced offensive attack but the O's biggest strength might be their ability to throw a quality starter out there at will. Whether it's Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally or Jim Hardin there will be no easy matchups for Orioles opponents.
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Will the Orioles repeat or will one of the hungry young teams - The Mets, Reds or A's, prevail in an upset? We shall see.
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[Big Train]

1970 playoff recap:

The NLCS was kicked off by Tom Seaver out-duelling Jim Merrit as the Mets won 3-2. In the ALCS game 1 was also a pitchers duel with Jim Palmer winning for the O's 2-1.

In Game 2 of the NLCS Reds Rookie Burt Hooton pitched 6 innings of shutout ball as the Reds evened it up with a 4-1 win.In ALCS game 2 Catfish Hunter goes the distance as the A's even up the ALCS with a 2-0 win. Game 3 of the NLCS was an odd game. The Mets started Don Cardwell who posted a 6.27 ERA and 18 losses in the regular season but against all odds Cardwell pitched brilliantly shutting down the Reds for 7 innings. Problem was the Mets could only score 1 run despite getting 12 hits. The Mets took a 1-0 lead into the ninth but Tug McGraw gave up 3 runs in the final frame aided by 2 Mets errors in the inning to lose 3-1.

Game 3 of the ALCS was also pivotal. The Orioles Mike Cuellar got injured early in the game but the Orioles still held a 5-0 lead going into the 8th. Unfortunately for Baltimore fans that's when their bullpen imploded, giving up 8 runs in the final 2 innings capped by a Rick Monday grand slam. Oakland went up 2-1 on a stunned Orioles team.

Tom Seaver evened up the NLCS by pitching a complete game 4-0 shutout. while game 4 of the ALCS featured another tight contest between Jim Nash and Jim Palmer, however this time it was Nash coming out on top 2-1 to send the A's to the world series.

The Rubber game of the NLCS featured another shutout performance by rookie Burt Hooton as the Reds pounded the Mets 9-0 to head to the series.


So the World series was the A's taking on the Reds and game one was a wild game which featured Reds pitcher Jim Merritt hitting a 3 run home run off Catfish Hunter. But despite that, Bert Campineris delivered a bases loaded triple and the A's won the slugfest 8-7. Game 2 returned to the playoff trend of low scoring games as Jim Nash and the A's won 3-1. In game 3, The A's get down 4-0 to sensational rookie Burt Hooton but finally figure him out a bit as he gives up his first runs of the playoffs. The A's score 4 in the 6th and hang on to win 5-4 to go up in the series 3-0. The A's want the sweep in game 4 but Jim Merritt isn't having it. He goes toe to toe with Catfish Hunter with both starters going into the 10th and not allowing a run. The game is scoreless into the 14th when The A's finally break the deadlock to win 2-0 and sweep the 1970 World Series.Bert Campineris hits .316 to get World Series MVP.

[Big Train]

1970 off season Awards:

AL Announces #1 Player Award: At the age of 24, Reggie Jackson of the Oakland Athletics could very well have his best years ahead of him.

It's a startling thought when you consider the year he had in 1970 was good enough to win the right fielder the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

"See the ball, hit the ball," he said. "That's my basic approach."

The top hitter put up a .341 batting average this year, as well as a .457 on-base percentage. He played 99 games and racked up 121 hits, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 40 home runs, 105 RBIs and 93 runs scored.

Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins finished second in voting, while Rico Petrocelli of the Boston Red Sox finished third.
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Johnny Bench Captures NL Most Valuable Player Award: The manager of the Cincinnati Reds said he thinks Johnny Bench is only going to get better as he gets older.

He may only be 22, but it will be hard to top the catcher's 1970 campaign, as he has been named the winner of the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

His winning campaign featured a .333 batting average and a .397 on-base percentage this year. In 144 games he piled up 185 hits, 31 doubles, 2 triples, 48 home runs, 128 RBIs and 119 runs scored.

Rusty Staub of the Montreal Expos finished second in voting, while Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves finished third.
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NL Presents Top Pitcher Trophy: The Los Angeles Dodgers have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making.
It's Don Sutton, this year's National League Cy Young Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.

Sutton compiled a 19-8 record in 32 starts, tallied 198 strikeouts in 247.1 innings and recorded a 2.26 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .200 batting average against him.

Tom Seaver of the New York Mets finished second in voting, while Fergie Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs finished third.
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Chance Grabs AL Cy Young Award: The Cy Young Award for 1970 has been presented and the American League winner is Dean Chance of Minnesota.

"It's always nice to receive an award like this," said Chance. "I just hope I can improve on my performance next year and be in the running again," the Twins star told reporters.

Chance excelled with an impressive 16-9 record in 36 starts. In 258.1 innings he yielded 225 hits and 59 walks, while striking out 200 and compiling a fine 2.65 ERA.

