I Love the 80s - 1982 Montreal Expos

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

The Expos clinched their first ever Playoff berth in 1981, despite the team's manager Dick Williams being fired in September by the front office with the team just a game and a half behind the Cardinals in the standings. They would lose 3 of the first 5 games under new skipper Jim Fanning, but squeaked out a narrow half game lead over the Cardinals by the end of the second half. They would go on to beat the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in the Divisional round, but fell in 5 games to the Dodgers in the NLCS. The franchise would not return to the post season until after the team moved to Washington, D.C.

Despite missing the playoffs in 1982, the Expos were still a very good team, led by a trio of Hall of Famers. Carter, Dawson, and Raines were joined by fellow Expos Al Oliver and ace pitcher Steve Rogers in the All-Star Game. It was hosted for the first time outside of the United States and the only time in Montreal. Rogers pitched well and recorded the win. Ultimately the team finished third in the standings, behind the Cardinals and Phillies in the NL East. Despite the talented trio and more young players on the way, the team never finished higher than 3rd for the rest of the 80s. 

The Cards:

Donruss #114 Gary Carter - By 1982, "The Kid" was a veteran and a team leader. He was just about midway through a run of 10 consecutive All-Star appearances, and took home his 3rd straight Gold Glove and 2nd Silver Slugger award. He paced the Expos with 29 homers, and led the NL in WAR with 8.6 for the season. His final season in Montreal, 1984, he led the NL in RBI, won his 2nd All-Star MVP award, and posted a career high 175 hits. He'd go on to post season glory following a trade to the Mets, winning the World Series in 1986. Carter was elected to the Hall of Fame in his 6th year of eligibility. His 2,056 games caught ranks 4th All-Time in MLB history.

O-Pee-Chee #379 Andre Dawson - I had to break out the OPC for the Canadian teams! Andre, just like Gary, was celebrating 1982 with his 3rd Gold Glove and had appeared in his 2nd of 8 All-Star games. Dawson had the 2nd Highest WAR in the NL just behind Carter, with 7.9 wins above replacement. He played a sterling center field, including 7 outfield assists that year. He led the NL twice in that category from Center Field. He was the 1977 Rookie of the Year in the NL, thanks to displaying skills at all phases of the game. Before injuries sapped his speed, Dawson would average more than 30 steals and nearly 25 homers a year in his prime. He showed his worth again in his first year in Chicago, winning the MVP in the NL by virtue of leading the league in Homers (49) and RBI (137). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his 9th year of eligibility, with voters citing his lower career totals compared to his healthier peers as a stumbling block. His speed, power, and grace on the field would not be denied!

Topps #3 Tim Raines - While Rickey was dominating the AL on the bases and leading off year after year, it was Tim Raines showing many of the same skills in Montreal. In 1981, Raines had a triple slash of .304/.391/.438 and stole 71 bases in just 88 games (remember, this was a strike shortened season, and Raines was a mid-year call-up!)! Just like his HOF brothers-in-arms, Raines was embarking on a string of numerous All-Star appearances in 1982. It would be his 2nd of 7 straight mid-summer classics. He led the NL in runs scored twice, won a batting title (and OBP title) in 1986, and was the top base stealer in the NL for 4 straight years starting in his rookie campaign. He'd steal at least 10 bases every year for 15 consecutive seasons. He ranks 5th All-Time in the category, with 808 career steals. Raines would have to wait the maximum period of 10 years on the HOF ballot before his induction - he never finished higher than 5th in MVP balloting, didn't have post season success in his prime (though he was a key piece of the 1996 and 98 Yankees teams), and didn't hit for power or reach the 3,000 hit milestone. His final year of eligibility included a successful campaign on behalf of OBP, stolen base %, and the value of a player who rarely got himself out. 

