Expos Lynchpin: Ken Hill

Ken Hill

1992 Stadium Club #735
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Ken spent three years with Montreal, giving them a 41-21 record with a 3.04 ERA and a 129 ERA+. Sure sounds like a lynchpin to me. Pitching for that mythical 1994 Montreal team that may have gone all the way, he was chosen an All Star, finished second in Cy Young Voting, and 12th for MVP. He also led the league with 16 wins in the strike-shortened year. Pretty damn good, huh? I definitely have good memories of Hill as an Expo. Too bad the rest of his career was so-so; he went 53-56 with a 104 ERA+ after he left Montreal.

How Did I Get It?: Box of 1992 Stadium Club series 3.

Did You Know?: Hill last appeared in a Devil Rays uniform, in Spring Training of 2001.

Rating: 6/10 – I think I’ve spoken about my issues with this Stadium Club issue; the photography is good, and I appreciate the full-bleed photography, but the colors always seemed way too muted for me.

1982 Fleer #6

Roberto (Bobby) Ramos

1982 Fleer #203
Category: Failed Prospect
Position: C
Bio/Summary: I’ve covered Bobby Ramos on this site before, when he was on the Tim Raines rookie card, but this is the first time we’ve had a “pure” card of him. What to make of him? Not much. He never played a full season in the majors, and only appeared in four games in 1982 with the Yankees, going .091/.091/.364. If you’re playing along at home, that’s a .455 OPS.
Rating: 4/10 – Tilted photo? Check. Awful astroturf? Check. Bad hair? Check. It’s a capsule of the early 80s.

Jeff Reardon

1982 Fleer #204
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: RP
Bio/Summary: For awhile there, The Terminator was the career record holder for saves, even leading the league with 41 in 1985. 1982 was the beginning of his reign as a closer, when he scored 26 in 75 games and had a 177 ERA+. The most interesting thing is that he finished 53 games, which means he was closing out games even in losses – something you’d never see of a closer these days.

Rating: 4/10 – Dude looks like a trucker here, and the picture has the same issue with the darkness and flash.

Steve Rogers

1982 Fleer #205
Category: Expos Star
Position: SP
Bio/Summary: Wow, I had no idea Steve Rogers was a five-time All Star. Why is this guy never mentioned? I mean, come on, the guy lost 22 games and was still an all-star. That counts for something! Probably for how bad the Expos were at the time. But dude pitched out of his mind most of his career, staying over 100 ERA+ for 9 years and even leading the league in it one year. What’s a guy gotta do to get attention?
Rating: 3/10 – Yikes, what an ugly dude! And an ugly card.

Scott Sanderson

1982 Fleer #206
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Wow, look how young Sanderson is here. I always associate him with his Yankees update and traded cards, so seeing him as a kid here was weird. It’s not that he’s that young, 24, it’s just that I’m so used to seeing him old. Anyway. In 1982, Scott went 12-12 with a 3.46 ERA, for a 105 ERA+. Just right around league average…about what I would think of Sanderson (and he had a career 102 ERA+, so that’s about right).
Rating: 4/10 – Again, not a great photo…tough thing about this set.

1982 Fleer #5

David Palmer

1982 Fleer #199
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I remember David Palmer from all the 1989 sets, when he was with the Phillies and near the end of his career. Here he is in his prime, though he missed all of 1981. He returned in 1982, going 6-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 13 games, good for a 115 ERA+. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t sniff an above-average ERA+ again until 1986. Looking at his ability prior to 1982, it looks like that injury might have taken it out of him. He was never the same after.
Rating: 6/10 – I swear that’s Gary Carter in the background. The flash photography is awful here, but my imagination is somewhat inspired by this shot.

Larry Parrish

1982 Fleer #200
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: 3B
Bio/Summary: I remember Larry Parrish from later in his career, much like David Palmer, when he was finishing up with Texas and Boston in 1988. In 1981, however, the future was still his to grasp. Coming off a 104 ERA+ performance in 1980, he slumped to a 92 OPS+, hitting .244/.297/.384 in 97 games and getting traded to the Rangers in March of 82. Rough for a guy who was just a few years off an All-Star appearance and fourth place finish in the MVP race.
Rating: 1/10 – Ick. Terrible, blurry photo with a flash that washes out his face. Seriously one of the worst pictures I’ve ever seen on a baseball card.

