C'est la vie à Montréal - An OOTP 22 Story (1998 Montreal Expos)

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Expos Shocking Move; Hire Youngest GM in MLB History

MONTREAL, Ont. - After another disappointing season in 1997 and attendance numbers dwindling every season, the Montreal Expos are looking to be in dire straits. Owner Claude Brochu decided the only way the Expos would be able to be fixed at this point was with a new stadium. Last year it was announced that a new project Labbatt Park would be built with an opening date of 2001. However, the city has denied Brochu any funding for the new stadium, basically forcing Brochu into a sell or die situation for the Expos.

Brochu also decided they needed a change up top in the general manager position and has been searching for a candidate that can work with the Expos limited budget, which is now ranked dead last in the MLB. Most qualified candidates turned down the offer and those that didn't, didn't inspire much faith in Brochu.

That is until Brochu received a call from San Diego Padres President Larry Lucchino. Lucchino told Brochu that his Director of Player Development was ready for the next step and to become a General Manager. Brochu asked more about him only to find out he was only 24 years old, fresh out of college. Lucchino calmed Brochu's nerves and promised that this man was the future of baseball and could turn the Expos around. So at only 24 years old, Theo Epstein has become the new general manager of the Montreal Expos.

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MLB 1998 Predictions


1998 Top Farm Systems


1998 Montreal Expos
Top 30 Prospects


Projected Lineup and Pitching

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Series Preview
April 1-2


(0-0) Pittsburgh Pirates @ Montreal Expos (0-0)

Pitching Matchups (1997 Stats)
April 1, 1998: Francisco Cordova (11-8, 3.63 ERA) vs. Dustin Hermanson (8-8, 3.69 ERA)
April 2, 1998: Jon Lieber (11-14, 4.49 ERA) vs. Carlos Perez (12-13, 3.88 ERA)

Players To Watch (1997 Stats)
C Jason Kendall (PIT) - .294 AVG, .825 OPS, 8 HR, 49 RBIs, 4.6 WAR
CL Jason Christiansen (PIT) - 33 IP, 2.94 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 0.5 WAR
OF Vladimir Guerrero (MTL) - .302 AVG, .833 OPS, 11 HR, 40 RBIs, 1.5 WAR
RP Anthony Telford (MTL) - 89 IP, 3.24 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, -0.1 WAR

Injuries
Pittsburgh Pirates
SP Jose Silva (Elbow Tendinitis) - 7-8 Weeks, 15-Day IL
RP Mike Williams (Partially Torn UCL) - 10 months, 60-Day IL

Montreal Expos
None

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Series Recap


(0-0) Pittsburgh Pirates @ Montreal Expos (0-0)

April 1

Opening Day in Montreal was an exciting one and would go down to the wire. Unfortunately the Expos would fall to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6. The Pirates would be led by a great performance from 3B Freddy Garcia who went 2-3 with a home run and two RBIs.

Despite scoring six runs, Montreal's offense would struggle to hit in the right spots as they would leave 22 runners on base. Six of them came at the expense of the pitchers spot with Dustin Hermanson at bat. We did see some unexpected power from the lineup as SS Mark Grudzielanek would tie the game up in the bottom of the 3rd with a solo shot off Francisco Cordova. Shane Andrews would hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th to bring the Expos within one.

It would prove too little, too late as Jason Christiansen would shut down the Expos in the 9th with just eight pitches.

April 2

The second game would prove better for the Expos as they would roll through the Pirates, 11-4 thanks to a six-run seventh inning. Carlos Perez would throw 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and three earned runs. Shane Andrews would hit his second homer in as many games and would finish the game 2-4 with 4 RBIs.

One of the odd points of the game would be when Felipe Alou would leave Miguel Batista in to bat in the bottom of the 7th with one on and two outs and Batista would drive it into the right field corner for an RBI triple. Batista would go on to pitch two more innings and complete the save, because he came in the game when it was only 5-4.

After struggling in game one, Rondell White turned things around in game two and filled the stat sheet, going 2-3 with two RBIs, two walks, and two runs scored. Montreal gains a little momentum going into their four game series with the Cubs.

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Series Preview
April 3-6


(1-1) Montreal Expos @ Chicago Cubs (2-1)

Pitching Matchups (1997 Stats)
April 3, 1998: Javier Vazquez (AA, 4-0, 1.07 ERA) vs. Kerry Wood (AAA, 4-2, 4.68 ERA)
April 4, 1998: Carl Pavano (AAA, 11-6, 3.12 ERA) vs. Geremi Gonzalez (11-9, 4.25 ERA)
April 5, 1998: Trey Moore (AA, 11-6, 4.15 ERA) vs. Mark Clark (14-8, 3.82 ERA)
April 6, 1998: Dustin Hermanson (8-8, 3.69 ERA) vs. Kevin Tapani (AAA, 0-1, 4.00 ERA)

Players To Watch
IF Shane Andrews (MTL) - .375 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBIs
CL Ugueth Urbina (MTL) - 1 Shutout Inning, Still Looking for First Save
OF Henry Rodriguez (CHC) - .300 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBIs
SP Mark Clark (CHC) - 1 Complete Game, 1 ER

Injuries
Montreal Expos
None

Chicago Cubs
None

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Series Recap


(1-1) Montreal Expos @ Chicago Cubs (2-1)

April 3

The first game of the series was a battle of rookies Javier Vazquez and Kerry Wood, at least it was supposed to be until Kerry Wood went down early in the first and Kurt Miller came in relief. Wood is now day-to-day with neck stiffness.

