It started with an Ellis Valentine autographed baseball acquired on a dare by a grade school friend. Now, Perry Giannias is one of the most dedicated Montreal Expos collectors around; and he's turning his passion into a fundraising machine, too. Giannias, who lives in suburban Montreal, grew up with the first Major League Baseball team to call another country … [Read more...]
Impact of 1994 Baseball Strike Still Lingers
August 1994 seems such a long time ago now. Let's see we were just a few months removed from the nightly soap opera that was Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding and both teams which played their home games in Madison Square Garden had just concluded seasons which ended with them playing for their league's championship. The New York Knicks concluded a magical run by losing in game … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Boccabella, Coco, Rusty and The Rons: Remembering The 1969 Expos
As anyone who has ever met me can verify, my mind can go in some strange thought patterns. I'm probably the only person who after reading about the passing of Jim Brosnan, not only then thought about Jim Bouton and the 1969 Seattle Pilots but then really wandered to the 1969 Montreal Expos. Launching 45 years ago this season, the Expos were the first major league team to play … [Read more...]
Great Story: Ellis Valentine Gets Long Lost Jerseys Back
He hit the first home run at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He was known for having one of baseball’s best throwing arms. He was a member of a young, ultra-cool Expos’ outfield lineup that featured future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson and Warren Cromartie. Ellis Valentine is fondly remembered by fans, even though his career was a big enigmatic and he battled substance abuse for … [Read more...]