Mike Phillips

1982 Fleer #201
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: SS/2B
Bio/Summary: Phillips was a light-hitting middle infielder who must have had a reputation with his glove, because that bat was not going to be enough, let me tell you. Not even at SS in that era. And 1982 was the beginning of the end – he had a -34 OPS+. Yikes. So I’m not surprised I’d never heard of him.
Rating: 5/10 – At least this picture is in focus and not washed out. Too bad it’s boring.

Tim Raines

1982 Fleer #202
Category: Expos Star
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: I’m not sure Raines needs any introduction…he’s another of the legit stars in this set to go with Carter and Dawson. You know, it’s kind of a shame that Expos pitching was so abysmal back then because they had the core of something really special with those three. And 1982 was at the beginning of a nice run for Rock. He had a 101 OPS+, but the big stat for that year was 78 steals in 94 attempts! That’s absolutely unheard of! Man the guy was good.
Rating: 8/10 – This card gets major props for showing a young Raines, and hey, it’s in focus and well-lit. How about that?

1982 Fleer #1

 

Stan Bahnsen

1982 Fleer #183
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I am going to admit I was not familiar with something like 75% of the players in this set, and Bahnsen is one of them. Checking his stats, he looked like a thoroughly serviceable starter and 1968 Rookie of the Year that converted to relief duty upon joining Montreal in 1977 (okay, one year of starting in there). His career rebounded a bit from the move, and he ended up moving over to California in 1982.
Rating: 5/10 – I don’t really know what to make of most of the 1982 Fleer cards and shots. On the one hand, it’s as bland a design as you can get – almost a non-design. At the same time, the photography has some really unique shots…someone once said that Fleer made the players more human, and I’d tend to agree. In this instance, rather than “baseball player”, I see a player chilling out onfield before the game, and what I think is a rare shot from Montreal’s stadium. I give it some extra points for that.

 

Ray Burris

1982 Fleer #184
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Burris was a fairly mediocre starter that somehow managed to stick around 15 seasons, going 108-134 with a 4.17 career ERA (in a time when offense was lessened). Still, a career 1.415 WHIP and 92 ERA+? I guess that’s a bit above replacement level. I thought a lefty would be more likely to stick with those numbers, but here Ray is.
Rating: 4/10 – See what I mean about this set? I really want to like this card, but I just can’t get past the flash and the long shadows cast behind Burris. At the same time, again, it just looks like a normal guy rather than an untouchable deity. I like that.

 

Gary Carter, Dave Parker, Fernando Valenzuela

1982 Fleer #s 185, 635, 638
Category: Expos Star
Position: C
Bio/Summary: What else is there to say about Gary? Let’s look at his 1982 season, as one could make an argument that it was the best of his career. He hit 29 homers and batted .293 with an .890 OPS. Very nice, especially for a catcher! That came out to a 146 OPS+. He also had a 134 OPS+ in high-leverage situations! Good stuff.
Rating: Parker and Valenzuela Cards: 6/10 – I’m kind of splitting the difference here. The Parker/Carter card is kind of nice aside from the Cobra’s copious amount of sweat, but I’m irritated that Carter isn’t the center of focus on the Valenzuela card yet gets tagged. He might as well be in the background.

Carter Card: 3/10 – Oh, man, I like Gary Carter a lot, and I really wanted his main set card to be a good one, but I just can’t let the blurry photography (believe me, I cleaned this up a lot) pass. Again, there is some humanity and soul to this shot, but the lousy composition blows it.

 

Warren Cromartie

1982 Fleer  #186
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: What an odd story. Cromartie was a pretty good hitter who left the USA for greener (?) pastures in Japan in 1984, returning in 1991 for a swan song with the Royals. The guy was something of a Japanese legend.  Back here in the States, though, he had a good 1982, knocking 14 homers with a .722 OPS. Not stellar for a corner outfielder, but also not bad at all. I guess he did better in Japan, though, and good for him.
Rating: 3/10 – Apologies for some of the crud on the picture here…some dust got on the scanner. Again, crappy photo composition for what would have been a thoroughly decent shot. Oh, well. There are better cards in this team set.

2000 Fleer Focus #2

Vladimir Guerrero

2000 Fleer Focus #154
Category: Expos Star
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: A player that really needs no introduction, Vladimir may have fallen off the cliff this year, but he’s been a force in the majors for quite some time. In 2000, he was coming off a career-high 42 homers, .315 average, and .978 OPS (uh, pretty damned impressive numbers) and managed to best even that, knocking 44 home runs with a .345 average and 1.074 OPS. 1.074!! Insanity. I miss the guy.
Rating: 7/10 – So that looks like Wrigley in the background, and some Cub. I’m curious about why Vlad looks so laid back, as does the fielder, when he’s running from one base to another.