Topps #131 Stan Bahnsen - The 1968 AL Rookie of the year was coming to the end of long and winding road in the big leagues, which included a 20 win season followed by a 20 loss season, and 5 different franchises. 1981 would be his last of 5 seasons in Montreal. He came to the team mid way through 1977 from Oakland, and spent the rest of the year as a member of the starting rotation. He converted to the bullpen in 1978, and had several successful years in that role for the Expos. In 1981, Bahnsen would make his first post season appearance after 15 MLB seasons. He faced 5 batters and retired 4 of them in relief in the NLDS against the Phillies. Like many pitchers to have his staying power, Bahnsen learned how to pitch rather than just throw, as evidenced by the evolution of his nicknames. When he arrived in Yankee pinstripes, he was called "Bahnsen Burner" for his high 90s fastball. Towards the end of his career, he became known as "Stanley Struggle" for getting himself into and then out of jams through wits and guile. He went on to pitch in the Senior League, then in the Netherlands (the first former MLB player to do so).

Fleer #196 Brad Mills - One of the more iconic cards in the 1982 Fleer set, Mills is blowing a big bubble in the dugout. Mills was a rarely used utility infielder for the Expos, playing in 106 total games from 1980 through 1983, giving him plenty of time to work on his chewing gum skills. 1980 was the same year that Mills started professional baseball, going from single A up to the big league club that year. He would play in AAA for several seasons after his last MLB game in 1983. Following an injury that ended his playing career, Mills became a coach and then manager. He led the PCL Colorado Springs Sky Sox to a pennant in 1995, and later managed the Houston Astros for 2 and a half seasons. He's been a close confidant and bench coach in recent years of Cleveland skipper Terry Francona, though Mills sat out during the 2020 season to limit his exposure to the Coronavirus.

Donruss #650 Felipe Alou - Alou joined the Expos organization briefly as a player in 1973, then as a batting coach following his playing career in 1976. Alou would work his way up the ranks with the Expos, and stuck with the franchise even though he was offered a chance to manage the San Francisco Giants in 1985. He would get his chance in Montreal in 1992, and would be the skipper for arguably the best team in Franchise history in 1994. Though the strike ended the season prematurely, the Expos had their lone 1st place finish in Montreal that year. The strike eliminated the chance for the team to play in the post season, and they would not make it back under Alou, who remained the manager until 2001. He retired but was given another shot in San Francisco and led the Giants to a 100 win season in his first year with the club. After his final year as manager in 2003, he continued to work with the club as an instructor and as special assistant to the general manager. 

Topps Traded #7T Tim Blackwell -  Sporting one of the best moustaches of the 1980s, Tim Blackwell was a talented reserve catcher for several teams. He also had a brief period of time as the primary receiver for the Chicago Cubs, posting career highs across the board in 1980. He was drafted in 1970 by the Red Sox, and worked his way into a solid and dependable reserve role while learning the finer points of the game. This would come in handy in his next career choice, managing several minor league teams across all levels. He led the 1991 Columbia Mets and the 1993 Saint Paul Saints to league titles, and finished in 1st place 2 other times. 1982 was his first year in Montreal, and backing up Gary Carter meant not much playing time. He did manage to strikeout against Nolan Ryan in 1983, allowing Ryan to tie Walter Johnson's then record. Ryan would start his own record with the next batter, striking out Brad Mills for #3,509.

O-Pee-Chee #191 Tim Wallach - Like many Montreal Expos, Wallach was under the radar for much of his career. A first round pick in 1979 out of Cal State Fullerton, Wallach played 13 seasons for the Expos, amassing over 1,600 hits and driving in over 900 runs for the team north of the border. He wasn't totally ignored, however, winning 3 gold gloves and appearing on 5 All-Star rosters in his Expos career. His best season was 1987, when he finished 4th in the MVP race behind his former teammate Andre Dawson. That year he led the NL in Doubles while hitting a career high .298 and driving 123 runs. His output may have been directly tied to Dawson's absence in the heart of the Expos order, but he rose to the challenge. He would return to California to close out his career in Dodger blue and a brief stop with the Angels sandwiched between two stints in Chavez Ravine. His 2,054 games played at 3rd base ranks 11th All-Time at the position. He became a coach after his playing career ended and has followed Don Mattingly from the Dodgers to the Marlins as a bench coach. He opted to leave the Marlins for the 2020 season to seek a job in baseball closer to his California home. His son Chad currently plays for the Marlins. 

