Montreal Expos - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)  
   
 
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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1980  
        1980 2 90 72   1983 3 82 80   1987 3 91 71               Decade  
        1981 1 60 48   1984 5 78 83   1988 3 81 81               Click  
        1982 3 86 76   1985 3 84 77   1989 4 81 81               on Logo  
                  1986 4 78 83                            
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Expos Players of the Eighties  
  1981 - Division Champs (2nd Half Winners, Beat Philies, Lost to Dodgers)  
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Steve Rogers (17.31) -   53  
  Stad Olympique Bryn Smith (17.11) -   47  
    Bill Gullickson (13.04) -   46  
  Team Name: Jeff Reardon (8.27) -   39  
  Expos Dennis Martinez (12.04) -   30  
    Charlie Lea (8.64) -   29  
  Owner:  Tim Burke  (11.64) -   27  
  Charles Bronfman Scott Sanderson (7.81) -   26  
    Floyd Youmans (7.25) -   14  
  General Managers: Pascual Perez (9.95) -   13  
  John McHale (1980-1984) Andy McGaffigan (5.22) -   11  
  Murray Cook (1984-1987) Ray Burris (0.65) -    11  
  Bill Stoneman (1987-1988) David Palmer (4.55) -   9  
  Dave Dombrowski (1988-1989) Mark Langston (4.89) -   6  
    Randy Johnson (0.13) -   0  
  Managers:    
  Dick Williams (1980-1981) Catchers:  
  Jim Fanning (1981-1984) Gary Carter (33.49) -   66  
  Bill Virdon (1983-1984) Nelson Santovania (2.85) -   11  
  Buck Rogers (1985-1989)    
    First Basemen:  
  Hall of Famers: Andres Galarraga (10.32) -   27  
  Gary Carter    
  Andre Dawson Second Basemen:  
  Tim Raines Tom Foley (4.76) -   13  
  Randy Johnson Vance Law (5.24) -   12  
       
