The 1988 baseball season started like any other but from a Montreal radio broadcasting standpoint, it would change dramatically. And, strangely, it would be hockey that would change it all.
The Expos would reach a high point of 11 games over .500 (60-49) on August 7 after pounding the St. Louis Cardinals. By then, the radio landscape had already changed.
The Canadiens and Expos were still both on the same station and since the Canadiens were once again involved in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, there were conflicts with the Expos,
with both teams playing at the same time. CFCF was trying to juggle multi simultaneous broadcasts and it was the Expos that would take a back seat, shunted to a lesser station each and every time the team were scheduled at the same time.
The Expos had had enough.
CFCF’s rival, our very own CJAD, offered a solution. They were willing to carry
the disputed games on Montreal’s top English language radio station. The radio rights were up after the season and this time CJAD was going to push the issue over the edge after CFCF’s 18 year stranglehold on the rights (which covered all but year one when the team had to pay CKGM to air the games). Now I would get my foot in the door as the temporary broadcasts needed a pre and post game show. The radio station, smelling the kill, also sent me to cover the all star game in Cincinnati. I could taste it.
The 60-49 record faded to an 81-81 finish but there was hope for 1989.
Not only were the broadcasting rights seemingly coming our way, but this was a
team that had built one of the best minor league systems in the game. They had talent above and talent below and even talent below that, a team on the rise. Sports Director Ted Blackman assured me that if the station got the rights, he would push for me to get some part of the in game broadcast. I couldn’t wait. Each day I waited for an announcement and finally it came.
After nearly 20 years, the Expos would be heard on CJAD and I waited for my life to change.
If the in-booth set up was the same, then two announcers were needed since my good
friend, former Expo manager Jim Fanning, would not be retained as Dave Van Horne’s partner.
It had been a failed experiment as Jim never really found his way in the latest position the club had found for him. A full time analyst was needed to join Dave and move over to TV with him, and a second play by play announcer was also needed to take Dave’s place when he was on the tube. Ted kept assuring me that it looked good and so I really started to get excited. The hiring process dragged on and the tone seemed to change after Christmas. When the dust settled, I hadn’t been hired for either job.
Instead, it was Ken Singleton had been hired to work solely on television and
Jerry Trupiano had been imported from Houston to wear a pair of hats on the broadcasts.
He would be second banana to Dave and would take over the radio play by play role when Dave was on TV. According to Blackman, Expos Managing Partner Claude Brochu had nixed
any part of me being a part of the main broadcast.
I was crushed. What had I done? Ted simply said “Get over it, you can’t always get what you want, maybe someone said something negative about you to Brochu, maybe he just
doesn’t like you, who knows? There’s nothing you can do about it now so what’s the point of making yourself miserable? Why don’t you work on the pre-game show and do a live ‘Star of the Game’ interview after it. Carry yourself like you deserve to be where you want to be and see where the future takes you.”
Ted promised he would somehow get me into the booth during some games. It took some time but accept it I did. Meanwhile, it was off to spring training for a couple of weeks to keep an eye on the team that many believed would win the National League East.
In West Palm Beach, Florida I ran into Brochu who invited me for a meeting in his office.
“Would you ever be interested in doing play by play?” He asked. How could he not know this?
Hadn’t he just hired other announcers instead of me?
“Yes Sir,” I responded and hoped for the best. True to his word Ted Blackman did get me on a few broadcasts next to Dave Van Horne for a few innings. Dave’s report was that there was no doubt that I was a fine radio announcer, knowledgeable in baseball and Expos history but I was not going to be a baseball analyst. My future lay in play by play and it would be best if I concentrated on that. That was the end of my time on the broadcasts but for one more time that season.
The 1989 edition of the Expos seemed well on it’s way. In late May, after a sluggish start, they traded for one of the American League’s best left handed starters in Seattle’s Mark Langston.
They had surrendered three fine prospects in the deal, one of whom you may have heard of – a lefty by the name of Randy Johnson. It always irks me when the history of the franchise is recited and the list of stars that the team was forced to trade or let go is put forth.
Those who haven’t done their homework always add Johnson’s name. But this was a trade that took on salary, not the other way around.
The Expos were division leaders at the all star break but faded badly as the Andre
Dawson-led Chicago Cubs won instead. Late season races always allowed me to travel but there was no real late season race this time. Luckily, CJAD had put together a contest that sent winners to Los Angeles for an Expos-Dodger series and to New York to see the Expos and Mets.
As it turned out, one of the games in L.A. was a rare day that saw Dave Van Horne miss a game. I would get a chance to work all 9 innings with Jerry Trupiano. Now, what was that question again – did I want to do play by play? Yes I did!!! You would think they might have let me do perhaps just one inning?