Fleer #194 Bill Lee - "The Spaceman" was spotted in Canada following a 1979 trade. The crafty and kooky lefty was the team's most successful starter that year, going 16-10 with a 3.04 ERA, his most victories since his heyday with the Red Sox in 1973-74-75. Lee would convert to bullpen duty and showed promise in that role as well, with an excellent run in 1981, posting a 2.94 ERA over 88 innings for the post season bound Expos. His time in Montreal (and his MLB career) came to an abrupt end in 1982 after just 7 games. Lee walked out (in full uniform) in protest for the release of Rodney Scott on May 5, 1982. Scott was one of Lee's best friends on the team, and Lee felt that manager Jim Fanning was exercising a personal grudge against Scott rather than solely a baseball decision. Following his MLB playing career, Lee wrote his (first) autobiography, then continued to pitch semi-professionally for a variety of teams and leagues. At age 65 in 2012, he pitched a complete game for a team in San Rafael, CA.

What is your favorite card of a Montreal Expo from 1982? Doesn't have to be one of these...

Thanks for reading!

From Ainge to Zisk - The 1981 Topps Traded Set

In 2018, I finished a collection of all the "Cardboard Box" Topps Traded sets from 1981 - 1991. I thought it would be a fun topic for the blog to dig into the sets and share some highlights from each one. Danny Ainge, of course, was a big rookie card in this set. Not so much for his baseball career, but because this was his first of two professional sports careers.

The back of his card alludes to his versatility. After a few seasons in Toronto, Ainge switched sports and became a household name in Boston. At 6'4" he was considered quite tall as a baseball player. On the basketball court, he was just the right size to be "pesky" in the paint and source of consternation for small forwards throughout the NBA.

It was a decent rookie crop in the 1981 Traded set. The Legend Bob Walk had just moved to Atlanta after starting game 1 of the 1980 World Series for the Phillies. Leon "Bull" Durham was just getting his career started, not knowing he'd one day be on the big screen as a Minnesota Twin in Little Big League.

The big rookie of 1981 was Fernando Valenzuela. He, like many of these guys, had cards in the main 1981 Topps set. That card, however, was shared with two other Dodger Rookies. "Fernandomania" swept the NL and demanded a bigger stage for the young lefty. Topps was happy to oblige.

The only rookie in the set that was also a Hall of Famer was the electric Tim Raines. The Expos were well on their way in 1981 to becoming one of the most exciting teams in recent memory thanks to Raines and their young nucleus of talent.

The Traded set had one big advantage - which was the ability to identify the players making the biggest impacts in the current year. Both Valenzuela and Raines had gaudy numbers by mid season when Topps finalized the checklist for the traded set.

Speaking of Hall of Famers, the 1981 Topps set had 9 in all. Blyleven was relieved to escape the National League, where he would often be pulled from close games before he was ready. Rollie Fingers solidified the bullpen in Milwaukee and helped the team make it to the 1982 World Series. Fisk would become a legend in his new Sox, and Joe Morgan would continue his excellent play well into his late 30s. 

Dave Winfield made headlines joining Reggie Jackson in New York, but would have a tumultuous relationship with the Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner. Don Sutton spent just a year and half in Houston, before heading to the Brewers to join Rollie and Harvey's Wallbangers. Bruce Sutter was right in the prime of his career, and flew south to join the Redbirds. 1981 was his 5th All-Star Appearance, and he led the NL in Saves for the 3rd of 4 straight seasons. The Cardinals were the Brewers' opponents in the '82 Series, and Sutter prevailed over Sutton and Fingers. Gaylord Perry is wearing an extremely clean hat for a man who threw a variety of shall we say "heavy" breaking pitches. Perry was the NL leader in hits allowed, but he also had the lowest walk rate (BB/9).

The only Twin in the 1981 Traded set is the jovial erstwhile Dodger, Mickey Hatcher. Mickey came to the Twins in the Ken Landreaux trade in Spring Training of 1981. Hatcher would spend 6 seasons in Minnesota, returning to the Dodgers in time to win the 1988 World Series. In the series, Hatcher hit .368 with a pair of homers.

