Sorry Montreal No Baseball For You

Xen

Banned
May 27, 1968: The National League awards the city of Montreal an expansion franchise, and another expansion team to San Diego. The American League expands to Kansas City and Seattle as per their agreement with Missouri Senator Stuart Symington after the Athletics left KC for Oakland. All four expansion teams will begin play in 1969. Milwaukee, Dallas-Ft Worth, New Orleans, Toronto and Denver are amongst the other cities that made their presentation to Major League Baseball, but failed to win an expansion club.

August 1968: With the old minor league Delrimier Stadium being considered outdated, even for a temporary park, and the Montreal city government balking at expanding Astrostade for Major League Purposes, the National League threatens to revoke Montreal’s expansion team. NL President Warren Giles meets with Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau to discuss the future of Major League Baseball in Montreal. Mayor Drapeau hopes to sell his proposal of expanding Jarry Park to Mr. Giles. After viewing the tiny 3,000 seat ball field, Warren Giles decides against expanding to Montreal. Before he calls the other owners he places a call to AL President, Joe Cronin. He proposes trading San Diego for Seattle, and the NL expands to Seattle and Montreal in 1970, Cronin refuses. Upon returning to his hotel, he begins calling the owners of the 11 other NL clubs (including the San Diego Padres owner) to inform them of his decision. Most are disappointed not to expand to Canada, but agree with his assessment.

Late August 1968: After looking into Dallas-Ft Worth and Toronto as alternatives to Montreal, the National League owners agree there isn’t time to find an ownership group, and get the stadiums ready in time for the expansion draft in October. There is one alternative, Milwaukee. Milwaukee was the home of the Braves from 1953-1965, and had a Major League Stadium already to go. In fact, Milwaukee had an ownership group in place, Car salesman Bud Selig had been trying to buy the Chicago White Sox for a move north after his bid for one of the four expansion clubs failed; the White Sox played 9 games in Milwaukee in 1968 drawing over 200,000 fans. Milwaukee was a prime baseball town, and as the old saying goes “Any port in a storm”. Milwaukee was awarded the twelfth National League franchise, which was named the Brewers.

December 1968: Montreal files a law suit against the National League, and forms the Grand Slam Montreal, a group of fans determined to gain an expansion team or relocate an existing team to Montreal. The proposed name for any Montreal team is the Expos after the team that was lost before they played their first game.

1969: After a three game road trip to Los Angeles, the Milwaukee Brewers open their first home series at County Stadium against the Atlanta Braves. It is an emotional home, with Milwaukee fans booing their former hometown team, yet showing great respect towards its old favorites such as Hank Aaron. The Brewers win the first game of the series 4-1, but go on to lose the next two games.

The Brewers finish with a 59-103 record and finish in sixth place in the National League East. The New York (Miracle) Mets go on to defeat the favorite Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 World Series.

1970: After one miserable season in Seattle, the expansion Pilots are purchased and relocated out of Washington State, for Arlington, TX. The team is renamed the Texas Rangers and will play the 1970 season in the recently expanded Arlington Stadium. The Rangers are the team for the Dallas-Forth Worth market. Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh open their doors for the first time.

1971: The hapless Washington Senators finish in last place in the AL East, with a team already in Arlington, owner Bob Short looks to either sell the team or move them. He at first looks into Seattle, but the move is blocked by AL owners unhappy with Seattle’s stadium situation; Montreal is rejected for the same reason. The move Toronto seems likely, but Short is hesitant, he doesn’t want to pay his players American money, when he is making Canadian money. He announces the Senators will play 1972 in RFK Stadium, though no one is certain if ’72 is the last year for baseball in Washington or not. Veterans Stadium opens in Philadelphia.

1972: After three years in the run down Municipal Stadium, the Kansas City Royals begin play in beautiful Royals Stadium, right next door to the NFL Arrowhead Stadium, a novelty for the time as most stadiums are being built for dual football-baseball specifications. Washington Senators owner Bob Short sells the team to a Cleveland businessman named George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner had previously attempted to by the Cleveland Indians, and promises to leave the Senators where they are and turn the team into a winner. Roberto Clemente is killed in a plane crash on December 31, attempting to bring relief to the victims of an earthquake in Puerto Rico. The season is shortened due to a player strike.

