The 1994 baseball season, already shut down by a monthlong strike, is canceled along with the World Series in a vote by 26 of the 28 teams on September 14, 1994.
It was one of the darkest days in baseball history. My favorite team was the Montreal Expos, who at the time of the baseball strike were leading the NL East Division with a 74-49 record. They were favored to win the World Series. They were set up to potentially win for a long time led by 1994 Manager of the Year Felipe Alou. The Expos had two future Hall of Famers in the lineup, pitcher Pedro Martinez and outfielder Larry Walker. They were loaded with young talented lineup which included Moises Alou, Marquis Grissom, Wil Cordero, and John Wetteland.
I remember seeing MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announcing the heartbreaking news. My heart sunk because all Expos fans felt this was the year our team would finally win! It was 13 years since 'Blue Monday' and we watched the great players like Carter, Dawson, and Raines leave the Expos. It was an end of an era and now in 1994, Expos fans finally had something to cheer about until the strike crushed our hopes and dreams.
The MLB Network produced a wonderful documentary on the Triumph & Tragedy - The 1994 Montreal Expos. As an Expos fans it left you feeling 'What if' because we will never know if the Expos would celebrate a World Series Championship. We will never know if the team would thrive in a new stadium and be a championship contender for years. What we do know is the 1994 World Series cancellation cost Expos fans their franchise 9 years later when the team moved to Washington and became the Nationals in 2005.
Cancelling the 1994 World Series is a bitter pill for all Expos fans to swallow. The Expos franchise, Expos fans, and the city of Montreal all deserved better.
What did you think when the 1994 World Series was cancelled?
'What if' the Expos franchise won the 1994 World Series?
Who was your favorite player on the 1994 Expos team?
Does Montreal deserve a MLB team?
Leave your comments below!
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