Word: montreal
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Fair territory in baseball, as defined by the foul lines, extends in theory to infinity, but whoever thought it reached Saskatoon? For half a season, Montreal and Toronto have been leading half the divisions in the major leagues, and now a Canadian World Series is more than just a chilling thought. It's a possibility, God save the Queen...
...last week's All-Star game, the northern influence was evident from the first sentimental bars of O Canada. The National League lineup was top-heavy with the bright particular talents of the Montreal Expos: the admirable catcher Gary Carter, the ageless hitter Al Oliver, the young speedster Tim Raines, and the man a New York Times poll has found to be the most respected player in the game today, Centerfielder Andre Dawson. Since Willie Mays left, baseball has had a soft spot for centerfielders with all-round gifts. Dawson won the Gold Glove at his position the past...
...years, are less taken with the standings. "We haven't sparkled," says Oliver, the defending batting champion. "We've been lucky that the rest of the division [Philadelphia, St. Louis, et al.) has been pretty lousy too." Emotionally, neither team reflects its customers. As Stieb says, "Montreal has a lot of French Canadians, hot-blooded and spirited types. Toronto fans are English Americans, a bit more staid." However, he has noticed increased fan enthusiasm in Toronto since the team began winning and started selling beer...
Canada's baseball heritage is deeper than 15 years of the Expos and seven seasons of the Blue Jays. Before Brooklyn or Los Angeles ever knew of Walter Alston, he managed the Dodgers Triple A team in Montreal, and Jackie Robinson played there in 1946. "Those were happy summers," says Al Campanis, the Montreal shortstop then, the Dodger general manager now. Before Cincinnati or Detroit ever heard of Sparky Anderson, he managed in Toronto. When Toronto grew past the point of accepting the minor leagues of anything, baseball left town for nine years. It returned to a faint...
...team alone. When the other side makes a good play they don't sit on their hands like a lot of American fans." Often they clap their hands to the tune of The Happy Wanderer. "When you're on a roll and going good," says Steve Rogers, Montreal's best pitcher, "it's nothing to have them give you six standing ovations in a single game." Rogers can think of a few negatives in Canada: high taxes, inflated costs, language barriers. "But overall it's like a little touch of Europe," he says. "I love...