Au revoir, les Expos

After 36 seasons, the Montreal Expos play the last home game in their history 19 years ago today.

Only hours before, Major League Baseball announces its plans to relocate the Expos after the 2004 season to Washington, D.C.

The end of the Expos’ final game at home comes at 9:50 p.m., when rookie Terrmel Sledge pops out to Florida third baseman and former Expo Mike Mordecai to finish the Expos' 9-1 loss to the Marlins before a Wednesday night crowd of 31,395 at Stade Olympique.

“The fans were still behind us,” Sledge tells the New York Times after the game. “I was in awe of the noise. Usually, I can block the crowd out, but not this time.”

The Expos still have three road games left in their existence in a weekend series against the Mets in New York, where ironically that existence begins in 1969 with their inaugural game.

Coincidentally, Sledge hits the franchise's first home run after it relocates in 2005 to Washington, D.C. and becomes the Nationals.

Juan Rivera collects the Expos’ last hit in Montreal with a single to right field off Marlins starter and another onetime Expo Carl Pavano with one out in the seventh inning.

Pavano along with relievers David Weathers and Rudy Seanez combine to retire the next seven Expos before Sledge’s game-ending pop-up.

“It was kind of overwhelming, really,” Expos manager Frank Robinson tells the Montreal Gazette after the final home game.

“The reception makes it tougher to move on,” Robinson says. “It’s like you want to stand still right now and savor the moment, because you know when you walk out of this ballpark tonight, it’ll be for the last time.”