September 15, 1983: Terry Francona pulls Expos to within a half-game of first place in NL East

Terry Francona raised the art of self-deprecation to a new level. Decades after his playing career ended, the man who had become one of the most successful managers in big-league history loved to downplay his talents as a ballplayer. He claimed that the last thing he wanted was his players to hit like he did. “We don’t need that,” Francona quipped. “We need to win.”1 But Montreal Expos fans of a certain vintage saw right through his shtick.

The Expos drafted Francona in the first round of the June 1980 amateur draft as he was leading the Arizona Wildcats to the College World Series championship.2 He was later named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and the winner of the Golden Spikes Award.3

Francona, the son of former major leaguer Tito Francona, made his big-league debut on August 19, 1981, only nine days after play resumed following that season’s players strike. He was initially used as a pinch-hitter – until Tim Raines broke a bone in his right hand on September 13.4 Francona filled in admirably in left field, helping the Expos clinch their first and only playoff appearance.5

Francona hit .333 during Montreal’s thrilling Division Series triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies,6 although he was back on the bench when Raines returned for the next round. He made only one plate appearance in the Expos’ heartbreaking three-games-to-two loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.7

Montreal’s outfield, which included future Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Raines, was easily the NL’s best in 1981,8 which made it particularly difficult for Francona to find regular playing time. After struggling in a bench role early in 1982, he caught a break on May 8 when second baseman Rodney Scott was designated for assignment.9 Raines was shifted to the keystone position and Francona became the starting left fielder.10

The 23-year-old Francona began hitting at a torrid pace, putting himself into early contention for Rookie of the Year honors11 and becoming a fan favorite in Montreal.12 But his season came to a sudden end on June 16 at St. Louis’s Busch Stadium. Francona went back to the fence and jumped for a fly ball. When he landed, he caught his spikes in the rubber warning track and twisted his right knee,13 resulting in season-ending surgery to reconstruct a torn anterior cruciate ligament.14

At the time of his injury, Francona was eighth in the NL batting race with a .321 average, 2 percentage points ahead of teammate Al Oliver. While Francona rehabbed his knee, Oliver went on to win the batting title with a .331 average.

After the mishap, Raines returned to left field permanently, leaving Francona and Warren Cromartie to battle for the right fielder’s job in 1983. An exuberant Francona outplayed Cromartie in spring training, although the veteran won the job because the Expos wanted to ease Francona back into action.15 To support that objective, the team included bonuses in his 1983 contract for avoiding the disabled list in the season’s first half and making 25 starts in the second half.16

Unfortunately, the cautious approach wasn’t a good fit for Francona’s youthful enthusiasm,17 and he struggled as a part-time player.18

With the Expos in a tight four-way pennant race, Francona finally got an opportunity to play regularly when Cromartie suffered a lower back injury in early September.19

Coming into a crucial three-game series in Philadelphia on September 14-15, the Expos were in first place with a slim half-game lead over the Phillies. But Philadelphia swept the September 14 twin bill to catapult into first place and drop the Expos to third, a half-game behind the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

The next day, Montreal sent 24-year-old righty Bill Gullickson to the hill in a must-win situation. After posting a losing record in the first half of the season, Gullickson had turned his fortunes around by adding a cut fastball to his repertoire.20 He had posted a 6-1 record and a 2.82 ERA since July 26, once again pitching his best baseball late in the season.21

Philadelphia countered with rookie righty Kevin Gross (4-5, 3.35 ERA).

The Expos grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third in classic Raines fashion. He singled, stole second − his 72nd theft of the season − and advanced to third on a groundball. Raines scored when Gross uncorked a wild pitch.

Francona came to the plate with nobody on and one out in the top of the fourth. He had singled in his previous at-bat and was 8-for-22 (.364) since taking over from Cromartie in right field. Francona, wearing a cumbersome metal knee brace,22 slammed a 1-and-1 fastball over the right-field fence for his third career homer.23

Rookie first baseman Len Matuszek, playing for a slumping Pete Rose,24 got that run back in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run of his own. The 420-foot blast cut Montreal’s lead to 2-1.25

The Expos loaded the bases in the fifth on Manny Trillo’s single,26 a double by Oliver, and an intentional walk to Gary Carter. After Tim Wallach knocked in Trillo with a sacrifice fly, Francona laced a two-out double just inside the first-base bag, scoring Oliver and extending the Expos lead to 4-1.

Gullickson retired 12 consecutive batters after Matuszek’s home run in the fourth, limiting Philadelphia to three hits and no walks through seven innings.

Gullickson ran into trouble in the eighth. After Iván de Jesus reached on a two-out double,27 Rose pinch-hit for reliever Ron Reed. He tapped a checked-swing grounder to third for an infield single, recording career hit number 3,983. When Gullickson walked Joe Morgan to load the bases and put the potential tying run on first, Expos manager Bill Virdon called for a red-hot Bob James to come in from the bullpen. He ended the threat by striking out Matuszek.

James sealed the win by striking out two in a one-two-three ninth, giving him 20 strikeouts in his previous 11 innings.

The victory moved the Expos to within a half-game of the Phillies and Pirates, who were tied for first place after Pittsburgh won its game. But it was as close as the Expos would get. Philadelphia won its next 11 games, including a pivotal doubleheader sweep in Montreal on September 22. The “Wheeze Kids” went on to win the NL East by six games over the Pirates,28 while the Expos dropped 8 of their final 11 games to finish in third, eight games out.

Francona had the best month of his young career,29 hitting .322 with a .517 slugging percentage in September, and he seemed on the verge of stardom.

In the offseason, Cromartie left to play in Japan and Oliver was traded to the San Francisco Giants, opening up playing time for Francona. He started 1984 as the team’s regular first baseman.

