Today in sports history: The Expos make their home debut

It’s impossible to keep a good idea to yourself. Americans discovered that firsthand on April 14, 1969 when Major League Baseball conducted its first regular season game outside of the U.S. The setting was Montreal, Quebec, and the occasion was the Montreal Expos’ inaugural home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at snow-covered Jarry Park.

Montreal was granted an expansion franchise on May 27, 1968, but baseball was far from a new attraction in la belle province. The Montreal Royals played 20 seasons in the Eastern League from 1897 to 1917 and the city was home to a thriving Triple-A affiliate from 1939 to 1960.

Montreal’s rich legacy didn’t impress oddsmakers on opening day, however, as the club hosted the heavily favored Cardinals. St. Louis had won the National League Pennant the previous season and had a roster full of perennial All-Stars and future hall of famers.

The Expos, on the other hand, had a bunch of guys who were just happy to have a job. Leadoff hitter Don Bosch was a lifetime .164 hitter, third baseman Coco Laboy had never had a big league at-bat prior to 1969, and outfielder Rusty Staub was, at that point in his career, far more famous for his red hair than for anything he could still do on a diamond.

The disparity between the two teams was also painfully evident in that day’s pitching matchup. The Expos gave the ball to Larry Jaster, a journeyman left-hander who had lost 13 games in 1968. The Cardinals, meanwhile, countered with Nelson Briles, a crafty two-time World Series champ who has gone 19-11 with a 2.81 ERA the previous season.

Not much was expected of the Expos that day, but they gave their 29,184 fans in attendance a major thrill by jumping out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings. Left fielder Mack Jones led the way with a home run and triple in his first two at-bats, and Montreal received a big-time boost from first baseman Bob Bailey and Jaster, who singled in a run in the third.

Undeterred, the Cardinals came storming back in the fourth inning. Shortstop Dal Maxvill and first baseman Joe Torre both hit tape measure home runs, and St. Louis tagged Laster for seven runs to gain the lead.

Most young teams likely would have folded in that situation, but the Expos showed impressive resolve by scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth and adding another in the seventh off of reliever Gary Waslewski to regain the lead and win their opener.

It was a memorable highlight in an otherwise forgettable season for the Expos, who finished their first campaign 52-110, and 48 games behind the New York Mets in the East Division. The Cardinals fared better, winning 87 games, but ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in three years.

The Expos would go on to play another 34 years in Montreal before the team was relocated to Washington in 2004 following a steep decline in revenue and performance. Today, 13 former Expos are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and there continues to be strong support in Montreal for a new MLB franchise.

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