Wilton Guerrero

2000 Fleer Focus  #30
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: 2B/OF
Bio/Summary: Vlad’s older brother and unfortunately the lesser light of the family. I mean, he was fairly serviceable for a second baseman, though he was not hitting so well in 2000. A .638 OPS with .310 OBP? Ugh. Terrible.
Rating: 6/10 – I can’t quite place who that team is in the background. The Astros, maybe? It’s not a bad card, though.

Rondell White
2000 Fleer Focus #23
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: 2000 was Rondell’s last year with the Expos, but he did a pretty good job, hitting .311 with 13 homers and an .867 OPS. Yet another year of his marred by injury. This was also where his speed fell off the table, going from a career high of 25 stolen bases (1995), all the way down to 5. He would never sniff double digits again.
Rating: 6/10 -Is this set in Puerto Rico or Spring Training? I can tell those are the Cards back there, but that’s about it.

2000 Fleer Focus Part 1

Thanks to John from Old School Breaks for this set!

Michael Barrett

2000 Fleer Focus #33
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: C
Bio/Summary: I’ve covered Michael before, and managed to avoid his fisticuffs-loving ways. I think I’ll continue that trend. Today, let’s look at his 2000 season. He went .214/.277/.288 with a 42 OPS+. Yikes! This for a guy who would later win a Silver Slugger at catcher. He did end up spending 50+ games at 3B. Huh. Didn’t know that.
Rating: 6/10 – You can’t really tell, but the players on these cards are embossed for lack of a better term – they really stand out. That said, I like the design of these cards for the full-bleed “feel” yet having a white border after all. And the design of the names at the bottom is nice. This particular card is a fairly common shot, though, so I couldn’t rank it any higher.

 

 

Dustin Hermanson

2000 Fleer Focus #136
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: If you had asked me how long Hermanson’s career lasted, there’s no way I would have guessed he was still around in 2006. He always seemed a bit of a failed prospect to me, but hey…he pitched just well enough to hang on. Hey, from 97 to 00, he was over 100 ERA+ each year! Huh. I really didn’t follow his career.
Rating: 5/10 – Another somewhat boring shot. It’s also weird that his back foot blends in with the white on the bottom. Odd decision.

 

Carl Pavano

2000 Fleer Focus #216
Category: Expos Star
Position: SP
Bio/Summary: Mr. Glass. Poor Carl Pavano. The guy had a good career building up, signed with the Yankees and…well, the rest is history. But how about his 2000? It was probably the first year he showed what he was capable of, going 8-4 with a 3.06 and a 158 ERA+. Pretty damned impressive. It might be worth tracking down that rookie card…
Rating: 6/10 – Slightly more interesting shot here, and no melting feet.

Ugueth Urbina

2000 Fleer Focus #199
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: RP
Bio/Summary: Man, oh, man. Have not been looking forward to covering this psycho. I won’t go into the story of what he did. He didn’t play many games in 2000, appearing in 13 games, finishing 11 of them with a 4.05 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. I’m guessing he was injured.
Rating: 5/10 - You can really see the glow effect they used on the players here. I’m not as big a fan of it in this shot, though.

1984 Topps Traded

Fred Breining

1984 Topps Traded #16T
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I had never heard of Fred Breining before opening this set. And let me tell you, that’s one hell of a portrait shot there in the corner. It looks like Breining was a somewhat serviceable reliever before 1983, when the Giants converted him to a starter and he performed well enough, with a 93 ERA+ (about what I’d expect from a converted reliever). He went to Montreal in 1984 with Max Venable and Andy McGaffigan in exchange for Al Oliver, and although he put up a 1.35 ERA, he was only used for four games and never heard from again.
Rating: 2/10 – Icccccck. Look at the airbrush job on…everything! I can understand why, given how few Expos games he appeared in, but yikes.

 

Gary Lucas

1984 Topps Traded #73T
Category: Former Expo
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Another player who was a mystery to me. He was a trouper, though, who kept his team in ballgames well enough, posting over a 100 ERA+ in all six years he pitched. Hmmm…a lefty reliever with that kind of pedigree? He must have blown out his arm to have lasted for that short a period.
Rating: 5/10 – Getting a slight bump for showing tobacco in a photo. You wouldn’t see that much today…I’m not going to say that’s a shame, but this does remind me of a different time.

