The 1981 Expos
Part 2: The Players
Before we get into the drama of
the 1981 season, let’s look at the players who would take the stage for the
Expos and give Montreal fans their season to remember.
Gary Carter, Catcher
There is no doubt that Gary
Carter was the face of the franchise in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He
would play for the Expos from 1974 until 1984. The “Kid” would be a fan
favourite and be an All-Star seven times while with Montreal. In 1981, Carter also
won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award. He batted .251 with 16 home runs
and 68 RBIs in 100 games played. After he left the Expos, Carter would play
five seasons with the Mets, one with the Giants and one with the Dodgers before
returning to Montreal for his final season in 1992. He was inducted into the
Hall of Fame in 2003.
Warren Cromartie, First
Base
In 1981, Warren Cromartie was in
his seventh season with the Expos. Cromartie never possessed the power numbers
usually associated with a first base man, but he was a dependable glove man and
always had a decent batting average. In 1981, he batted .304, hit six home runs
and added 42 RBIs. After leaving the Expos after the 1983 season, he had a very
successful career playing in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants from 1984 until 1990.
He was the first notable MLB player to sign with a Japanese team in the prime
of his career (he was 30 when he signed).
Rodney Scott, Second
Base
Rodney Scott was strictly in the
line up for his defense, as his .205 batting average from 1981 will attest. He
didn’t hit any home runs that season and tallied 26 RBIs. He played four years
with the Expos, from 1979 to 1982. Over his eight-year career, he also spent
time with the Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs and New York
Yankees.
Chris Speier, Shortstop
A
veteran of 19 Major League seasons, Chris Speier first appeared in a big league
uniform for the San Francisco Giants in 1971. He joined the Expos in 1977 and
would play in Montreal until 1984. Speier was another middle infielder in the
lineup more for his glove than his bat. In 1981, his batting average was .225,
he hit two home runs and added 25 RBIs.
Larry Parrish, Third
Base
Larry Parrish would play eight
years with the Expos, with 1981 being his final season with the club. His best
season was 1979 when he slugged 30 home runs and added 82 RBIs. But 1981 was a
bit of an off-year for Parrish, as he only batted. 244, hit eight homers and
had 44 RBIs. His final home run of the year would be the 100th
dinger he hit for te Expos. After leaving Montreal, Parrish would play for the
Texas Rangers, hitting 20 or more home runs four times, including 32 in 1987.
The final stop in his career would be with the Boston Red Sox in 1988.
Tim Raines, Left field
A 21-year old rookie in 1981, Tim
Raines would burst onto the scene with the Expos, finishing second in the
National League’s Rookie of the Year voting. He would hit .304, 5 home runs and
37 RBIs. His strength was his speed, as he stole an N.L.-leading 71 bases while
61 runs in only 88 games. Raines would play for the Expos until 1990. He is
still the club’s all-time stolen base leader with 635. During his time in
Montreal, he was an All-Star seven times and won a Silver Slugger Award in
1986.
Ander Dawson, Centre
field
The man known as “The Hawk”
could arguably be the most talented player in Expos’ history. Andre Dawson
played with Montreal from 1976 until 1986. He was the Rookie of the Year in
1977, an All-Star three times, won six Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger Awards
while with the club. In 1987, he signed with the Chicago Cubs and won the
National League’s MVP Award following the season. Dawson would play with the
Cubs until 1992, then spend two seasons with the Red Sox and two with the
Florida Marlins. He was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1981,
Dawson batted .302, with a club-leading 24 home runs.
Tim Wallach, Right
field
Tim Wallach would play 13 years
in Montreal, primarily as a third baseman. But in his rookie year in 1981, he
was the team’s right fielder. He batted .236, hit four home runs and had 13
RBIs in 71 games. After becoming the teams’ third baseman in 1982, Wallach
would hit 20 or more home runs four times with his highest total of 28 coming
in 1982. He was an All-Star five times, won three Gold Gloves and two Silver
Slugger Awards, while finishing fourth in voting for the 1987 N.L. MVP Award
(won by Dawson).
Steve Rogers, Starting
Pitcher
Steve Rogers spent his entire
13-year career with the Expos, starting in 1973 and finishing up in 1985. He
won 158 games, had 129 complete games, 37 shut outs and posted a 3.17 ERA while
striking out 1621 batters. He was an All-Star five times and although he never
won the Cy Young Award, he finished in the top five in voting three times. His
win/loss record for 1981 was 12-8, his ERA was 3.42 and he struck out 87
batters.
Bill Gullickson,
Starting Pitcher
Bill Gullickson pitched 14 years
in the big leagues, winning 162 games, 72 of those with the Expos, with whom he
pitched from 1979 until 1985. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting
in 1980. He didn’t get much run support from his teammates in 1981 as he only
had a 7-9 win/loss record despite having a 2.80 ERA. After leaving Montreal,
Gullickson would pitch for the Reds, Yankees, Astros and Tigers.
Jeff Reardon, Relief
Pitcher
Jeff Reardon would be Montreal’s
closer for the better part of his six years with the club, but in 1981 the
Expos used a closer-by-committee approach as three pitchers had six or more
saves. Reardon started the season with the New York Mets but was acquired by
Montreal at the end of May via a trade. He finished the season with six saves,
two wins out of the bullpen, a 1.30 ERA and 21 strike outs. Over his Expos’
career, Reardon would save 152 games, win 32 and was a two-time All-Star. After
leaving Montreal, Reardon would pitch for several teams, the most notable being
the Minnesota Twins, helping the team win the World Series in 1987.
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