PLEASE!
It was not to be. Mr. Trupiano worked all nine.
There was one funny story from that late season trip to Los Angeles. The Expos had acquired the huge veteran left hander John Candaleria for the aborted stretch run. He was sitting with a friend at the hotel bar when a ruckus broke out. Starting pitcher Bryn Smith was involved with two other gentlemen and their voices grew louder and louder and it appeared to be at the breaking point, perhaps close to fisticuffs, when “Candy” calmly got up from his seat, walked over to the men, wrapped his ample arms around all three and told them there would be no problem at this bar tonight. And he was right. When all three had calmed down, the old lefty let go and didn’t say another word. He went back to his seat, sat down and picked up the conversation he was having just where it had left off. If you ever wondered about how much veteran leadership is worth, this was a prime example. Not to mention the positives of having elastic-man type reach.
At home games I would head down to the dugout in the bottom of the eighth inning
after conferring with the visiting broadcast crew. I would find out who they wanted on their post-game interview and I got my pick of everyone else. Players weren’t always so excited about joining us for a few minutes after a night on the diamond. They wanted to get in the clubhouse, shower, dress, maybe face the rest of the media if they had to, and go home.
You never knew what you were going to face and sometimes you simply ended up
with nothing.
Following a Phillies-Expos game I caught outfielder Lenny Dykstra heading toward
the exit that led to the Phils Olympic Stadium clubhouse.
“Lenny, Elliott Price from the Expos radio broadcast. Could you join us for a
moment on our post-game show?” I asked him.
“Do you guys give cash for an appearance?” wondered Lenny.
“No” I told him “We give restaurant gift certificates.”
“Oh” said Mr. Dykstra while rubbing his arm, “I really need to get inside and have my elbow iced.”
There were lots of good guys though.
Stars like Tony Gwynn, Howard Johnson and Terry Pendleton were more than
gracious with a few minutes of their time. Once, I chased down young Giants third baseman Matt Williams, hoping to have him on the show after one of his fine early performances.
“Can’t come on, I’ve got family in town” replied Williams.
And so I moved on, figuring Williams had fed me a line just to move along quickly. I was standing out on the field without a post-game guest when Williams came
charging back out. Out of breath, he wondered, “You still need me – my family is gonna be late”.
What a nice man.
One night I headed downstairs as usual in the bottom of the eighth inning during an
Expos-Dodgers game. I would be there for almost three more hours as the Expos played the longest game in their history. It would become apparent after awhile that there would be no post-game interview since the game would end early the next morning.
I enjoyed one of the great vantage points I’ve ever had to watch a major league
baseball game and what a game it was. The Dodgers eventually won 1-0 on a Rick Dempsey homerun off of Dennis Martinez (forced into the game in a relief role) in the 22nd inning, making a winner of future Expo John Wetteland. There were several bizarre happenings.
One saw Dodgers’ manager Tommy Lasorda complain to the umpires about Expos
mascot Youppi! and had him ejected. He had been bouncing up and down on the Dodgers dugout and leaning over to poke his head in at them. Youppi! bounced by me on his way out, muttering in Canada’s two official languages that he hadn’t said anything at all to Lasorda or his Dodgers. Why would anyone think differently? After all, up until then, the big orange fur ball had never said anything to anyone, ever.
Expos manager Buck Rodgers was known to smoke a cigarette or two and back then I did too.
Buck knew this and as the game wore on he was having some nicotine pangs. Knowing full well that I would have some, he left the dugout and came to the alley way leading to the Expos clubhouse where I was standing waiting for that post-game show that would never happen.
And like my other good friend – former Canadiens’ coach Bob Berry – he had no problem smoking somebody else’s cigarettes.
Meanwhile the game was still on and while Buck puffed away he had me pass messages
along to pitching coach Larry Bearnearth in the dugout. I hope it wasn’t me that gave the sign that cost the Expos the winning run.
That 1989 edition that held so much promise headed out on a 10 game road trip to start August. They began in spectacular style, taking the first three of four at Pittsburgh and sat
three games ahead of the Chicago Cubs at 63-44 on August 2nd. They would not win another game on the trip. Hard luck 1-0 losers in the final game in Pittsburgh, they were swept in New York and Chicago. The Cubs sweep made it seven straight losses. Chicago, meanwhile, won six of seven during the same span. The Cubs went from three games behind to three games ahead and never trailed again. For the second time in three years, not only did the Expos blow it in direct competition with the eventual division champion but they were forced to watch their
conquerors celebrate, The Cubs clinched at Olympic Stadium in September. Sitting at 63-44 on August 2nd, the Expos won just 18 of their final 55 games to finish at 81-81.
