Success and Frustration As Expo Manager
Fanning's calm and professional style favorably contrasted with Williams' hard edge, and the Expos won 16 of their last 27 games to capture the second-half NL East title, thus qualifying for the playoffs per 1981's strike-shortened, split-season format. The Expos then defeated the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the playoffs to advance to the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the deciding fifth game, on what became known in Montreal as "Blue Monday" (October 19, 1981), LA outfielder Rick Monday hit a tie-breaking home run in the ninth inning off Montreal ace pitcher Steve Rogers. The Dodgers won, 2–1, and advanced to the World Series, where they defeated the New York Yankees. None knew it then, but 1981 would represent Montreal's only trip to the baseball playoffs; in 2005, the club relocated to D.C. and became the Washington Nationals.
Fanning returned as pilot in 1982, but the Expos finished a disappointing third, six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Fanning moved back into the front office, handing over the baseball manager's job to Bill Virdon, recently fired by the Houston Astros. But Virdon could not arrest the Expos' decline in 1983 and was fired with 30 games left in the 1984 campaign. Once more, Fanning came down to the field and took over the club, but with poor (14–16) results, as the team finished a disappointing fifth.
Read more about this topic: Jim Fanning
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