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Hard to believe it has been 10 years since the Montreal Expos were getting set to begin their final spring training at Space Coast Stadium at Viera, Florida before relocating in Washington as the Nationals in 2005. There are actually eight - possibly nine - players still active who played on that final Montreal team in 2004. Five of those had ties to the Blue Jays, including lefty reliever Scott Downs, righty reliever Jon Rauch, Tomo Ohka whos trying a comeback this year with the Blue Jays as a knuckleballer, shortstop Alex Gonzalez (the first one) who was a contemporary of Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green and current Jays utility infielder Maicer Izturis. The others include reliever Luis Ayala, infielder Jamey Carroll and outfielder Endy Chavez, and Canadian-born pitcher Shawn Hill who pitched last season and may still be active. The Expos knew they were in trouble going into that final season. Major League Baseball was running the team, and rumours were running rampant they were either going to be relocated or contracted, folded if you will. The Expos played 22 of their games in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, either to try and make more money for MLB, or expose the game on a more international level, or kill off the Expos even faster. Take your pick. In any event their attendance in 2004 was the worst in the Majors at 748,550. The Expos dropped their final five home games at Stad Olympique and went 2-7 on their final homestand ever. The Expos final home game ever was on September 29 against the Florida Marlins. Before the game they were presented with a banner by MLB, that proclaimed them as the best team in baseball in 1994. That of course was the year of the players strike that stretched into early 2005. The Expos had the best record in the Majors when play was halted in August of 1994 and most pundits felt they would have won the World Series that year. That banner was raised in centre field during that final game in Montreal. But mere hours later, word leaked out that the Expos would be relocating to Washington for the next season as the Nationals. To complete that washout of a day, Florida won the final game played in Montreal, 9-1. Korean-born pitcher Sun-Woo Kim, who finished with an appropriate career record of 13-13 took the loss giving up five runs on five hits in just two innings. Veteran catcher Todd Zeile hit the final home run at Olympic Stadium, a three-run shot off Claudio Vargas in the 6th inning. But it wasnt quite over from the Expos as they had to go to Shea Stadium in New York to play out the season in the very park where they played their first-ever game in 1969. After dropping the first game, Montreal won its final game under the Expos banner on Saturday, October 2. It had plenty of drama too. Brad Wilkerson, who spent some time with the Blue Jays in 2008, slammed a three-run tie-breaking homer in the top of the 9th off Braden Looper to propel Montreal to a 6-3 victory. On the Sunday, they didnt fare as well. The Mets crushed them 8-1. Jamey Carroll scored the final run in Expos history and Endy Chavez made the final out. Five players who had ties to the Blue Jays were involved in that game: Jose Reyes, Wilkerson, Tony Bautista, Jon Rauch and Maicer Izturis. Not only that, Randy St. Claire, Montreals pitching coach on that day, is now the Blue Jays Triple-A pitching coach at Buffalo. Also of note, the winning pitcher that day for the Mets was Tom Glavine, winding down his Hall of Fame career, who climbed to 11-14 with the victory. Montreal finished that final season at 67-95. A couple of more notes on that final Expos season. They were involved in one of the biggest trades of the year at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. It was a nine-player, four-team swap that involved Montreal, Boston, the Cubs and Minnesota. The Expos sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to Boston. The Red Sox sent one of their all-time greats, Nomar Garciaparra, to the Cubs as part of the package and Alex Gonzalez was one of the three players that went from the Cubs to Montreal. Strangely enough, Gonzalez, the ex-Jay, was the final Expos player ever dealt. He was sent to San Diego as part of a conditional deal on September 16. The Expos left us with some great memories, and there are many who believe a team will return to Montreal, including a group fronted by former Expos left fielder Warren Cromartie. For that to happen though, a new downtown stadium has to be built, and that is nowhere near happening yet. For now Montreal fans will have to be content with two pre-season games at the Olympic Stadium in late March between the Blue Jays and the New York Mets. Midsummer Plans This years All-Star game is slated for Target Field in Minnesota. In 2015, the Midsummer Classic will be in Cincinnati. Commissioner Bud Selig says Washington is a front-runner for 2017. However 2016 is open and if the rotation is followed would go to an American League team. That would be the perfect fit for the Blue Jays, on the 25th anniversary of the first All-Star Classic they hosted in 1991. Heres hoping. Melky Cabrera Jersey . The triple gold medallist from the 2010 Paralympics tweeted on Tuesday: "Woke up with a virus yesterday. Timing couldnt be much worse. Not the ideal prep for the . Alex Gordon Jersey . Felton was in court as the Manhattan district attorneys office outlined the agreement, which would resolve a gun case that arose amid the breakup of his marriage. Hes expected to admit June 30 to at least one charge, attempted