There was no late season heartbreak this time around. The ’89 Expos got that out of the way much earlier.
The off-season provided some hope for my baseball broadcasting future. Something was up in the radio booth as the 1990 season came around. The team had hired a broadcasting consultant and I was advised to practice my play by play and submit it to her. I was provided with a booth at the stadium and could use it any time I wanted. I would find someone to provide colour for my broadcasts. Sometimes it was Mitch Melnick. Other times it was Expos public relations guru Rich Griffin. Three copies of each tape were produced.
One for the consultant, one for Expos President Claude Brochu and one for Dave Van Horne.
Two of the three provided constructive criticism to help me along. I wasn’t sure how all this was sitting with Jerry Trupiano, the current number two voice, as he worked with Dave just two booths away.
The radio station decided they could no longer make the pre and post-game interviews part of my job and told me if I wished to continue in that capacity it would have to be on my own time and on my own dime, and so it was. If nothing else I was starting to get some serious practice as that ’90 Expos fumbled it’s way to a 71-91 finish. The city absolutely loved Expos manager Buck Rodgers, but he was on the ropes, especially after the cave-in of 1989.
The talent that would move this team to the forefront of the National League started to arrive. Little by little, bit by bit. First up was Larry Walker in ’89. Then Delino Deshields for good in 1990. Marquis Grissom and Mel Rojas came the next year and management absolutely
stole both Moises Alou and John Wetteland. Thanks mostly to a trade of Zane Smith to Pittsburgh that brought Alou and two thirds of what it took to get Wetteland.
The advice of Kevin Kennedy, who had worked in the Dodgers’ system, played a large role on the acquisition of the soon-to-be closer. All would be there by 1992.
Meanwhile as the 1990 off season rolled along, negotiations for a new radio contract continued. Perhaps my time had come after all. Jerry Trupiano would not be returning. All I needed now was for CJAD to renew their broadcast deal with the team. But negotiations were not going well and would become rather acrimonious. I was fed regular information as talks continued and therefore was not shocked when all of a sudden, the station lost the rights.
After fighting for them for years, they had lost them after just two years. Was this just the latest roadblock to me getting to the only place in radio where I wanted to be?
The games were going back to where they had lived for eighteen of the teams first
nineteen years – CJAD’s arch rival CFCF.
I couldn’t believe it.
Stations generally prefer to hire their own, very often whether that person deserves it or not.
I thought quite possibly that all the work and time I had invested had once more
been in vain.
Then the phone rang.
CFCF Radio had their News Director call me. Did I want to work up to 55 games of Expos play by play the following season? It would also include being the morning sports anchor on days when there was no baseball. Well, let me see.
“How much?” I asked.
The voice at the other end shot me a number.
“You’re kidding” I replied.
I had just bought a new house and my first child had been born the previous summer.
Okay. so maybe I could expect at least a small increase in wages. After all, this was going to be the major leagues, right? But they were offering me 15 thousand dollars less than I had been making. There was no way this offer could cover the bills. I was dumbfounded. How could I accept this offer and yet how could I have finally reached this point and
turn it down? I thought it over and told him it wasn’t enough. He told me to call my accountant and see if I could make it work. He was kidding, right? I called him back and told him my accountant told me I wouldn’t be able to cover my bills. He said he would get back to me.
I didn’t know which way to turn.
It’s amazing how quickly things get around. It was no secret that I had been practicing my play by play at the stadium with the Expos blessing. Everyone knew who would be getting the job offer this time. I told fellow CJAD announcer Glen Cole what had happened. He talked with his former co-worker, Canadiens’ play by play announcer Dick Irvin. Dick talked with CFCF management. All of a sudden it was coming back through the grapevine that I had insulted THEM. I had called them cheap in public. My chances didn’t look very good any more. Then, the phone rang again. It was Expos; head of broadcasting and marketing Richard Morency.
“Let’s have lunch” suggested Richard.
“How are the negotiations going?” asked Mr. Morency the next day at a fancy Chinese restaurant.
“Not well” I responded “They made an offer I can’t live with and now they are saying that I’m publicly calling them cheap.”
When I told him how much I had been offered, he was shocked.
“My god, they are being cheap, aren’t they? We want you and we will work through this and take care of it,” he assured me. And they did.
After nine great years I was done at CJAD. Next stop – baseball at CFCF. Opening day would be April 6th. I don’t think I slept for the next two months.
To be continued
