It's a shame the Expos aren't around anymore. I was their good luck charm.
Here's what I mean:
The Expos were the easiest way for my newspaper to get in touch with a major league player. Trying to contact a player over the phone is impossible unless you have some connection to the family or an agent. So when we wanted to talk to a major leaguer, we journeyed to Montreal, the closest big league town to our hole in the wall.
Personally, I went to three Expos games for work. None of them were because I wanted to talk to any of the Expos. It was always the other team that drew my interest. And I was there for games the Expos played against the Astros, Cardinals and Dodgers.
In each case, the Expos won the game.
So you can say I was good luck for the Expos ... or bad luck for the team I was interviewing. How did they let me in the locker room anyway?
Here are the results of each game:
Montreal Expos vs. Houston Astros
Date: July 7, 1990
Score: Expos 3, Astros 1
Synopsis: Zane Smith scattered eight hits and struck out seven over seven innings and Spike Owen hit a tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Expos.
Montreal Expos vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Date: April 2, 1997Score: Expos 4, Cardinals 1
Synopsis: Henry Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and knocked in two runs with a home run and a double, and Jeff Juden allowed just two hits over seven innings for the Expos.
Montreal Expos vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Date: Aug. 13, 2002Score: Expos 4, Dodgers 3
Synopsis: Troy O'Leary's two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning rallied the Expos from a 3-2 deficit and spoiled Dodgers reliever Eric Gagne's homecoming to Montreal.
In two of the games, the player I was there to see -- Jim Deshaies in 1990 and Eric Gagne in 2002 -- did not fair well in the game. Deshaies was the losing pitcher and Gagne blew the save and took the loss.
It's probably a good thing I didn't visit Olympic Stadium more often or I'd have gotten a reputation with the opposing team.
On the other hand, the Expos probably would have loved to give me my own seat in the press box and as much free food as I wanted.
Stupid Bud Selig.
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Night Card Binder candidate: Zane Smith, 1991 NL Playoffs, 1992 Stadium Club Dome, #177
Does it make the binder?: Yes.
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