Washington Nationals

:This is the franchise formerly known as the Montreal Expos. For the franchise that played as the Washington Nationals (or Senators) from 1901-1960, see Minnesota Twins. For the franchise that played as the Washington Senators from 1961-1971, see Texas Rangers.

Montreal Expos (1969-2004)

Main article: Montreal Expos

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The Montréal Expos joined the National League in 1969, along with the San Diego Padres. After a decade of losing, the team became a winner in the early 1980s, winning their only division championship in the strike-shortened split season of 1981. That team lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the National League Championship Series. After several mediocre years in the late 1980s, the team rebounded in the early 1990s. In 1994 the Expos, led by a talented group of players including Larry Walker, Moisés Alou, Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martínez, had the best record in major league baseball when the strike forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season. After the disappointment of 1994, the Expos began to lose players, money and fans. Ownership squabbles, the decimated fan base, a difficulty in selling broadcasting rights, and numerous other issues lead to the team being bought by MLB in 2002.

Related Topics:
National League - San Diego Padres - 1980s - 1981 - Los Angeles Dodgers - National League Championship Series - 1990s - 1994 - Larry Walker - Moisés Alou - Marquis Grissom - Pedro Martínez

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Since moving to Washington, the franchise has fared much better than most expected.

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