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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 win-loss record, and continued to struggle during their first decade with sub-.500 seasons.
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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 altogether. Although their attendance increased from 7,935 per game in 2001 to 10,031 in 2002, MLB decided that the Expos would play 22 of their home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003. Although the approximately 19,000-seat stadium was considerably smaller than Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, attendance in San Juan averaged 14,222, compared with 12,081 in Montreal.
The Montreal Expos were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (NL) East Division from 1969 until 2004. Following the 2004 season, the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals.
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 – In addition to the tie-in with Expo 67, the nickname also had the advantage of being the same in either English or French, the city’s two dominant languages.
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
Retired Number
8 / Gary Carter
10 / Andre Dawson
10 / Rusty Staub
30 / Tim Raines
42 / Jackie Robinson
*Blue is this team’s history