Something around 1.2 million pitches were tossed in Montreal Expos games between 1969 and 2004 and many million others in Montreal Royal games before that.
A few of those pitches were significant historic moments.
But first let's dispense with the obvious choices.
The first pitch Jackie Robinson faced might be considered the most important, as that toss might have been a mere horse skin sphere flying three feet off the ground but it constituted a massive step against segregation.
The first pitch ever tossed at a Montreal Expos game on the road and then at then the first tossed in Canada would be on the list, then Bill Stoneman's last pitch in his first no-hitter with the club, Dennis Martinez's final pitch during his perfect game in Los Angeles and Steve Rogers' gopher ball against Rick Monday that ended the Expos hopes of World Series glory all round out the obvious list.
These choices are fairly obvious but there is another less-evident set of candidates for the most significant pitch ever tossed in an Expos game and you might be surprised at the choice of number one. (No scrolling! - Chimples)
5 -April 7, 2004 Montreal - Expos reliever Chad Bentz, a lefty from Juneau, Alaska, was born with one hand and became the second pitcher born with one hand to pitch in the majors, after Jim Abbott. His first pitch was a fastball that led to a ground out by pinch hitter Abraham Nunez. The Expos won in Miami 3-2. After the game he said "I played when I was younger and I got made fun of and told my parents I didn't really like playing because all they did was make fun of me. So I didn't play anymore and then I saw Jim Abbott."
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4 - September 28, 1995Montreal - Expos Reliever Greg Harris, 39, became the first pitcher to use his non-pitching hand to pitch, making him the first pitcher to switch hands while pitching since Tony Mullance did it in 1893 or perhaps Elton "Ice Box" Chamberlain of the Louisville Colonels in 1888. Harris was hurling against the Cincinnati Reds and did his usual right-handed pitches to two batters and then lefty to two others, thus fulfilling a pitchers dream by nullifying the batter's right-left advantage. Harris walked his first batter Hall Morris while pitching lefty but then stayed lefty for his next hitter, who grounded out. Felipe Alou allowed Harris to do the historic feat because he knew that the game was out of hand at a score of 9-3. Harris pitched in only one more game before retiring at the end of the season. The reversible six-finger glove that he wore was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
3-15 August, 1989 Montreal - San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky was pitching to Tim Raines when his arm snapped and broke while delivering a pitch. The crowd heard the horrific snap and watched in horror as Dravecky writhed on the ground in incredible agony. Dravecky, 33, had a cancerous tumor removed from the arm 10 months earlier. He still managed to get the win in the 3-2 victory. His arm was later amputated.
2- 1 April 1996 Cincinnati - Montreal Expos Rondell White was at bat for the Expos in an early-season game. Just seven pitches into the game White and the catcher noticed everybody staring behind then. They turned around and watched as 25-year umpiring veteran John McSherry unexpectedly flopped to the ground and died of a massive heart attack. The game was postponed.
1- 17 July 1974 Los Angeles -The Expos rolled into Los Angeles with a bit of venom, as the scrappy club was hoping to get back to .500 ball against a Dodgers team that was dominating the league. Tim Foli had started a brawl in a Montreal game against the Dodgers a few days earlier and to top it off, Steve Rogers (10-10) was selected over Tommy John (13-3) for the All Star game, in spite of John having a much better season. John surely didn't want to lose to Rogers and give justification for the snub. The Dodgers took a 4-0 early lead, Rogers was pulled from the game. Tommy John looked to be ready to cruise towards another victory. But in the third inning John faced Expo Hal Breeden and threw a 1-1 fastball that would revolutionize in medical history. John's elbow popped and he was pulled from the game with serious injury. The Expos roared back and won the game 5-4. John was desperate to do anything he could to keep his career alive and pleaded with club physician Dr. Frank Jobe to help. Jobe had previously reattached elbow ligaments to polio victims so he offered to try pulling out a ligament and shoelacing it through holes drilled in John's elbow bones. If it failed, John's arm would be reduced to a useless claw. Jobe told John to give up any dream of pitching again but the operation worked and John returned to the club and had a long career after. The surgery became standard and since then hundreds of athletes and other mere morals have undergone the same procedure.