 

Andy McGaffigan

1984 Topps Traded #78T
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: As a kid, this guy seemed like the eternal Expo to me; I guess that makes sense, as he joined the team when I was eight. Here’s the interesting thing; he went to Cincinatti in 1984, but returned to the Expos in 1986. I didn’t know that! But I digress. He was actually a LOT better than I remembered him, and in 1984 he had a 136 ERA+ for the Expos. Not too shabby!
Rating: 4/10 – Just a boring shot on a boring card.

 

Pete Rose

1984 Topps Traded #103T
Category: Expos Star
Position: 1B
Bio/Summary: Yeah, I had no idea he was an Expo either! Pete was my favorite player in my pre-fanatic days…I remember cheering him on as he chased the hits record, that’s for sure. Pete signed with Montreal in the offseason before the 1984 season, and had only an 82 OPS+ (72 hits in 95 games) for the team. Of course, Pete was in his decline years at this point.
Rating: 8/10 – I like this card just because. Oh, and it’s a cool shot of Pete.

 

Derrel Thomas

1984 Topps Traded #118T
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: 2B-OF
Bio/Summary: Yet another player of which I was ignorant; he was a sub-par hitter, and as far as I can tell, not that great a fielder, either. Obviously it was a different time for second basemen, but I can’t see him being a great pick-up.
Rating: 4/10 – At least it’s an action shot, and it’s kind of cool to see the guys in the dugout back there. Wonder who they might be?

1990 Bowman #2

Howard Farmer

1990 Bowman #107
Category: Failed Prospect
Position: P
Bio/Summary: I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought Howard Farmer would last longer than Mel Rojas. Of course, he didn’t; he ended up only spending one season in the majors at age 23, with a 52 ERA+. Ouch. He hung on in the minors until 1995, ending his minor league career with a 59-43 record and a 3.34 ERA.
Rating: 7/10 – Slight boost for being able to see the car in the background. I love that there was apparently a time you could park just outside the outfield of a Spring Training field.

Tom Foley

1990 Bowman #120
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: 2B/SS
Bio/Summary: I’ve written about Foley before, but the guy was just kind of “there” in his major league career. In 1990, he had an 43 OPS+ with not much else to speak of offensively. Somehow he continued to hang on until 1995. But hey, he was once traded for Skeeter Barnes.
Rating: 3/10 – Average shot, not much to speak of here.

Andres Galarraga

1990 Bowman#113
Category: Expos Star
Position: 1B
Bio/Summary: The Big Cat kicks ass. Of course, in 1990 he led the league with 169 strikeouts and had a 99 OPS+ (not so hot for a first baseman), but he could still play some great defense and rebounded in the years following.
Rating: 5/10 – Oh, man. Wish I could get some action shots.

Mark Gardner

1990 Bowman #106
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Garnder was definitely not a superstar; not even really a star, but had a decent major league career, and 1990 was the best year of that career. He was a 28-year-old rookie when he posted a 7-9 record with a 3.42 ERA but boasted a 107 ERA+. Oh, and he had three shutouts: one against the Giants, one against Houston, and one against Atlanta (those last two were back-to-back).
Rating: 4/10 – Same old, same old.

1990 Bowman #1/5

Oil Can Boyd

1990 Bowman #102
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: SP
Bio/Summary: Oil Can joined the Expos in the 1989 offseason as a free agent, and produced well in the 1990 season, putting up a 125 ERA+ in 190.2 IP. All that for $400,000 (the contract was backloaded and jumped up the following year, when he had a 104 ERA+). And, of course, Oil Can was fun to watch.
Rating: 5/10 – It’s Oil Can, of course, but I don’t know what to make of the 1990 Bowman set. The rainbow corners and spacious white borders frame some fairly mediocre Spring Training shots. Oh, and let’s not forget that every card in the set looks faded (they looked that way when they came out – I remember being annoyed about it), so what you’re looking at is a punched-up, color-corrected version of the actual card.

Tim Burke

1990 Bowman #103
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: RP
Bio/Summary: 1990 was a decent year for Tim Burke; he got 20 saves (which was still decent, especially on a lousy team) and had a 145 ERA+. The issue was that he had a 1.227 WHIP. It was the precusor to the end of his career, however, as he never saved more than six in a season afterwards and was gone by 1992.
Rating: 4/10 – Standard spring training shot. Bleh.