  Rookie of the Year:  ShortStop:  
  None Chris Speier (3.74) -   15  
       
  MVP Third Base:  
  None Tim Wallach (32.38) -   64  
e      
e No Hitters: Outfield:  
e Charlie Lea (1981) Tim Raines (45.76) -   124  
e   Andre Dawson (36.47) -   79  
e Cy Young: Hubie Brooks (8.86) -   33  
  None Warren Cromartie (8.63) -   28  
    Mitch Webster (9.96) -   21  
  Notable Events: Al Oliver (6.71) -   15  
    Otis Nixon (2.9) -   10  
  1980 - Coming into the decade, Montreal has a strong young lineup with     
   decent pitching. The roster has eight position players twenty six or younger Notable Events:  
   who can all play. They include future Hall of Famers Gary Carter,     
  Andre Dawson and Tim Raines,  1985 - It's at this point that you have to question owner Charles Bronfman's  
   There are three others included who made all star teams in their careers  attitude towards the franchise.  
   Tim Wallach, Larry Parrish and Ellis Valentine.   He had made his money in the distillery business, so the Expos were more   
  The Expos also have a group of talented young pitchers aside from ace of a sideline to him. He dawdled in getting a new stadium built as   
   Steve Rogers who is thirty - all are twenty three or under: Parc Jarry, altho'  charming, was no place for Major League Baseball.   
   David Palmer, Charlie Lea, Scott Sanderson and Bill Gullickson. However, the Carter deal was the  first real indication that Bronfman  
   This group of young hitters and pitchers will carry Montreal into  did not primarily care about winning with this franchise.  
   contention for the first three years of the decade.  He had the bucks, but he lacked the passion, which, if he may have had  
   Montreal fans would have thought for longer, but it didn't work out   it earlier in the team's history, he certainly no longer had it now.   
  that way.   
    1986 - Montreal's small market position becomes even clearer as  
  1980 - The Expos contend for the Division until the final day before  Andre Dawson bolts to the Cubs as a free agent despite the MLB owner  
   losing to the Phillies by a game.   collusion tactics of '86.   
    Tim Raines, a superstar who gets no offers from other teams, is forced   
  1981 - A steal of a deal from the hapless Mets. Righty relief ace  to stay in Montreal.   
  Jeff Reardon, 25,  is obtained for OF Ellis Valentine who got old young In a normal free agency year, Tim would have been long gone, as well.   
  The Mets will get their revenge in a deal a few years down the road.  
  1986 - Ace Righthander Dennis Martinez, 32, is obtained in a trade from the  
   1981 - In a strike plagued season, the Expos win the second half East  Orioles for Rene Gonzalez, one of the bigger robberies in baseball annals.  
   championship and then beat first half champs Philadelphia in what     
   amounted to an NLDS. 1987 - Olympic Stadium finally gets its retractable roof. It’s a piece   
  Unfortunately, Montreal loses the pennant to the Dodgers in the NLCS. of crap that  repeatedly fails, finally giving way (literally and figuratively)   
     to a permanent roof in 1992. The roof problems were a big reason for  
  1983 - Montreal's run of four contending seasons comes to a close as     the the Expos failure in Montreal. A workable retractable roof was an  
  they finish a  mediocre 82-80 under new manager Bill Virdon.  absolute must considering the Montreal weather. It needed to be closed   
   Over the next dozen years, the Expos will  fluctuate around the .500  in the frigid early months of the season and it needed to be open in the  
  mark never being really good or really bad. The mediocrity can be   summer when Expo fans wanted to enjoy being outdoors on summer nights.  
  attributed to spotty pitching and also the fact that the team doesn't   
   compete financially for big ticket free agents like Andre Dawson 1987 - 2B DeLino DeShields, 18, 12th overall pick of draft, rookie in '90  
  and Tim Raines  or players who will soon become free agents  
  like Gary Carter. Things would have been a lot different if  1987 - OF John Van der Wal, 21, selected in 3rd round of draft, rookie in '91  
    Montreal had held onto these guys.  
  1988 - CF Marquis Grissom, 21, selected in 3rd round of draft, rookie in '89  
  1984 - An aging Pete Rose joins the club.   
  He gets his 4000th hit while playing in Montreal 1988 - SS Wil Cordero, 18, is an IFA, rookie in '92  
     
  1984 - Righty reliever Tim Burke, 21, is obtained from the Yankees 1988 - Righty Miguel Batista, 17, is an IFA, debuts in '91 with Pittsburgh  
   for Pat Rooney. Nice swindle perpetrated by Montreal on this one.     
    1989 - Really Dumb Trade number two of the decade. This one was dumb for a   
  1984 - OF Larry Walker, 17, is signed as an IFA from Canada, rookie in '89 completely different reason than the Carter deal. At the trade deadline, Randy   
  Johnson is dealt to the Mariners for free agent to be pitcher Mark Langston, 28,   
  1985 - Lefthander Randy Johnson, 22, is selected in the 2nd round  who the Expos  think is the final piece of their playoff.puzzle.  
   of the draft.   They're wrong. The team collapses in September and finishes at .500.   
    Langston leaves as a free agent after the season.The Expos have bupkus   
  1985 - Righty reliever Mel Rojas, 18, is an IFA, rookie in '90 to show in exchange for one of the all time great pitchers.  
     
   1985 - The Expos trade away beloved superstar catcher Gary Carter 1989 - OF Matt Stairs, 21, is an undrafted free agent, rookie in '92  
   to the Mets prior  to the season.  
   Carter was heading into his free agent year and was going to cost a lot.  
  Montreal had deep enough pockets to be able to sign Carter.  
  But even if they were strapped for cash, they needed to ink Gary to a deal.  
   This was just a flat out Dumb Trade. GM Murray Cook's hands were tied and   
   got what he could for Carter, but this was no player to be dealing away  
   as part of a salary dump.  
   Carter would have been worth whatever the Expos would have had to   
   pay him just to keep the franchise viable - he was literally the face of  
   the franchise. Shortstop Hubie Brooks, 28, is the best of the  
   four players returned from the Mets