One-Sheet Collections: Montreal Expos Greats
The One-Sheet Collections idea is a simple concept with infinite possibilities. Take a single nine-pocket sheet and a reasonable $100 budget, and build a nine-card collection with a unifying theme.
This week we look back at the Montreal Expos franchise history before they packed up and became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Hall of Famers Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines and Vladimir Guerrero each spent the bulk of their career in Montreal, but they are far from the only stars to suit up for the Expos during their careers and we’ve highlighted nine standouts in this collection.
1970 Topps #585 Rusty Staub ($8)
Staub was the Expos first true star as he was acquired from the Astros prior to their inaugural season in 1969 when he hit .302/.426/.526 with 26 doubles, 29 home runs and 79 RBI. He played in Montreal for just three seasons before he was traded again, but he was an All-Star all three years while piling up 18.5 WAR in 480 games.
His first Expos card in 1969 is a classic example of bad photo editing, so I’ve instead opted for his 1970 Topps card to represent his time with the team.
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1974 Topps #169 Steve Rogers RC ($2)
One of the most underrated pitchers of the 1970s, Rogers spent his entire 13-year career with Montreal, earning five All-Star selections and finishing in the top five in NL Cy Young voting three different times. He is still the franchise leader in wins (158) and pitching WAR (45.1), and that includes the Nationals years.
His Rookie Card in the 1974 Topps set is an absolute steal at $2 and it likely would have featured the iconic Rookie Cup had Topps not briefly done away with it that year. He was coming off a 1973 rookie season where he went 10-5 with a 1.54 ERA in 17 starts.
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1976 Topps #441 Gary Carter ($8)
Carter made his MLB debut at the age of 20 and was an All-Star the following year in his first full season in the big leagues. In 12 seasons with the Expos, he posted a 121 OPS+ with 220 home runs, 823 RBI and 55.8 WAR as one of the best catchers in baseball. He was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner during his time in Montreal.
His Rookie Card in the 1975 Topps set was outside of my budget, but his first solo card the following year with the Topps Rookie Cup is a solid replacement for his spot in this collection.
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1978 Topps #72 Andre Dawson ($4)
Dawson won NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1977 when he hit .282 with 19 home runs and 21 steals, and in his 11 seasons with the Expos he developed into one of the best outfielders in baseball. He posted a 122 OPS+ with 225 home runs, 253 steals and 48.4 WAR while playing for Montreal as one the game’s top power-speed threats.
Just like Carter, he shares his rookie card with three other players in the 1977 Topps set, and that card did not fit the budget. Also like Carter, he has the Topps Rookie Cup on his second-year card and that’s the one that fills his spot in our collection.
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1981 Topps Traded #816 Tim Raines ($30)
Raines stole at least 70 bases in each of his first six seasons in the big leagues, capping off that impressive stretch by also winning the NL batting title in 1986 when he hit .334 and won his only career Silver Slugger. An elite on-base threat and table-setter, he batted .301/.390/.438 with 634 steals and 934 runs scored over the first 12 seasons of his career in Montreal.
Raines has Rookie Cards in the 1981 Donruss and Topps base sets, but it’s his 1981 Topps Traded card that is his most sought after early option.
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1982 Topps #191 Tim Wallach RC ($1.50)
One of the best third basemen of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Wallach was the No. 10 overall pick in the 1979 draft and he spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Expos. The underrated two-way player logged a 105 OPS+ with 204 home runs, 905 RBI and 37.0 WAR with three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger and five All-Star appearances.
He has Rookie Cards in the 1982 Donruss, Fleer and Topps sets, and all three can be scooped up for just a few dollars.
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1990 Leaf #325 Larry Walker RC ($8)
Walker was at his best during his time with the Rockies, but his career began in Montreal where he averaged 35 doubles, 24 home runs, 92 RBI and 24 steals per 162 games in six years with the organization. He was an All-Star in 1992 and won a pair of Gold Glove Awards with the Expos before moving on to Colorado.
Walker has eight different Rookie Cards and the most valuable of the bunch by a wide margin is his entry in the ground-breaking 1990 Leaf Baseball.
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1994 Collector’s Choice Gold Signature #588 Pedro Martinez ($8)
The Expos acquired Martinez from the Dodgers in a one-for-one deal that sent speedy second baseman Delino DeShields the other way in one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history. He developed into a bona fide ace during his four seasons in Montreal, culminating in 1997 when he went 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 305 strikeouts in 241.1 innings to win NL Cy Young honors.
The Silver Signature and Gold Signature cards in the Collector’s Choice helped pave the way for today’s wide variety of parallel options.
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1995 Bowman #90 Vladimir Guerrero RC ($30)
Guerrero made his MLB debut at the age of 21 and developed into an offensive force. During the five-year stretch from 1998 through the 2002 season, he hit .326/.391/.602 while averaging 37 doubles, 39 home runs, 116 RBI and 22 steals. He was a 30/30 player in 2001 and 2002 and goes down as one of the best hitters of his era.
Guerrero was the No. 2 prospect in baseball at the start of the 1997 season, and his Rookie Card in 1995 Bowman Baseball (and Bowman’s Best) was a key chase card back in the day alongside Andruw Jones.
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Total: $99.50
Well done! I think it’s safe to say you’ve keyed in on the nine most important/significant players in Montreal Expos history. I’ve got an endless list of favourites that go beyond these nine including Larry Parrish, Ellis Valentine, Bill Lee, Andres Galarraga, Rondell White and Jose Vidro just to name a few, but you’ve definitely identified the nine players that are most indispensable when talking about Expos history. If I didn’t already own all these cards I’d happily drop $100 for them.