Dennis Martinez

1990 Bowman #111
Category: Expos Star
Position: SP
Bio/Summary: Oh man, do I remember Dennis’s Perfect Game; I didn’t remember Tom Browning doing it, but I saw the news when it happened. Of course, that was 1991, out of the scope of this set. 1990 was smack in the middle of a great run for El Presidente; he had a 124 ERA+ in 226 innings, yet only went 10-11 (remember, kids, this is why wins don’t matter) for the 85-77 Expos. He’s definitely an Expo I’d like to cover more.
Rating: 6/10 – At least there’s something interesting in the background, other than the tops of trees. Dennis looks pretty shiny, though.

Delino Deshields

1990 Bowman #119
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: 2B
Bio/Summary: I was sure Delino was going to turn into a huge star. While he did have a pretty good career, he never quite took off in the manner that I expected. But what did he do in 1990? He played in 129 games for his rookie season, going .289/.375/.393, for a 116 OPS+. Oh, he also stole 42 bases, though his rate was pretty bad. Hey, it was still good for second place in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Dave Justice (remember that guy?).
Rating: 3/10 – Oh man, I could just wipe the sweat off this card. And poor Delino. It was rare for him to have a good photo early in his career. I don’t know what it was – he wasn’t exactly ugly, but the photographs they took of him sure worked to create that impression. Oh, and made him look akward.

1991 Topps Traded

Ivan Calderon
1991 Topps Traded #16T
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: OF
Bio/Summary: For some reason, I remember Ivan Calderon’s career being longer, but no, it was only nine years long. He did have a good 1991 with the Expos, though, going .300/.368/.481 with 19 home runs. Of course, just two years later he was done.
Rating: 6/10 – Spring Training shot…kind of generic, except…hey, that’s Andres Galarraga in the background!

Jeff Fassero
1991 Topps Traded #39T
Category: Expos Lynchpin
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Now Fassero had a decent career. Hint: he’s a lefty. So he stuck around for 15 years, and while his overall record was a losing one (121-124), he had a respectable 4.41 career ERA. Well, respectable for a guy like him, anyway.
Rating: 7/10 – Improved photography from Topps here, and an old-school Expos uniform that rocks. Just wish I could tell what stadium that is.

Barry Jones
1991 Topps Traded #64T
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Good lord, is Barry Jones an ugly man. I remember getting his cards as far back as 1987 and thinking that. His performance with the Expos was kind of mediocre, though…not too good but not too bad either. Just kind of…there.
Rating: 2/10 – Who the hell needs a close-up of that ugly mug?

 Doug Piatt
1991 Topps Traded #92T
Category: Expos Also-Ran
Position: P
Bio/Summary: Can’t really call him a failed prospect because I don’t recall him ever being a prospect. He just kind of appeared in 1991, his one season in the majors, and then disappeared just as quickly. Odd, because he was pretty good in 1991, with a 3.30 NRA (normalized runs allowed, which accounts for inherited baserunners). Then he was gone.
Rating: 6/10 – I wonder if that was taken the same day as the Fassero pic? If I had to guess, I’d say that’s the Pirates old stadium, Three Rivers.  In that case, it would appear the photo was taken in either a September game or July game. Given the Topps Traded release frame, it’s more likely to be the July game, in which case, no, it was not the same game.

Tom Runnells
1991 Topps Traded #103T
Category: Manager
Bio/Summary: I don’t really remember Runnells managing the Expos. The story on BBref’s Bullpen is fascinating, though:

His time as Expos manager was short but tumultuous. Succeeding the very popular Rodgers, he had trouble establishing his credibility with the media and the team. He was General Manager Dave Dombrowski‘s hand-picked man but failed to replicate his minor league success as the Expos finished the 1991 season in last place for the first time since 1976. In what became his defining moment, he made an entrance at spring training in 1992 dressed in marine fatigues, apparently trying to channel the spirit of General Norman Schwartzkopf. Everyone who witnessed the performance found it eerily distressing. He then proceeded to try to shake up the team through various strange moves, such as shifting three-time Gold Glove winner Tim Wallach from third base to first base in order to slot in Bret Barberie, who had hardly ever played the position in organized baseball. The players quickly were in open revolt against their leader. Runnells’ position with the front office had become shaky anyway, as Dombrowski had bolted the organization and had been replaced by Dan Duquette, who sacked Runnells on May 22, 1992, replacing him with the calmer and more experienced Felipe Alou, under whom the team started winning immediately.
Rating: 5/10 – Standard issue manager card. Bleh.