Expos History Spotlighted at Algonquin Speaker Series in Pembroke

from Jamie Bramburger

For those of  you interested in baseball history, specifically Montreal Expos history, an interesting speaker is coming to Pembroke

Every once in a while you hit a homerun, and Algonquin College has done that by “plating” ESPN Tonight baseball analyst and New York Times best-selling author, Jonah Keri, for its next Speaker Series presentation.

Keri, who grew up in Montreal, and graduated from Concordia University’s journalism school, has written a book on the history of the Montreal Expos. Entitled, “Up, Up and Away,” after the homerun call coined by long-time team broadcaster, Dave Van Horne, the book tells the story of the Expos unbelievable beginning and the club’s sad demise.

 

It was Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau’s big dreams that landed his city the World’s Fair in 1967, the Olympic Games in 1976, and Canada’s first professional baseball franchise in 1969. From the beginning, the Expos was a team built with a deck of cards, but despite its ownership, management, stadium, player and financial issues, the team persisted for 35 years before being moved by Major League Baseball in 2005 to Washington, D.C.

The darkest days came in the fall of 1981 when Dodger pinch-hitter Rick Monday crushed Expos fans with a two-run homer in the ninth inning off of Expos ace Steve Rogers in the decisive fifth game of the National League Championship Series.  That homerun prevented the Expos from advancing to their first World Series, but what happened in 1994 was even more devastating.

The Expos had the most talented team in baseball, but a players’ strike in August, wiped out the playoffs and essentially was the beginning of the end for the team.  The following season, the Expos had a fire sale, trading many of their most talented players, and blowing up a club that could have been a dynasty.

As one of North America’s most accomplished baseball columnists, Keri tells the Expos story beautifully, from speaking about the challenges of fielding the first Expos line-up, the struggles to secure a new stadium that never happened, and the rampant drug issues that led to several Expos players never reaching their full potential.

It is a coup to have Keri in Pembroke as part of the Algonquin College’s Speaker Series.  It is one of only three cities he will visit on his Canadian book tour, the others being Toronto and Montreal. Even better, he will be in Pembroke on Monday, April 6^th, opening day for most Major League Baseball teams including the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tickets to hear Jonah Keri are $15 in advance and if seats are still available, $20 at the door. Keri will also have copies of his book available for purchase. For any baseball enthusiast, this Speaker Series is a must attend. Play Ball!

(Jamie Bramburger is the Manager of Community and Student Affairs at Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus.  For more information on the Algonquin College Speaker Series, you can reach Jamie at brambuj@algonquincollege.com or at 613-735-4700, ext. 2756)