criminal possession of a weapon -- he wont have to come to court to do so -- and get a $5,000 fine and 500 hours of community service. http://www.royalsteamproshop.com/Royals-...ld-Kids-Jersey/. Players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that years post-season. In addition, discipline will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to a season-long 162 for a second. A third violation remains a lifetime ban. Kelvin Herrera Jersey .9 million deal Thursday. The 25-year McGinn had 19 goals and 19 assists in 79 games last season in helping the Avalanche tie a franchise record with 52 wins. Brandon Moss Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati.REGINA - The Friday night lights will shine again on Seth Doege. The San Angelo, Texas product, who was a high school and college quarterback sensation in the Lone Star State, will start his first CFL game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4) on Friday at Mosaic Stadium against the leagues top team, the Calgary Stampeders (11-2). You can watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 and TSN GO at 10pm et/7pm pt. The 25-year-old rookie said his upbringing has prepared him well for his first pro start. The Rider Nation fan base reminds me a lot of big time football in Texas just because people are crazy about it here and they love it and have a lot of passion for it, Doege said. In Texas, all of the movies youve seen, its pretty similar. If youre winning, anyway, thats what its like. Doege grew up in a community in rural Texas where high school football on Friday nights mattered. His father was a high school coach, and that meant the game was introduced to him at an early age. Doege was the starter of his west Texas high school team in his freshman and sophomore years. Knee injuries derailed his junior and senior seasons, but Doege still drew interest from nearby Texas Tech University. Doege blossomed into a star his junior year with the Red Raiders, as he set an NCAA Division I record for completion percentage in a game (90.0 per cent, on 40-of-44 pass attempts). His 4,004 passing yards that year ranked eighth in the nation. His senior season was even better. He was named the MVP of the Meineke Car Care Bowl and finished in the top three in the country in passing yards (4,205 yards) and touchdown passes (39). Doege said he accepts the added pressures and responsibilities associated with being the starting quarterback in a football-crazed community. In college, you get used to it, he said. When you go to a big school, youre playing in front of 60,000 or 70,000 fans each and every week, especially in a big time conference. You get used to the crowd and you love it. Thats part of it, thats part of being the quarterback. You get all the love when things are good and all the blame when things are bad. Thats part of the job description. Its no different in Regina, where fans were left shaking their heads after a 24-0 defeat last week at the hands of the Edmonton Eskimos. Tino Sunseri started that game before Doege entered in the second half. Tino and I want that. We want to be the guy that elevates this team, Doege said.dddddddddddd I think we both have the skill set to play at a high level and I think the guys trust us in the locker-room, regardless whether its Tino or myself. Doege has climbed the Riders depth chart in recent weeks. Starting quarterback Darian Durant went down nearly a month ago with a torn tendon in his right (throwing) elbow, with Sunseri having filled in under centre the previous three games. The Riders have scratched out just 38 points in those three contests, including a pair of lopsided losses on the road to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (28-3) and to the Eskimos (24-0). Sandwiched between those defeats was a second-half rally from Sunseri that led the Riders to 35-32 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Sept. 21. But songs of Sunseris praises quickly turned to a chorus of boos after the Riders beatdown in Edmonton last week. Doege is next in line. For this week, I thought it was a chance to give Seth a chance to show what he has, head coach Corey Chamblin said. They (Sunseri and Doege) have different skill sets for the most part, but when I looked at ita€| (Doege) has good command of the huddle this week and I want to see him go for it. Chamblins decision on Wednesday ended a few days worth of rumours of new quarterbacks coming to Saskatchewan, including a trade for Henry Burris or a return of veteran Kerry Joseph. Durant is still recovering from elbow surgery on his right throwing arm and isnt expected to return any time soon. However, earlier this week, Riders general manager Brendan Taman suggested Durant could rejoin the team for the final week or two of the regular season. Chamblin wasnt as optimistic. Were not even at the point where he can grip the ball and throw it, he said. It doesnt matter what we are told or where we are from there. I will hold those thoughts until we actually see where his progression and rehab is. Burris name popped into the conversation on Monday after reports surfaced the Riders had contacted the Redblacks about a possible trade for the 39-year-old veteran quarterback. Joseph, who led the Riders to the 2007 Grey Cup championship, was also a part of the water-cooler conversation this week. Nothing has materialized with either Burris or Joseph, meaning the Riders plan to stick with Doege and Sunseri for the foreseeable future. Its time to shake things up. Maybe its one of those things we can shake up to get back into the win column, Chamblin said. ' ' '