Bill F Butler of the Kansas City Royals finished second in voting, while Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles finished third.
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NL's Best Rookie Chosen: 1970 was an impressive year for New York right fielder Mike Jorgensen and it was capped off today with the announcement that he has been named the winner of the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Jorgensen compiled a .282 batting average and a .368 on-base percentage this season. In 133 games he piled up 136 hits, 24 home runs, 92 RBIs and 78 runs scored.

Ron Cey of the Los Angeles Dodgers finished second in voting, while Jose Cruz of the St. Louis Cardinals finished third.

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AL's Top Rookie Chosen: Mike Schmidt, the rookie third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, assured himself of a place in American League history with a solid performance in the 1970 season. He now has a place reserved for him in the league record book under "Rookie of the Year."

The 21-year-old Milwaukee newcomer took the trophy by hitting .236 in 125 games this season and finished with 108 hits, 27 home runs, 83 RBIs and 72 runs scored.

Mike R Adams of the Detroit Tigers finished second in voting, while Mike Caldwell of the New York Yankees finished third.

[Big Train]

1970 off season: Trade/Draft/ Hall of fame:

The Expos did make one significant move in the offseason sending OF Remy Hermoso and RP Bob Reynolds to the Giants for their OF Ken Henderson. We decided to make this move because Mack Jones decided he wanted a superstar player salary and simply was not worth it at his age. Henderson hit .261 with 16 HR for the giants last year and he should be fine in Mack Jones old left field job. Other significant trades - The Mets acquire Wilbur Wood from the White Sox for 2B Ken Boswell and pitching prospect John Matlack and the Cards send their pitching prospect Ron Guidry to the Yankees in a nice nod to real life in return for Al Downing.


Yogi Berra, Duke Snider and Nellie Fox were all inducted into the Hall of Fame. Early Wynn is at 69%.

In the first year player draft Rick Reuchel and Gary Carter were the first two picks. The Expos grabbed young lefty Bob Knepper with the 11th pick and then grabbed good looking shortstop John Harbin in the second round. Harbin is a 20 year old shortstop who we will try starting off in the majors as our opening day starter. Our scouts tell us he can handle it and we really need an upgrade there.


Preseason predictions. The computer is big on the White Sox this year for some reason- surprising as they were pretty bad the last 2 years. It also thinks the Orioles and Mets will repeat and the Astros will win the NL West. Once again the Expos are predicted to win 69 games. Last year we beat that prediction by 14 games. Hopefully we can do that again and finish at least around .500. I think the team is improved from last year's version. On with 1971!


Some of the top prospects in baseball:




BATTERS

2 Jim Rice Montreal 18 LF
6 Chet Lemon San Diego 16 CF
7 Gorman Thomas Milwaukee 20 SS
8 Jerry Mumphrey Washington 18 RF
9 Gary Carter Milwaukee 16 C
10 Johnny Grubb Boston 22 RF
11 Mike Hargrove Cubs 21 LF
12 Garry Maddox Philadelphia 21 CF
15 Brian Downing Milwaukee 20 C
20 Willie Randolph San Francisco 16 2B
21 Jim Dwyer Houston 20 CF
24 Keith Hernandez Boston 17 1B
25 Sixto Lezcano Cleveland 17 RF
29 George Brett Philadelphia 17 3B
32 Larry Herndon Kansas City 17 CF
34 Dave Collins Atlanta 18 RF
37 Bucky Dent Atlanta 19 SS
39 Jorge Orta Cleveland 20 RF
40 John Harbin Montreal 20 SS
42 Claudell Washington Washington 16 RF
44 Phil Garner Montreal 21 SS
45 Craig Reynolds Houston 18 SS
46 Omar Moreno San Diego 18 CF
48 John Hale Washington 17 CF
50 Jerry Remy San Francisco 18 2B

Pitchers:

1 J R Richard Cubs 21
3 Rick Reuschel California 21
4 Steve Rogers San Diego 21
5 Bert Blyleven Minnesota 19
13 Randy Jones White Sox 21
14 Frank Tanana Detroit 17
16 Doc Medich Mets 22
17 Ron Guidry Yankees 20
18 Larry Christenson Kansas City 17
19 Ed Halicki Pittsburgh 20
22 Dave Goltz Mets 22
23 Craig Swan Detroit 20
25 Randy Hammon Kansas City 19
26 Rick Young California 20
28 Dennis Leonard Mets 19
30 Bob Forsch Montreal 21
31 Bob Knepper Montreal 16
33 Nino Espinosa Montreal 17
35 Bruce Kison Chicago 21
36 Clifford Farmer Minnesota 22
38 Ray Burris Oakland 20
41 Dennis Lamp Baltimore 18
43 Dave Freisleben Cleveland 19
47 Tom Hausman California 18
49 Bill Greif Detroit 20

[Big Train]

April 1971 Report:

The Expos get 1971 off to a frustrating 8-12 start keyed by a 1-6 record in one run games and 0-4 in extra innings. we just could not buy a hit when we needed it which was not a problem at all last year so I guess maybe things will improve.