Traded sets sometimes get the new team before they get a photo in their new uni. That means bad airbrushing! Rick Reuschel's card was among the worst offenders in the 1981 Traded Set, and Rick can barely hide his disgust.

Then again, there will also be some hidden gems in Traded Sets, and these were my favorites from this set.

As promised -- From Ainge, to Zisk!

Alas, All-Star!

The scan is a little off, but I think it will underscore the point I want to make about the All-Star game. Let me clarify, not the game itself, but the way it is represented on cardboard. Topps used to make a point of having a different design for the All-Stars, and we can look back 30 and 60 years to prove the point.

Red White and Blue dominate the design, with AL All-Stars getting a red background and Blue lettering. The NL All-Stars do the opposite, with a blue background and red letters. The photos are more conservative head shots rather than in-game action.

The backs have a relevant leaderboard with the All-Star somewhere in the top ten. Add in a little season highlight blurb, and you've got yourself a clean and classy tribute to the game's best.

Guess what? The '88 Topps set was no stranger to good ideas from past Topps sets. The base cards owed a bit of their look to 1967, with big bold colors for the team names. The All-Star Sub-set in '88 went back even further, with a nod to the 1950's.

The backs have a longer run on sentence / paragraph about the player, and then a breakdown of each player's performance by opponent, a grid that would resurface in 1989 with Topps' resurrection of Bowman.

The Topps Update All-Star cards of the last decade or so aren't terrible - I just think they could learn a bit from their past successes. It would be great for the cards to have a unique design (they could even be an insert, you know how Topps loves insert sets) compared to the base cards, and celebrate the event a little more than a logo. I do like the event specific photography, and I do like that the backs usually talk about what made the player an All-Star.

What do you think? Should the All-Stars get their own design?

Congrats to the Class of 2017

A long time coming for Tim Raines, on his final year on the ballot, finally getting the call to Cooperstown. Only 3 players in MLB history hit over 100 homers, 400 doubles, 100 Triples, Stole 500 bases and had an on base percentage of .380 or higher - Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Tim Raines. "Rock"
is still the only White Sox player to steal 50+ bases and score 100 runs in a season. He is a 2 time World Series champion with the Yankees in 1996 and 1998. He stole bases in 4 different decades! 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. He shared the outfield with his son Tim Raines, Jr. in Baltimore in 2001. His MLB debut was a pinch running appearance for fellow Hall of Famer Gary Carter.

Jeff Bagwell had to sweat it out for several years like Raines, but was finally rightfully elected to the Hall. He ranks 4th among first baseman in WAR since 1900, behind only Jimmie Foxx, Albert Pujols, and Lou Gehrig. While he fell short of the 3000 hit and 500 homer plateaus, he is top 50 all-time in Extra Base Hits, Walks, Home Runs, Hit by Pitch, Sac flies. He lead the league in Runs Scored 3 times. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1991, and the NL MVP in 1994. He shares a birthday with the 1994 AL MVP, fellow Hall of Famer Frank Thomas. Bagwell DESTROYED left handed pitching. In his MVP season, he hit for a .457 / .544 / 1.095 triple slash with 18 homers and only 9 strikeouts. He had the 4th highest OPS+ in the 1990s, behind Bonds, McGwire, and Frank Thomas.

The only first-ballot election of 2017, Ivan Rodriguez. His MLB debut in 1991 was against the Chicago White Sox, facing fellow "Pudge" and fellow Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. He and Fisk are the only two catchers in MLB history with over 300 homers and 100 stolen bases. He was a World Champion in 2003 with the Marlins, and helped the Detroit Tigers to play in the Series in 2005. Rodriguez was a 13 time Gold Glove winner and 14 time All-Star. He was the MVP in 1999, leading the league in Double Plays Grounded into.... but he was also able to throw out a league leading 55% of would-be base stealers. Known for his strong arm and excellent defense, he was also a consistent hitter for his entire career.

Congrats to all the new inductees!

