In reviewing one of our manager's notebooks we note some interesting facts and figures for the 1972 and 1973 Montreal Expos.

In 1972 the club finished at 70-86, in 5th place in the NL East 26 i/2 games out of first. Stats by Baseball Historian They came on strong in 1973 but faltered late in the season in a 4-team divisional championship fight and ended with a 79-83 record, only 3 1/2 games behind in 4th place.

Here's a look at some of their players:

Tim Foli, Shortstop RH, 6-0, 178 lbs. Born: Culver City, CA 12/8/1950 .... the acquisition of Foli along with Mike Jorgensen and Ken Singleton proved to be a winning deal for the Expos in '72 ... Foli plays aggressive winning baseball ... never stops hustling, diving to make plays at shortstop ... batted .241, with 12 Ds in '72 ... will be a key man in the Expos drive to the playoffs ... was married during the season ... only 23-year-old.

Kenneth Singleton, Outfielder, Switch-hitter, T RH, 6-4, 205 lbs., Born: New York City 6/10/1947 .... was Expos second top hitter in '72, batted .274, lined 23 Ds, 14 Hrs, with 50 RBIs ... swings a clutch-bat, knows how to win .... rates 4+-Stars for fielding and throwing arm ... only 3rd year in the majors .... looks like big league star.

Robert 'Tom' Walker, Pitcher RH, Born: Tampa, 11/7/1948 ... '72 was first year in the big-leagues ... appeared in 46 games, was 2-2 in 75 innings, fine 2.88 ERA ... set an all-time pro baseball record with the longest no-hitter ever, a 15-inning stint for Dallas-Fort Worth against Albuquerque .... faced only two batters over the minimum 45, walked 4.

John Boccabella, Catcher RH, 6-1, 200 lbs. Born: San Francisco 6/29/1941 ... veteran catcher ... 11-years major leagues experience ... last five with Expos ...fine fielder ... frames pitches well ... strong accurate throwing arm ... adds punch to line-up ... in '73 hit 13 Ds, 7 Hrs, 45 RBIs in 403 at bats, hit .233 ... considered one of the best catcher in the NL.

Ron Hunt, 2nd Baseman RH, Born: St. Louis 2/23/1941 ... has been in the majors since '63 ... with Expos three years ... hit .309 in '73 with 14 Ds in 401 at bats ... set all-time major league record by being hit 50 times by pitches in 1971 .... hard-nose, hustling ballplayer ... hates to lose.

Hal Breeden, 1st Baseman Bats RH, T LH 6-2, 195 lbs. Born: Albany, Georgia 6/28/1944 ... has big-league power ... in '73 blasted 10 Ds, 6 Ts, 15 Hrs in only 259 at bats ... was in minor leagues 10-years before joining the Expos in '72 ... while at Richmond led International League with 37 homers, hit .293 with 116 RBIs.

Mike Jorgensen, 1st Baseman LH, Born: Passaic, New Jersey 8/16/1948 ... in '72 missed some time due to military service in the Marines ... none-the-less proved valuable to Expos ... led team with 12 stolen bases, while hitting .231, 12 Ds, 13 Hrs, 47 RBIs in only 372 at bats ... fine defensive first baseman ... quick and consistent ... only 25-years-old ... his future is unlimited ... could be big star?

Steve Renko, Pitcher RH, 6-5, 232 lbs. Born: Kansas City, Kansas 12/10/1944 .... key man of Expos' pitching staff ... In '73 was 15-11, a nice 2.81 ERA in 250 innings, 144 Ks, 108 Walks ... rates fine curve, throws hard rising fastball ... been with Expos since '69 ... in '70 was 13-11 in 233 innings ... in '71, went 15-14 in 276 innings ... nagged by stiffness in pitching arm in '72 ... however went to bull-pen and gave up only 16 hits and 3-runs in 25 innings of relief work late in season.

Bob Bailey, 3rd Baseman RH, Born: Long Beach, CA 10/13/1942 .... veteran of 12 years in majors ... in '73 hit .273, led Expos with 25 Ds, 4 Ts, 26 Hrs, 86 RBIs ... great clutch hitter ... provided many game winning hits ... has 198 career doubles and 152 home runs.

Bill Stoneman, Pitcher RH, 5-10, 170 lbs. Born: Oak Park, Illinois 4/7/1944 ... mainstay of Expos' pitching crew since 1969 when he threw 236 innings, 42 games, going 11-19, 4.39 ERA ... in '71, collected 295 innings, posted a 17-16 record, 251 Ks, 3.14 ERA ... almost a strikeout an inning .... crafty and consistent ... great fastball ... stays out of slumps ... has great stuff and knows how to keep hitters off-guard ... pitched a no-hitter on 4/17/1969 and again on 10/2/1972 (Wow!)

Chuck Taylor, Pitcher RH, Born: Murfreesboro, Tennessee 4/18/1942 ... started major league career in '69 as a starting pitcher ... pitched three strong seasons being nagged by injuries ... pitched only 8 games for Expos in '73, went 2-0 in 20 innings, 1.80 ERA ... carries a fine career ERA of 3.04 in 159 games, 385 innings ... 18-13 lifetime record.

Jim Lyttle, Outfielder Bats LH, T RH, Born: Hamilton, Ohio 5/20/1946 ... rates as on of the strongest and accurate throwing arms in baseball ... sure-handed fielder ... joined Expos in '73, hit .259, 5 Ds, 4 Hrs in 116 at bats ... also used as pinch hitter. Started in majors in 1969 ... solid, team player.

Steve Rogers, Pitcher RH, 6-2, 178 lbs. Born: Jefferson City, Missouri 10/26/1949 ... rookie pitching sensation for Expos in 1973 ... posted a 10-5 record, a mere 1.54 ERA in 134 innings, 64 Ks, 50 walks ... throws outstanding sinking fastball ... talk of baseball for the coming season ... great future ahead.

Ron Fairly, OF-1B LH, Born: Macon Georgia 7/12/1938 ... 16-year major league veteran ... has collected in career - 251 doubles, 28 triples, 164 home runs, 829 RBIs and carries a .267 lifetime batting average ... and remains a dangerous clutch-hitter ... hit 13 Ds, 17 Hrs, batted .298 in 418 at bats in 1973. Ranks high with Expos' fans .... well-liked.

Larry Lintz, 2B-SS Switch-hitter T RH, 5-10, 150 lbs. Born: Martinez, CA 10/10/1949 ... future looks bright For young speedster ... started in minors in '71 with Waterton .... where he led league with 25 stolen bases, 322 cances in only 64 games ..... joined Expos late-'73, hit .250 in 116 at bats .... scouts rates 3+-Stars - excellent base-runner and good fielding range ... shows patience at home plate .... led league while at Peninsula in walks with 87 in '72.

Jesus 'Pepe' Frias, Shortstop-IF RH, Born: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic 7/14/1948 ... quick, has top range in field .... excellent in turning double play ... was rookie in 1973 ... hit .231 in 225 at bats, sliced 10 doubles ... top bunter ... scouts rate - will make fine utility infielder ... tab for later date - only 25-years-old. baseballhistorian.com Manager's Notebook - All Rights Reserved

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