Day of Farewells as Mets, Expos Meet at Shea
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
The Montreal Expos ended their 36-year run right where it all started.
The Expos lost their final game before moving to Washington, with Todd Zeile hitting a three run homer – his 253rd – in his final at-bat in the Mets’ 8-1 win yesterday.
The game was also the last for Art Howe as the Mets’ manager. He was fired September 15, but chose to stay on to finish out a dismal season in which the Mets went 71-91.
The Expos played their first and final game as Montreal’s “Nos Amours” at Shea Stadium. The Expos enthusiastically began their first season in the National League on April 8, 1969, and beat the Mets 11-10. Yesterday’s matchup was played in front of an uninspired crowd of 33,569 fitting for the two worst teams in the NL East.
The Expos will make the move to Washington without their general manager, Omar Minaya, who took over the same role with the Mets on Thursday.
Terrmel Sledge got the Expos’ final hit – Bob Bailey had the first – in the eighth off John Franco, who was making his 695th and perhaps last appearance for New York.
The 44-year-old Franco then got Ryan Church to foul out to Zeile, who was catching in the last game of his 15-year career. With the fans saluting Franco, Zeile gave the ball to Franco and the two hugged in front of the dugout.