I Love the 80s : 1981 Montreal Expos

It's gonna be sad to talk about the Expos during this series on 1980s cardboard - I really hope that the Expos can come back some day. In 1980, the Expos finished second in the NL East with a 90-72 record. They were led by a very fleet of foot outfield, a Hall of Fame Catcher in his prime, and a rotation that blended youth and experience. 

 In 1981, the Expos made the postseason and defeated the defending champion Phillies in the Divisional series, but lost to eventual 1981 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a very hard fought NLCS. Here are my favorite cards of Expos in 1981. Quick story on Ron LeFlore - I realize that is a White Sox card, but I wanted to include another card with the Expos' home uniform, and this was one of the better examples.

The Cards:

Donruss # 89 Larry Parrish - Parrish was the regular 3rd Baseman for the Expos in 1980 and 1981, missing significant time after being hit by a pitch on his wrist.

Fleer #148 Ellis Valentine - Valentine's 22 homers in 1980 marked the third straight season of 20+ homers, and he was just 26 years old. He ended up being traded to the Mets during the first half of the 1981 season for pitching help.

Fleer Star Stickers #123 Andre Dawson -  The Hawk had a bit of a down year in 1980 compared to his 1978 Rookie of the Year campaign, but he still won his first silver slugger award and first Gold Glove. They would be the first of many for the Hall of Famer. 1981 would mark his first All-Star appearance.

O-Pee-Chee #6 Gary Carter - The Kid pretty much killed it in 1980 and 81. He won his first of 3 straight Gold Gloves behind the plate, finished 2nd the MVP balloting (his highest finish), and enjoyed a pair of All-Star appearances. The Hall of Famer was the on field leader of the team.

Topps Traded #816 Tim Raines - I decided to use this Topps card instead the O-P-C card with three Expos rookies on it.

O-Pee-Chee #244 Ellis Valentine - The modified facemask that Ellis wore on his helmet makes this one of my favorite cards of the decade.

Fleer #143 Steve Rogers - Rogers was the Expos Ace in 1980 and 1981, and was a life-long Montreal Expo. He led the National League in complete games in 1980 and finished 5th in the Cy Young voting. He would go on to lead the league in ERA in 1982, and finished his 13 year career in 1985.

Donruss # 538 Tim Raines -  Rock. His career was just getting started in 80/81 - playing in just 15 games for the Expos in 1980, but he was the Minor League Player of the Year. In 1981, he took over Left Field for the Expos and stole 71 bases in just 88 games. He would go on to steal at least 70 in his first 6 full seasons. He should be in the Hall of Fame, hopefully that will be fixed next year.

Donruss # 576 Ron LeFlore - It would be hard to imagine it, but Raines' stolen base totals were actually a drastic reduction from the totals of the 1980 Expos Left Fielder, Ron LeFlore. He stole 97 bases in 1980 for Montreal. He came to the majors with Detroit and then Tigers Manager Billy Martin gave the 26 year old a chance at redemption. LeFlore had a checkered past, but his talent on the field was never in doubt. LeFlore took the opportunity and despite a late start he ran with it. By the time he stole 97 bases for the Expos, he was already 32 years old. With the speedy Raines coming up and seemingly no place for LeFlore in the Expos Outfield, he was allowed to test free agency. He returned to the AL and played his final two seasons for the White Sox.

I Miss Youppi, Too.

 Maybe it was the pack of Bill and Ted movie cards I opened this weekend, but I'm feeling nostalgic. I think I'm going to spend a little time on the forgotten this week.

 I miss the Expos! I miss the awesome logo, and having two teams in Canada.

 Greats like Gary Carter behind the plate and Andre Dawson patrolling the outfield.

 Tim Raines deserves some more hall of fame votes, and so does Larry Walker. I always get a kick out of the J in "Pedro J. Martinez" - makes me think of Homer J. Simpson.

 Some of my favorite Expos cards - including Vlad!

One of my favorite cards of the 1980s - some awesome action, and the grin on Speier's portrait is just amazing.

I'd love to have the Expos back again, to travel to Montreal to watch them play a game... heck, I wouldn't even mind Youppi. Anyone have a Youppi card to send me? I miss the old son of a gun.