A few of those pitches were significant historic moments.
But first let's dispense with the obvious choices.
The first pitch Jackie Robinson faced might be considered the most important, as that toss might have been a mere horse skin sphere flying three feet off the ground but it constituted a massive step against segregation.
The first pitch ever tossed at a Montreal Expos game on the road and then at then the first tossed in Canada would be on the list, then Bill Stoneman's last pitch in his first no-hitter with the club, Dennis Martinez's final pitch during his perfect game in Los Angeles and Steve Rogers' gopher ball against Rick Monday that ended the Expos hopes of World Series glory all round out the obvious list.
These choices are fairly obvious but there is another less-evident set of candidates for the most significant pitch ever tossed in an Expos game and you might be surprised at the choice of number one. (No scrolling! - Chimples)
5 -April 7, 2004 Montreal - Expos reliever Chad Bentz, a lefty from Juneau, Alaska, was born with one hand and became the second pitcher born with one hand to pitch in the majors, after Jim Abbott. His first pitch was a fastball that led to a ground out by pinch hitter Abraham Nunez. The Expos won in Miami 3-2. After the game he said "I played when I was younger and I got made fun of and told my parents I didn't really like playing because all they did was make fun of me. So I didn't play anymore and then I saw Jim Abbott."
4 - September 28, 1995Montreal - Expos Reliever Greg Harris, 39, became the first pitcher to use his non-pitching hand to pitch, making him the first pitcher to switch hands while pitching since Tony Mullance did it in 1893 or perhaps Elton "Ice Box" Chamberlain of the Louisville Colonels in 1888. Harris was hurling against the Cincinnati Reds and did his usual right-handed pitches to two batters and then lefty to two others, thus fulfilling a pitchers dream by nullifying the batter's right-left advantage. Harris walked his first batter Hall Morris while pitching lefty but then stayed lefty for his next hitter, who grounded out. Felipe Alou allowed Harris to do the historic feat because he knew that the game was out of hand at a score of 9-3. Harris pitched in only one more game before retiring at the end of the season. The reversible six-finger glove that he wore was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
3-15 August, 1989 Montreal - San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky was pitching to Tim Raines when his arm snapped and broke while delivering a pitch. The crowd heard the horrific snap and watched in horror as Dravecky writhed on the ground in incredible agony. Dravecky, 33, had a cancerous tumor removed from the arm 10 months earlier. He still managed to get the win in the 3-2 victory. His arm was later amputated.
2- 1 April 1996 Cincinnati - Montreal Expos Rondell White was at bat for the Expos in an early-season game. Just seven pitches into the game White and the catcher noticed everybody staring behind then. They turned around and watched as 25-year umpiring veteran John McSherry unexpectedly flopped to the ground and died of a massive heart attack. The game was postponed.
1- 17 July 1974 Los Angeles -The Expos rolled into Los Angeles with a bit of venom, as the scrappy club was hoping to get back to .500 ball against a Dodgers team that was dominating the league. Tim Foli had started a brawl in a Montreal game against the Dodgers a few days earlier and to top it off, Steve Rogers (10-10) was selected over Tommy John (13-3) for the All Star game, in spite of John having a much better season. John surely didn't want to lose to Rogers and give justification for the snub. The Dodgers took a 4-0 early lead, Rogers was pulled from the game. Tommy John looked to be ready to cruise towards another victory. But in the third inning John faced Expo Hal Breeden and threw a 1-1 fastball that would revolutionize in medical history. John's elbow popped and he was pulled from the game with serious injury. The Expos roared back and won the game 5-4. John was desperate to do anything he could to keep his career alive and pleaded with club physician Dr. Frank Jobe to help. Jobe had previously reattached elbow ligaments to polio victims so he offered to try pulling out a ligament and shoelacing it through holes drilled in John's elbow bones. If it failed, John's arm would be reduced to a useless claw. Jobe told John to give up any dream of pitching again but the operation worked and John returned to the club and had a long career after. The surgery became standard and since then hundreds of athletes and other mere morals have undergone the same procedure.