1973: The New York Yankees are sold to a group led by team president Michael Burke.

1975: Bill Veeck purchases the Chicago White Sox to prevent the team from moving to Seattle. An elaborate scheme by AL owners is revealed to the press. Apparently the White Sox would move to Seattle under a different name to play in the new domed stadium for the 1976 season, while the Oakland A’s would be relocated to Chicago and assume the White Sox name. In spite of winning, A’s owner Charles Finley was not pleased with attendance in Oakland and wanted to move to Chicago, not too far removed from his home in Indiana. Frank Robinson becomes the first African-American manager in baseball with the Cleveland Indians.

1976: Thanks to lawsuits from Seattle and Montreal, Major League baseball agrees to expand for 1977. At first it was hoped the AL would place expansion teams in both cities, allowing for the NL to take its time for its next expansion. Not wanting the NL to benefit from the expansion, the AL refused to expand to Montreal, telling the NL to deal with its own problems. The AL expands to Seattle and Toronto, the NL expands to Denver and Montreal.

1977: The Montreal Expos open their season against the Philadelphia Phillies, the first official baseball game played outside the United States. The Phillies routed the Expos 5-0. The Toronto Blue Jays play their first game a week later against the Washington Senators, and like the Expos lose 3-2. The New York Yankees advance to the World Series for the first time since 1964 and defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, for their first world championship in fifteen years.

1978: George Steinbrenner has kept his word, leading the Washington Senators to the playoffs for the first time. The Senators held off a late charge by the Baltimore Orioles to win the AL East by exactly one game. Senators outfielder Reggie Jackson belts three homeruns to help the Senators defeat the Oakland A’s in a three game sweep to advance to the World Series. Washington came a breath away from winning the World Series but lost it to Pete Rose and the Cincinnati Reds 4 games to 3.

1979: The Pittsburgh Pirates bring closure to their fans after the sudden death of Clemente in 1972 by defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, to date it would be the last World Series appearance by the Pirates.

1980: The Philadelphia Phillies win their first ever World Series defeating the Kansas City Royals.

1981: The Milwaukee Brewers advance to their first World Series only to lose to the New York Yankees in a strike shortened season.

1982: The St Louis Cardinals tie the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL East lead, St Louis wins one game playoff when shortstop Garry Templeton hits a rare homerun in the tenth inning. The Cardinals advance to the World Series after knocking off the Atlanta Braves and defeat the Chicago White Sox in six games.

1983: The Baltimore Orioles have their lost hurrah defeating the Philadelphia Phillies for the World Title. It would be the only World Series title for Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken.

1985: The Kansas City Royals defeat the Washington Senators in the ALCS while the St Louis Cardinals are defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. The Royals go on to sweep the heavily favored Dodgers and collect their only World Series Championship. Donald Trump purchases the New York Yankees.

1987: Former Braves slugger Bob Horner signs a four year contract with the Washington Senators helping power the Senators past the Detroit Tigers in the AL East, and past the upstart Minnesota Twins for the ALCS. The Milwaukee Brewers win a tight race in the NL East, and beat the San Francisco Giants out for the NLCS only to lose to the Senators.

1988: Kirk Gibson hammers a monster homerun in one of the most memorable World Series moments to lift the Dodgers past the Athletics for a World Series win.

1989: The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics meet in the World Series, which is briefly interrupted by an Earthquake, the Series is eventually won by the Athletics in seven games. Phillies Manager Pete Rose is blackmailed into stepping down as the teams coach. The Skydome opens in Toronto.

1990: The Athletics lose the World Series, being swept by the Cincinnati Reds.