Vazquez struggled in his MLB debut putting in 4 1/3 innings and giving up seven runs. In the third inning, both Sammy Sosa and Mark Grace got their first homers of the year off him. Grace would finish 2-4 with the home run and two RBIs.

The Expos relief pitchers Mike Johnson and Marc Valdes wouldn't allow a single run, but it wasn't enough as the Expos offense couldn't get anything going.

April 4

Carl Pavano pitched slightly better than Vazquez in his MLB debut but it wasn't enough. Pavano pitched 5 2/3 innings with four runs given up. It would be Telford who would take the loss giving up two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Steve Kline wouldn't complete a single out and give up three runs.

Mark Grace and Sammy Sosa would continue torturing the Expos pitchers with 2-4 and 3-5 days at the plate, respectively. But it would be Cubs left fielder Brant Brown hitting a grand slam off Kline in the bottom of the 7th that would break the 4-4 tie and send Cubs fans home happy.

April 5

Montreal falls to 1-4 after a back and forth battle with the Cubs. Both starting pitchers would pitch okay and go deep into the game. Trey Moore pitched 6 and 1/3 innings with four runs (three earned), six strikeouts, and four walks. On the other side, Mark Clark would continue his great start to the year with an 8 inning performance with four earned runs and five strikeouts.

Leadoff man Mickey Morandini would have a day for the Cubs going 2-4 with a home run, an RBI triple, a walk, and a stolen base. The middle of the Cubs lineup however (Grace, Sosa, Rodriguez, Hernandez/Franklin, and Brown) would go a combined 1-18.

The Cubs had to survive a determined Vladimir Guerrero who would finish the game 4-5 with a home run, a double, and two singles, with four RBIs. But it wasn't enough as the Expos would fall short 6-5.

April 6

The Expos escaped the sweep with a 7-4 victory behind Dustin Hermanson's great performance on the mound. Hermanson would go 7 innings with nine strikeouts and only one earned run. Ugueth Urbina would also pick up his first save of the year.

Sosa would hit a two-run double in the 5th to tie up the game, but a three run shot in the top of the seventh by Rondell White would be the difference maker for the Expos.

One of the stranger happenings in this game would be the Cubs bullpen management late in the game as they would have five pitchers from the 7th to the 9th and none would pitch more than 2/3 of an inning. Lefty Bob Patterson would come in only to face one batter, give up a hit and then be taken out in favor of Kurt Miller.

The Expos move up I-94 to Milwaukee for a three game series before returning to Montreal to take on the Cubs a second time.

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Series Preview
April 7-9


(2-4) Montreal Expos @ Milwaukee Brewers (2-4)

Pitching Matchups
April 7, 1998: Carlos Perez (1-0, 4.05 ERA) vs. Scott Karl (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
April 8, 1998: Javier Vazquez (0-1, 14.54 ERA) vs. Jeff Juden (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
April 9, 1998: Carl Pavano (0-0, 6.35 ERA) vs. Cal Eldred (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

Players To Watch
OF Allen Battle (MTL) - .379 AVG, .883 OPS, 7 Runs Scored
The Pitching (MTL) - 6.00+ ERA, Ranks 12th in NL
IF Jose Valentin (MIL) - 0-24 in 6 Games Started
RP Doug Jones (MIL) - 3.2 IP, 0 ER

Injuries
Montreal Expos
None

Milwaukee Brewers
SP Cal Eldred (Flu) - Day-to Day, 1 week

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Series Recap
April 7-9


(2-4) Montreal Expos @ Milwaukee Brewers (2-4)

April 7

Early runs would give Montreal a big win in Milwaukee that moves them to 3-4. They'd have another big performance out of Vladimir Guerrero has he would be 3-5 with a first inning 3-run home run.

Carlos Perez would pitch okay in his second win of the season. He would go 7 and 1/3 innings with 5 runs but only 1 strikeout. Jose Valentin would also get his first hit of the season for the Brewers and it would be a two-run home run off Perez in the 7th. Ugueth Urbina would close out the game for the Expos for his second save of the season.

Scott Krause would go 3-4 for the Brewers with an RBI, he's now hitting .471 on the season. Scott Karl would struggle in his starting performance giving up 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 and 2/3 innings of work.

When asked about the offense, Expos manager Felipe Alou said "We maximized it today, when we do that it makes the pitcher's life easier."

April 8

The Brewers responded in game two with a 7-2 victory lead by outfielder Jeremy Burnitz. Burnitz would go 3-4 with a home run and two singles, driving in 4 runs. Starter Jeff Juden would go 7 and 2/3 with 2 runs and 6 strikeouts.

Vazquez is struggling to adjust to major league hitting as he only lasted 3 innings giving up all 7 runs. The bullpen would hold the Brewers, not allowing a single run, but it wasn't enough as the offense couldn't get anything going off Juden, totaling only 7 hits for the game.

Both teams now head into the deciding game three at 3-5.

April 9

Cal Eldred returned from his flu to pitch a gem against the Expos. Carl Pavano kept up but it just wasn't enough in this pitching duel. Eldred would finish the game with 8 innings, 8 strikeouts, and only one earned run. Pavano would pitch 7 innings, 3 strikeouts, and only two earned runs.

Vladimir Guerrero would go 1-4 and hit a home run in the 9th to bring the Expos within one, but Brad Wickman would shut them down for his second save of the season.

Eldred would give himself the biggest help, hitting a triple in the third that would set up an easy RBI single for Fernando Vina. Milwaukee skipper Phil Garner said, "Great pitching and clutch hitting. That's all you can ask for in a game like this."

The Expos return home 3-6 to take on the Chicago Cubs again who come in at 6-4.