1997 Montreal Expos season
Encyclopedia
The Montreal Expos played the Toronto Blue Jays in Interleague Play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...

 for the first time.

Offseason

  • October 28, 1996: Jon Habyan was released by the Montreal Expos.
  • November 15, 1996: Dave Silvestri was selected off waivers by the Seattle Mariners from the Montreal Expos.
  • December 17, 1996: Torey Lovullo
    Torey Lovullo
    Salvatore Anthony "Torey" Lovullo is a former Major League Baseball infielder and current first base coach of The Toronto Blue Jays. He was the manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles...

     was signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos.
  • January 21, 1997: Lee Smith signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos.
  • January 28, 1997: Yamil Benitez was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Kansas City Royals for Melvin Bunch.
  • March 26, 1997: Cliff Floyd
    Cliff Floyd
    Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early years:Floyd was born to parents Cornelius Clifford Floyd, Sr. and Olivia Floyd. After spending 13 years as an only child, Floyd was joined by brother Julius...

     was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Florida Marlins for Dustin Hermanson and Joe Orsulak.
  • March 31, 1997: Rico Rossy was signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos.

Regular season

In 1997, Pedro Martínez posted a 17-8 record for the Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

, and led the league in half a dozen pitching categories, including a 1.90 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

, 305 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s and 13 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...

s pitched, and won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...

. Pedro Martínez was also the first right-handed pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00 since Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...

 in 1912.

The 13 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...

s were tied for the second-highest single-season total in all of baseball since Martínez's career began (Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...

 had 15 in 1998; Chuck Finley
Chuck Finley
Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels...

 and Jack McDowell
Jack McDowell
Jack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."...

 also reached 13 in a year). However, this 1997 total is by far the highest in Martínez's career, as he has only completed more than 5 games in one other season (7, in 2000).
  • May 7, 1997 - The Expos set a team record (never broken) in runs scored in one inning as they score 13 runs off of Julian Tavarez
    Julián Tavárez
    Julián Tavárez Carmen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Minor leagues :...

    , Jim Poole
    Jim Poole
    James Richard "Jim" Poole is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played as a relief pitcher from through ....

    , and Joe Roa
    Joe Roa
    Joseph Rodger Roa , nicknamed "The Roa Constrictor", is former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Roa is a graduate of Hazel Park High School and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 1989 amateur draft...

     of the San Francisco Giants
    1997 San Francisco Giants season
    -Offseason:*November 13, 1996: Matt Williams was traded by the San Francisco Giants with a player to be named later to the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later, Jeff Kent, Julian Tavarez, and Jose Vizcaino. The Cleveland Indians sent Joe Roa to the San Francisco Giants to complete the...

     at 3Com Park. The Expos would go on to defeat the Giants 19 to 3. The only non-pitcher on the Expos to not register a hit was Sherman Obando
    Sherman Obando
    Sherman Omar Obando Gainor is a former major league baseball player who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos. His main position was outfield, but often played as a first baseman or designated hitter...

     who went 0 for 1. An up-and-coming prospect named Vladimir Guerrero
    Vladimir Guerrero
    Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...

     hit his first career double and was struck by his second career pitch. A crowd of 9,958 were on hand to witness it in San Francisco.

Opening Day starters

  • Shane Andrews
    Shane Andrews
    Darrell Shane Andrews is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball.From through , Andrews played for the Montreal Expos , Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox...

  • Jim Bullinger
    Jim Bullinger
    James Eric Bullinger is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , Montreal Expos and Seattle Mariners . He batted and threw right-handed. He is the brother of pitcher Kirk Bullinger. Jim Bullinger was converted to a pitcher in the Cubs' farm system,...

  • Darrin Fletcher
    Darrin Fletcher
    Darrin Glen Fletcher is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from to .Fletcher made his major league debut in 1989 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and appeared in 5 games. He saw limited major league playing time the following season...

  • Mark Grudzielanek
    Mark Grudzielanek
    Mark James Grudzielanek is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed.-Early years:...

  • Mike Lansing
    Mike Lansing
    Michael Thomas Lansing is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and the Boston Red Sox between 1993 and 2001...

  • Joe Orsulak
    Joe Orsulak
    Joseph Michael Richardson Orsulak III is a former Major League Baseball player from 1983 to 1997 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Florida Marlins, and Montreal Expos. Orsulak, who threw and batted lefthanded, played mostly in the outfield, although he played some games...

  • Henry Rodriguez
    Henry Rodriguez
    Henry Anderson Rodríguez Lorenzo is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Florida Marlins from 1992 to 2002.Rodríguez was a member of the 1996 National League All-Star team as a member of the Expos,...

  • David Segui
    David Segui
    David Vincent Segui, is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball first baseman. Segui played collegiate baseball for Louisiana Tech University and Kansas City Kansas Community College. During a 15-year baseball career, he played with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Montreal Expos,...

  • Rondell White
    Rondell White
    Rondell Bernard White is an outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. His career batting average currently stands at .284 and his career slugging percentage is .462....


Notable transactions

  • May 20, 1997: Torey Lovullo was released by the Montreal Expos.
  • July 25, 1997: Omar Daal was selected off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Montreal Expos.
  • July 31, 1997: Jeff Juden was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Cleveland Indians for Steve Kline.
  • September 25, 1997: Lee Smith was released by the Montreal Expos.

Roster

1997 Montreal Expos
Roster
Pitchers

Catchers
Infielders

Outfielders
Manager

Coaches
(bullpen)
(pitching)
(bench)

Interleague Play

  • June 30 - The first interleague
    Interleague play
    Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...

     game between the Montreal Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays took place at SkyDome. The Expos won the game by a score of 2-1.

Expos vs. Jays

June 30, SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Montreal 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 6 0
Toronto 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0
W: Pedro Martínez (10-3)  L: Pat Hentgen (8-5)  
Home Runs: Vladimir Guerrero (4), Carlos Delgado (15) Attendance: 37,430 Time: 2:03

Batting

Montreal Expos AB R H RBI Toronto Blue Jays AB R H RBI
Grudzielanek, ss 3 1 1 0 Nixon cf 4 0 1 0
Lansing 2b 4 0 0 0 Merced dh 4 0 0 0
Santangelo 3b 4 0 0 0 Carter lf 4 0 0 0
Segui 1b 3 0 2 1 Delgado 1b 2 1 1 1
Rodriguez lf 4 0 0 0 Sprague 3b 3 0 0 0
Orsulak lf 0 0 0 0 Green rf 3 0 0 0
Guerrero rf 4 1 2 1 Santiago c 3 0 0 0
McGuire dh 3 0 0 0 Gonzalez ss 3 0 1 0
White cf 3 0 0 0 Garcia 2b 3 0 0 0
Widger c 3 0 1 0 NONE 0 0 0 0
Totals 31 2 6 2 Totals 29 1 3 1

Pitching

Montreal Expos IP H R ER BB SO
Martinez W (10-3) 9.0 3 1 1 1 10
Totals 9.0 3 1 1 1 10

Toronto Blue Jays IP H R ER BB SO
Hentgen L (8-5) 9.0 6 2 2 1 3
Totals 9.0 6 2 2 1 3

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In
Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

Starting pitchers

Player G IP W L ERA SO

Relief pitchers

Player G W L SV ERA SO

Award winners

  • Pedro Martínez, NL Cy Young Award
    Cy Young Award
    The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...

  • Pedro Martínez, Pitcher of the Month
    Pitcher of the Month
    The Pitcher of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league for each month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award in . The American League followed in...

    , August


1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 68th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1997 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the...

  • Pedro Martínez, Pitcher, Reserve

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Harrisburg
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