1969 – 2004
The Expos came into being in the 1969 expansion that split the leagues into divisions. They finished last their first two seasons, but bright spots included Coco Laboy being named TSN NL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and Carl Morton winning the BBWAA ‘s Rookie of the Year award in 1970. Expo Bill Stoneman pitched the first ML no-hitter outside the United States in 1972, and the club contended in 1973 under manager Gene Mauch. The team dropped back to the 100-loss level in 1976 after Mauch left. The development of stars Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, and Larry Parrish led to the team’s first winning season in 1979 when they won a franchise-record 95 games and finished second. In the strike-split 1981 season, the Expos won their division, but through the first half of the decade, they earned a reputation as a club that was great on paper but just above average on the field.
The Expos principal owner and chairman of the board, Charles Bronfman of Seagram’s, has held his position since the team’s inception; only two other principal executives in the NL have a longer tenure.
