Montreal Expos - The Beginning Years (1969-1979)
 
   
 
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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1970  
        1969 6 52 110   1972 5 70 86   1977 5 75 87               Decade  
        1970 6 73 89   1973 4 79 83   1978 4 76 86               Click  
        1971 5 71 90   1974 4 79 82   1979 2 95 65               on Logo  
                  1975 5 75 87                            
                    1976 6 55 107                            
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Expos Players of the Seventies  
  None  
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Steve Rogers (27.95) -   62  
  1969-1976 Parc Jarry Steve Renko (8.32) -   37  
  1977-1979 Stad Olympique Mike Marshall (6.6) -   31  
    Bill Stoneman (6.89) -   27  
  Team Name: Mike Torrez (3.46) -   23  
  Expos Woody Fryman (6.74) -   20  
    Ross Grimsley (0.6) -   20  
  Owner:  Carl Morton (2.6) -   19  
  Charles Bronfman Dale Murray (4.23) -   15  
    Don Stanhouse (3.28) -   12  
  General Managers: Dennis Blair (4.2) -   11  
  Jim Fanning (1969-1976) Dan Schatzeder (5.22) -   9  
  Charlie Fox (1977-1978) Chuck Taylor (4.67) -   3  
  John McHale (1979)    
    Catchers:  
  Managers: Gary Carter (22.71) -   52  
  Gene Mauch (1969-1975)  Barry Foote (1.86) -   17  
  Karl Kuehl (1976) John Bateman (0.69) -   11  
  Charlie Fox (1976)    
  Dick Williams (1977-1979) First Basemen:  
    Ron Fairly (17.55) -   43  
  Hall of Famers: Mike Jorgensen (9.21) -   35  
  Gary Carter Tony Perez (6.64) -   19  
  Tony Perez    
  Andre Dawson Second Basemen:  
    Ron Hunt (12.74) -   18  
  Rookie of the Year:  Dave Cash (4.17) -    5  
  Carl Morton (1970)    
  Andre Dawson (1977) ShortStop:  
    Tim Foli (2.72) -   26  
  MVP Chris Speier (5.69) -   19  
  None    
e   Third Base:  
e No Hitters: Bob Bailey (18.33) -   54  
e Bill Stoneman (1969) Larry Parrish (9.99) -   27  
e Bill Stoneman (1972)    
e   Outfield:  
  Cy Young: Rusty Staub (18.53) -   36  
  None Andre Dawson (11.89) -   31  
    Ellis Valentine (12.87) -   29  
  Notable Events: Ken Singleton (9.29) -   24  
    Warren Cromartie (6.91) -   21  
  1969 - Charles Bronfman, who owns Seagram's Distilleries,  Boots Day (1.88) -   14  
  purchases the Expos expansion franchise. Mack Jones (6.39) -   12  
    Willie Davis (2.92) -   12  
  1969 - The Expos open up in Parc Jarry. They renovate it    
  so that it is barely adequate for major league baseball, upping its Notable Events:  
  seating capacity to 28,000  
  1979 - Montreal had built an outstanding young roster   
  1969 - Jim Fanning is the team's first General Manager almost exclusively thru the draft as all three GM's in the Seventies  
  contributed to the excellent acquisition of talent.  
  1969 - The Expansion Expos are not suprisingly awful in their first year of existence.   With owner Bronfman, GM John McHale and manager Dick Williams,   
  The top players on the roster: the Expos are in great shape, leadership-wise, moving into the Eighties.  
  □    OF - Rusty Staub, 25, obtained from Houston for Jesus Alou, 27, the 13th   
  pick in the draft and Jack Billingham, 26, the 10th pick in the draft  The top talent acquired in the Seventies:   
  □    1B - Ron Fairly, 31, obtained from LA for Manny Mota,31, the 2nd pick in  
   the draft and Maury Wills, 36, the 21st pick in the draft Pitchers:  
  □    RHP - Steve Renko, 25, obtained from Mets  □    Steve Rogers - 29, 4th overall pick 1971  
  for Donn Clendenon, 33, the 11th pick in the draft □    Dan Schatzeder 25, 1976 3rd round  
  □    1B - Bob Bailey, 26, purchased from Dodgers □    David Palmer - 21, 1976 21st round  
  □    OF Mack Jones, 30, 4th pick in expansion draft □    Bryn Smith - 23, obtained from Baltimore in 1977 in a trade  
  □    RHP - Bill Stoneman, 25, 19th pick in expansion draft □    Scott Sanderson - 22, 1977 3rd round  
  □    RHP - Carl Morton, 26, 45th pick in expansion draft □    Bill Gullickson - 20, 2nd overall pick 1977 draft  
  □    Charlie Lea - 22, 9th round 1978  
  1970 - RHP - Mike Marshall, 27, obtained from Houston for Don Bosch, 27,    
  who had been purchased from the Mets in  '69 Catchers:  
    □    Gary Carter - 25, 1972 3rd round, future Hall of Famer  
  1972 - Fan favorite, Rusty Staub, Le Grande Orange, is dealt to the Mets    
  for Ken Singleton and Mike Jorgensen. Singleton will be dealt to Baltimore in '75 Third Base:  
  for washed up Lefty Dave McNally. Ken becomes a star player there □    Larry Parrish - 25. undrafted free agent 1972  
  □    Tim Wallach - 22, 10th overall pick 1979 draft  
  1973 - Montreal is in it's first pennant race in a weak NL East    
  They finish fourth, but only 3 1/2 games back, at 79-83 Outfield:  
  □    Ellis Valentine - 24, 1972 2nd round  
  1975-1976 - Les Bleus attendance dips under a milion. The team □    Warren Cromartie - 25, 1973 1st round   
  is terrible in '76, losing 107 games, and people are weary of the □    Andre Dawson - 24, 1975 11th round - future Hall of Famer  
  tiny, makeshift ballpark. □    Tim Raines - 19, 1977 5th round - future Hall of Famer  
     
  1977 - Dick Williams is named manager. He is an outstanding manager  
  who had won titles previously in Boston and Oakland.    
     
  1977 - Stad Olympique opens to baseball. It wil take several years  
  before it's completed, particularly the roof. The roof will never be  
  done right, with several dangerous accidents occurring. The roof is   
  supposed to be retractable, but ends up having to be permanent due  
   to it's major construction flaws. The inability of the roof to retract is a  
  major reason for the failure of the Montreal franchise in the Nineties as  
  locals have no interest being inside on warm summer evenings.  
     
  1979 - Montreal has it's first winning season, and it’s a big  
  one. They finish thirty games over .500 and are in it until the final  
  weekend of the season, losing to the eventual champion Pirates  
  The young talent that the Expos have been gathering has now  
   begun to mature.  
   
  1979 - John McHale becomes GM. He was Expos team president since   
  their inception and was a successful executive with the Tigers and Braves  
  prior to coming over to Montreal. His presence is a big plus