The game which was this month in a microcosm for the tea this month which I am also calling Game of the Sim: April 10: In a game that featured two rain delays. Carl Morton and the bullpen threw the first 9 inning no hitter in Expos history. I'm specifying 9 inning no hitter because the Expos couldn't score either despite the Phillies having the worst pitching in the league last year. The game is scoreless going into the top of the 10th when the . Expos finally score. No hitter still intact but Moe Drobowski blows both the no hitter and the shutout in the bottom of the inning and then Chris Chambliss hit a walk off double to win it for the Phils in the 11th. That was just the kind of month it was.

Rusty Staub is back at it leading the league in batting with at .388 Billy Williams is hitting .387 with 6 homers to key the Cubs to a nice 17-7 start. The Dodgers and Braves are tied atop the NL West, The Orioles on top in the AL East and, by far the biggest surprise, The Brewers are 15-5 with Mike Schmidt hitting over .400. 39 year old Willie Mays is closing in on 3000 hits in San Francisco.

The Expos rookie shortstop John Harbin went down with an injury in the second game of the season but we got Bill Russell from the Dodgers for a very minor prospect and agreeing to pay Russell's $50K salary this year. Harbin will be back in a couple of days though luckily. On to May...

[Big Train]

May 1971 Report:

A month of extremes sees the Expos go on an 8 game win streak in early May to climb above .500 and then end the month with a dismal stretch of losing 10 of 11 to end up about where we started (21-29). It's hard to know what to make of a team that is this inconsistent. I do know I'm getting sick of watching our bullpen blow big leads in the midst of this team wide pitching slump and it's not helped by the fact that both starter Larry Jaster and Dan Shaw, one of our better relievers, have gone down to long term injuries.


We made a couple of trades which could come back to bite us later. Most significant was sending breakout star pitcher Mike Wegener to the Reds for their young pitcher Steve Dunning. A straight up challenge trade. Rumor has it Wegener's control problems this season were a huge concern to the team (he had 6.2 walks per 9 innings) but young Dunning hasn't performed very well since being inserted into the Expos rotation causing many sportswriters and fans to criticize this trade. Time will tell.

The other trade is at least more exciting for Montreal fans as the Expos shore up their lineup with aging Red Sox star Carl Yastrzremski in exchange for moderate infield prospect Pat Scanlon. Yastrzemski has apparently fallen out of favor in Boston after being injured most of 1970 and was actually playing in AAA Pawtucket when the Expos acquired him. But Yaz seems on a mission to prove to the Red Sox that he isn't washed up hitting .354 with 4 bombs in his firast month in an Expos uniform.

There's also some bright news down on the farm as Nino Espinosa has emerged as a nice pitching prospect having an ERA of under 2 at AA. He along with Jim Rice and Phil Garner (who are also tearing up AA) may be given a shot at the big leagues next year or even later this year.

Around the big leagues:

-Willie Mays gets his 3000th hit to go along with over 600 HR. Some ardent Giants fans are now openly talking about Mays over Ruth as the greatest of all time.

-The Phillies get no hit again and this time the opposing Reds give Burt Hooton some run support to put it in the books.

-A couple of big trades - The Reds ship Tony Perez out to California for Angels pitching prospects Tom Murphy and Vandon Mattison. The last place Angels must be looking to build around the 29 year old Perez or maybe they are just looking to draw some fans away from the Dodgers by making some news,.

Speaking of the Dodgers, they send prospect second baseman Davey Lopes to their rivals the Giants for reliever Frank Linzy and pitching prospect Steve Stone. You know the Dodgers will never hear the end of this if Lopes becomes a star which he could.

The division standings look more "normal" now as fluke teams like the Brewers and Cubs fade a bit. Division leaders are the Mets, Dodgers, Twins and Orioles. Dick Allen has 18 HR to lead the majors. Staub is hitting .360 in his bid to repeat as NL batting champion.

[Big Train]

June 1971

The Expos cannot stay healthy this month as 4 outfielders go to the DL for lengthy periods. This keys a continued slide through the standings and we are now at 35-45 and in last. Well maybe getting a good draft pick this year won't be the worst thing in the world. Disappointing for a year that seemed to start so promising though.




Ron Santo, Tom Seaver, Fergie Jenkins Don Sutton and Bill Singer are key contributors as the Mets and Cubs turn the NL East into a 2 team race with the Mets holding a half a game edge while the Dodgers appear poised to run away with the NL West.

In The AL, Yankees young ace Mike Caldwell is doing what he can with a 1.56 ERA but his team still trails the Orioles by 3 and a half and Reggie is back off the DL and lifting the A's in the AL West. although the Twins still hold on to a 1 and a half game lead and the surprising White Sox are also a game and a half back. Good year for Chicago baseball fans so far. Hank Aaron becomes the second player in as many months to have both 3000 hits and 600 HR as he hits #600. Indians rookie catcher Dave Roberts flirts with .400 - currently at .388.