1991: In a thrilling chase the Atlanta Braves came from last place to win the National League West by one game over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Braves would defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates to advance to the World Series and defeat the Minnesota Twins, another team that finished last the year before. The 1991 World Series is considered by many to be the greatest in the games history.

1992: The Atlanta Braves prove they are no fluke by repeating as NL Champs, they fail to repeat as Champions as the Toronto Blue Jays bring the World Series Title north of the border for the first time ever. Candem Yards opens in Baltimore and is hailed as an engineering marvel and a throw back to baseball’s glory days. With his gambling habit unknown to the baseball world, Pete Rose is admitted into the Hall of Fame.

1993: Both Leagues begin looking at the possibility of expansion; Miami, Tampa, San Antonio, and Las Vegas are listed as potential sites. Led by an aging Robin Yount and Paul Molitor the Milwaukee Brewers defeat the Atlanta Braves for the NLCS and keep the Blue Jays from repeating as World Series Champions.

1994: The Baseball Season is interrupted by a long and costly strike, an agreement in September suspends the strike to allow the play of the World Series. The dominant San Francisco Giants manhandles the Wild Card winning Cubs, and defeats the Atlanta Braves in six for the NLCS. In the AL the Cleveland Indians win the Wild Card and defeats the Texas Rangers to advance against the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox easily defeats the Indians, setting up a Chicago-San Francisco World Series. Led by Barry Bonds, Matt Williams and John Burkett, the Giants defeat the Frank Thomas led White Sox for their first championship since 1954; and the first since the move west to the Bay Area.

1995: The strike threatens Cal Ripken’s consecutive game streak, but ends before opening day. In September, Ripken suprasses Gehrig and his 2,130 consecutive games, it is the crowning moment in a game given a black eye by the long strike. The Atlanta Braves defeat the Cleveland Indians for their second World Series Title of the decade. The NL will expand in 1998 to Phoenix and Miami.

1996: With the Raiders back in Oakland, the Athletics have come to believe they are the orphans of Oakland, kicked out of their own stadium as it undergoes renovations. Feeling shafted by the NL, Vince Naimoli purchases the A’s and moves them to Tampa Bay for the beginning of the 1996 season. Due to the franchise relocation, the A’s move to the AL East, the Tigers move to the AL Central, and the Royals move to the AL West. The Braves win their second straight World Series Title over the New York Yankees.

1997: Manager Jim Leyland leads the Montreal Expos, a team made up of high priced free agents to the Wild Card. The Expos shock the Dodgers and Braves to advance to the World Series. The Baseball World is stunned when the Expos defeat the favored Baltimore Orioles in seven games. The World Series victory is enough to convince Montreal to build Labbat Park.

1998: Donald Trump’s long term investment finally pays off as the New York Yankees defeat the San Diego Padres in the World Series. The Yankees are made almost entirely of homegrown talent, developed in the Majors finest farm system. The Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamond Backs begin play.

1999: The Yankees repeat as World Champs defeating the Atlanta Braves in six games.

2000: The First Subway Series since 1956, the New York Yankees take on cross-town rivals the New York Mets. The Yankees are heavily favored but lose to the Mets.

2001: The Yankees lose their second straight series to the Arizona Diamond Backs.

2002: The Anaheim Angels defeat the San Francisco Giants for their first World Series.

2003: MLB announces another expansion, San Antonio and San Jose are awarded franchises to begin play in 2006. The New York Yankees defeat the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

2004: The Curse of the Bambino is finally lifted as the Red Sox defeat the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. George Steinbrenner threatens to move the Senators to Las Vegas unless Washington builds a new stadium. After much debate the Stadium measure is approved by the city council and will be ready for the 2008 season.

2005: Last year the Red Sox, this year the White Sox broke a long tradition of coming up empty handed in the post season with a defeat of the Houston Astros.

2006: The St Louis Cardinals win their first world series in 24 years over the Anaheim Angels. The San Antonio Missions and San Jose Seals begin play.

2007: The Washington Senators end their time at RFK with a bang, beating the favored Red Sox in the ALCS and defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.
 
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