Because of its long history of being the home of the Dodgers' AAA affiliate, and of featuring almost every significant Dodger (Drysdale, Robinson, etc.) and others (Clemente) on its rosters over the course of those years, Montreal was long-considered a candidate for an MLB franchise.  After the American League announced it would unilaterally add Kansas City and Seattle in 1969, Dodger owner Walter O'Malley, first among equals in NL ownership circles, urged the NL to do likewise and add franchises in Montreal and San Diego.   His recommendation carried the day. 

 

Named for the 1967 Montreal Exposition World's Fair (or, Expo '67), the club took the field in 1969 at tiny Jarry Park (Parc Jarry to the locals), fully intending to occupy some yet-to-be-built new stadium within a few years.  The club introduced a new language to the game (pitcher = lanceur, etc.) but otherwise offered little of note its first few years.  One bright spot was Rusty Staub, acquired from Houston in time for opening day, 1969.   He was the club's first all star and quickly became a beloved local icon (nicknamed Le Grande Orange for his red hair).  Even though he was traded 3 years later he remains in the hearts of Montreal fans to this day. 

 

By the late 1970s the club had become very competitive and perennially challenged for the division title with stars like Gary Carter, Steve Rogers and the best outfield in the game - Andre Dawson, Warren Cromartie and the rifle-armed Ellis Valentine.   During the strike-shortened 1981 season, they won the second-half division title by a half game, beat the defending champion Phillies in the LDS and took the eventual champion Dodgers to the 5th game of the NLCS before falling short.  

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The club stayed competitive off and on for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, and in 1994 had the best record in baseball when the players' strike ended the season.  Soon thereafter, the small-market club parted ways with young stars like Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Delino DeShields, Larry Walker and others, leading to a period of decline and the purchase of the club by Jeffrey Loria, the Snidely Whiplash of MLB owners.  Because of Quebec's failure to build a new park (the club had occupied Montreal's Olympic Stadium since the summer after the 1976 games), Loria tried to unload the club, and in 2002 sold it to a partnership comprised of the other 29 clubs (a move which brought an unsuccessful RICO case by Loria's former minority partners against him and MLB).  For the next 2 seasons MLB toyed with the team, its fans and the city  like a cat toys with a stunned mouse before devouring it, going so far to having them play  a portion of their "home" games in 2003 and 2004 in Puerto Rico.  

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In 2005 the club was purchased from MLB by the Lerner family and moved to Washington, D.C. where it was re-christened the Nationals.   After initial lean years, the club became competitive with the arrival of young stars Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, but suffered a number of October disappointments before finally winning the club's first title in 2019.  

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The main purpose of this page is to illustrate those players, managers and coaches who have been the most prominent in the franchise's history.  Links below will take you to galleries highlighting each, by position.  Generally, an individual is included if he spent at least 2 full seasons (consecutive or cumulative) as a starter, relief pitcher, closer or manager. For coaches, I've generally used 5 years of service as the bar.  None of this is scientific, though, so there are exceptions.  Where possible and practical, I used pictures of actual baseball cards because that it is the medium through which I, and I suppose many others, first discovered the game. Where necessary, I designed my own images.  Images of actual baseball cards were obtained at the Card Cyber Museum, and for my own designs I used photos found at host of different sites, but none moreso than the wonderful forum at Out of the Park Developments.  

 

I claim no rights to, or ownership of, any of the photographic images I've used on these pages.   You are welcome to use them yourself.  All I ask is that that if you use any of my personal creations, you give credit to this site.