Tuesday, April 14 is a key date in Canadian baseball history, as it marks the anniversary of the first-ever Montreal Expos home game in 1969. In celebration, TSN digs deep into the archives to broadcast a slate of classic Montreal Expos games beginning tomorrow.
TSN revisits the greatest hits from the team that introduced the baseball world to Canada’s own Hall of Famer Larry Walker, bi-lingual lineups, and an orange-haired mascot named Youppi!
The retrospective begins tomorrow (Tuesday, April 14) at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN1 with a classic TSN live production from 1991. Play-by-play commentator Dave Van Horne and analyst Ken Singleton deliver the call of Dennis Martinez’s electric performance in the “El Presidente, El Perfecto” game.
Throughout the team’s 36-year history, the Expos were home to a multitude of MLB legends – jerseys were stitched with the famous names of Guerrero, Raines, Martinez, and Carter to name just a few – all showcasing their baseball talents to passionate crowds at Jarry Park and Olympic Stadium. TSN takes viewers back to the Expos’ most famous moments, including no hitters, broken records, and National League Championship Series games past. The slate of games includes the following highlights:
- Dennis Martinez’s perfect game, fondly known to Expos fans as “El Presidente, El Perfecto” on July 28, 1991. This became the 13th official perfect game in Major League Baseball history, with Montreal defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0.
- Games 3 and 5 of the 1981 NLCS, a major turning point in Expos franchise history, with a rollercoaster of a post-season. After taking down the defending world champion Phillies in the NLDS, the feisty Expos fans were devastated by what became known as ‘Blue Monday’.
- Pedro Martinez’s improbable “near-perfect game” on June 3, 1995, in which the legendary pitcher was perfect through nine full innings before allowing a double in the 10th.
- Vladimir Guerrero hitting his 40th home run of the season (in true “Vlad the Impaler” fashion) on Oct. 2, 1999, adding to the career-high 131 RBIs he racked up that season.
- San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn recorded his 3,000th hit against the Expos on Aug. 6, 1999, becoming just the 22nd player in major league history to join the 3,000-hit club. It’s the only time the feat has been accomplished outside of the United States.
More classic Montreal Expos games on TSN will be announced in the coming weeks.
For all the latest on TSN’s programming, please check TSN.ca for the most up-to-date broadcast schedule.
