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10 unforgettable moments in Montreal baseball history

The Mets and Blue Jays will play an exhibition series at Olympic Stadium this weekend, marking the first Major League action in Montreal since the Expos moved to Washington D.C. after the 2004 season. In honor of this joyous occasion, let's take a look back at 10 milestone baseball moments that occurred within the Quebec city's limits.

1946: The Montreal Royals (1897-1917, 1928-1960) were the first professional team in the City of Saints. They served as the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate from 1939-1960, launching the careers of players like Sparky Anderson and Roberto Clemente. Oh, and they also won the 1946 Little World Series with a familiar face manning second base:

jackie

1969: Nine years after the Royals folded, Major League Baseball arrived with the Expos. The team was owned by Seagram's executive Charles Bronfman and run by former Tigers/Braves GM John McHale. These were exciting times:

McHale

1970: Although the Expos didn't finish above fourth place in any of their first 10 seasons, there were plenty of highlights -- including this 1970 walk-off homer by super-sub John Boccabella from Pocatella:

1977: The team moved out of Jarry Park and into the stadium that would remain their home through the 2004 season. Hello, Big O:

Big O

1981: The strike-shortened year marked the Expos' first postseason berth. They won the NL East crown and defeated the Phillies in the NLDS. But alas, Blue Monday. At any rate, Montreal fans and players (and Youppi!) were thankful for their first taste of October:

postseason

1982: The following season, Olympic Stadium hosted the All-Star Game. It was the first Midsummer Classic to be held outside of the United States, and the 'Spos were very well-represented:

All Star

1994: Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez, Cliff Floyd, Marquis Grissom ... The '94 strike-shortened season may have been Montreal's best chance to win a title. They led the league in wins and win percentage when play halted on August 12: 

1994: In April, Pedro Martinez (who would flirt with perfection in San Diego in '95), had a perfect game working into the eighth inning. But then Reggie Sanders came up, Pedro hit him, and the Reds slugger rushed the mound in what remains one of the oddest fracases in history:

Pedro brawl

1996: During a September call-up, this skinny, free-swinging rookie introduced himself to some dubious TV announcers:

Vlad went on to have a pretty decent career, becoming the club's all-time leader in home runs (234), batting average (.323) and OPS (.978). He was also known to impress the home fans with his arm:

Vlad throw

2003: The franchise would move to Washington, D.C. after 2004, but not before the first (of two) players sported an Expos hat in Cooperstown. Even though this moment didn't happen in Montreal, it surely made the city proud:

Carter