Established
1969
City
Montreal – Washington D.C.
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1969 – 1999 / National League
Team History
2005 – Present / Washington Nationals
1969 – 2004 / Montreal Expos
Nickname
Expos – The Montreal Expos, the beloved Canadian baseball team that left us all too soon in 2004, had a unique and exciting nickname: The Expos. But where did this name come from?
The story of the Montreal Expos' nickname goes back to 1969 when Major League Baseball (MLB) granted an expansion franchise to Canada's largest city. After much debate over what the new team should be called—the options included Les Voyageurs, Le Nationale, and Les Canadiens—it was decided that they would be called “Les Expos de Montréal” or simply “The Expos” for short.
The name "Expo" is derived from Expo 67, which occurred two years prior in 1967 during Canada's centennial year celebrations. This world exhibition celebrated the progress made by humanity since 1767 - precisely 200 years before it opened its doors - and looked ahead toward a bright future for mankind through technological advances and peace among nations. It was also held at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène in Montreal, which became home to Olympic Stadium after construction finished up there following Expo 67!
While some may think that baseball has nothing whatsoever to do with world exhibitions like Expo 67, it does have quite a bit of relevance; both are about celebrating progress made by mankind while also looking forward to better things ahead! In addition, many believe that such an optimistic outlook is essential when playing sports – especially baseball, where failure can happen often. However, resilience will always prevail if you keep pushing yourself further each time on the field!
So next time you're cheering on your favorite MLB team, remember why they were named what they were: because their namesake represented optimism and hope for all those who supported them throughout their existence – even if only briefly so… Go EXPOS!!
Championship
World Series 0
Stadium
2008 – Present / Nationals Park
2005 – 2007 / Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
*Montreal*
1977 – 2004 / Olympic Stadium
1969 – 1976 / Jarry Park Stadium
Owner
2006 – Present / Theodore N. Lerner
2002 – 2006 / Major League Baseball
1999 – 2002 / Jeffrey Loria
1991 – 1999 / Claude Brochu
1969 – 1991 / Charles Bronfman
- 1969
- 2001
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Montreal Expos Team Formation
The Montreal Expos joined the National League in 1969, along with the San Diego Padres, with a majority share held by Charles Bronfman, a major shareholder in Seagram. Named after the Expo 67 World’s Fair, the Expos’ initial home was Jarry Park. Managed by Gene Mauch, the team lost 110 games in their first season, coincidentally matching the Padres inaugural ... -
MLB Takes Over Ownership Expos
Without a viable owner willing to operate the team in Montreal, it was widely thought that the sale of the Expos to MLB was the first step in the process of either moving the team or folding it all together. Although their attendance increased from 7,935 per game in 2001 to 10,031 in 2002, MLB decided that the Expos would ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Expos
The Montreal Expos, presently known as Washington Nationals, were a Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1969 as part of the expansion plan that also brought the San Diego Padres and Seattle Pilots into existence, they played their home games at Jarry Park until 1977, when Olympic Stadium opened. The Expos were the first MLB franchise outside of the United States and became one of four teams to have ever been located outside US borders.
During their 36-year history from 1969 through 2004, the Expos had some great moments on the field, including winning three division titles (1981 NL East Division Champions; 1982 & 1983 NL East Division Champions). They also produced several All-Stars, such as Gary Carter, who was inducted into the Hall Of Fame with an Expo cap on his plaque, and Andre Dawson, who won an MVP award while playing for them in 1987. In addition to these two players, there are many others like Tim Raines or Vladimir Guerrero whose names will be remembered by fans forever despite being gone for more than 15 years now since relocation happened after the 2004 season ended due to lack of financial support from the government authorities or local businesses which made it impossible for ownership group keeps running club any longer under those circumstances. Hence, they decided to move the franchise to Washington DC, where new Nationals began playing the 2005 campaign onwards, thus ending the long-standing tradition of baseball’s presence in Montreal. Unfortunately enough…
Despite all this, though legacy left behind still lives today thanks to both former stars mentioned above plus current ones like Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, whom we can thank for keeping the memory alive even if just a little bit each time take a mound wearing the same colors once did before them!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
8 / Gary Carter
10 / Andre Dawson
10 / Rusty Staub
30 / Tim Raines
42 / Jackie Robinson
*Blue is this team’s history