Francona thrived in a starting role and on June 10 he was leading the majors with a .361 batting average. Four days later he injured his left knee in a needless attempt to avoid a tag as he ran to first.30 Although the injury was less serious than the one two years earlier, it still required season-ending surgery to remove cartilage and repair a partially torn ligament.31 At the time of his injury, Francona was second in the NL batting race behind Tony Gwynn and leading the majors with 19 doubles.

Francona returned to a backup role in 1985, hitting .267 in 281 at-bats.

In the winter of 1986, Francona needed minor surgery on his right knee after he stumbled taking out the garbage.32 By the time spring training rolled around, it was clear that his time as an Expo was coming to an end. “He can’t play every day, the front-office believes, because his knees are bad,” wrote a local scribe. “They want a slugger at first base, a home-run hitter, and that’s certainly not Francona.”33 Just over a week later, the top story on the front page of the Montreal Gazette announced that the popular Francona had been released.34

Francona hit .290 in 951 at-bats spread out over five injury-plagued seasons with Montreal. He signed a minor-league deal with the Chicago Cubs soon after his release and quickly worked his way back to the big leagues.35 Francona also had stints with the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers before retiring as a player in the spring of 1991.36

In the latter portion of his career, Francona’s battered knees prevented him from wearing spikes and being able to dig in at the plate.37 He hit only .254 after leaving Montreal, lowering his career batting average by 16 percentage points.38

Although it’s unclear what Francona would have accomplished playing on two good knees, multiple batting titles were well within the realm of possibility. Shortly after blowing out his left knee in 1984, Francona reflected on his injury troubles. “I don’t think I’m jinxed,” he said. “I think my body isn’t built for as hard as I want to play. The spirit is there; the body isn’t.”39

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Kevin Larkin and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org. Unless otherwise noted, all play-by-play information for this game was taken from the article “Montreal Drops Phillies into Tie with Pittsburgh,” in the September 16, 1983, edition of the Washington Post.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198309150.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1983/B09150PHI1983.htm

Photo credit: Terry Francona, courtesy the Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 The quote was taken from the 7-minute, 27-second mark of the 2023 documentary on Francona’s baseball career. “Tito: The Terry Francona Story,” MLB.tv, https://www.mlb.com/tv/shows/mlbtv-featured-svod-video-list/mlb-network-presents-tito, accessed June 20, 2023.

2 Francona had been drafted in 1977 by the Chicago Cubs out of New Brighton (Pennsylvania) High School, but he chose to attend the University of Arizona. “Expos’ No. 1 Draftee a Slugging Outfielder,” Montreal Gazette, June 4, 1980: 107.

3 The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. The Expos drafted three consecutive winners of the Golden Spikes Award: Tim Wallach (1979), Terry Francona (1980), and Mike Fuentes (1981). “Series Team,” Honolulu Advertiser, June 7, 1980: 24; Associated Press, “Francona Chosen as Best Amateur,” Des Moines Register, January 4, 1981: 2D.

4 Ian MacDonald, “Frightening Win for Expos,” Montreal Gazette, September 14, 1981: 41.

5 Francona hit .274 in 95 at-bats after his call-up in 1981. He caught the final out on October 3 in New York when the Expos clinched the second-half title. (The strike caused the AL and NL to use a split-season format and add an extra round of playoffs for the first- and second-half winners of each division.) Four days later, he made a nice running catch to make the final out and secure the win in the first playoff game played outside the United States. As of June 2023, video of Francona’s catch was available on YouTube.

6 Francona went 4-for-12 with two walks and a stolen base in the five NLDS games. He appeared in all five games, although he did not start in Game One or Game Five, because a tough lefty, Steve Carlton, was on the mound.

7 Game Five of the 1981 NLCS is known to Expos fans as “Blue Monday” because the game was played on a Monday (October 19), and Rick Monday won it with a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. The Expos had the potential tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth when Jerry White grounded out to end the series. Francona appeared in only two games in the NLCS: He struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance in Game One, and he was a defensive replacement for Raines in the ninth inning of Game Two.

8 Dawson amassed 7.5 Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) in 1981, which garnered him the first of eight All-Star selections and second place in the NL MVP voting. Raines compiled 3.5 bWAR, earning him an All-Star selection and second place in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Warren Cromartie, Tim Wallach, Ellis Valentine (traded to the New York Mets on May 29), and Jerry White combined to play the majority of games in right field in 1981. No other outfield in the NL came close to amassing as many bWAR.

9 May 8, 1982, was called the “most fitful day” up that point in the history of the Montreal Expos. Scott had compiled -3.1 Wins Above Average (WAA) and an adjusted On Base Plus Slugging (OPS+) of 67 in his five seasons with the Expos. Expos hurler Bill Lee flew off the handle after hearing the news that his friend Scott had been designated for assignment. Lee approached manager Jim Fanning “wielding a bat and shouting obscenities.” After being restrained by Dawson and Cromartie, Lee left Olympic Stadium just before the start of that day’s game and went drinking at a nearby bar, Brasserie 77. The next day the Expos released Lee, ending his major-league career. Tim Burke, “Spaceman Lee Is Still in His Orbit,” Montreal Gazette, May 12, 1982: G1; Jonah Keri, Up, Up & Away: The Kid, The Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, Le Grand Orange, Youppi!, The Crazy Business of Baseball, & the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos (Toronto: Random House Canada, 2014), 190-92.

10 Raines had played second base for the majority of his time in the minor leagues. He had played only six games in the outfield in the minors when he made his major-league debut.

11 Corky Simpson, “Grass Hasn’t Been Greener for Montreal’s Francona,” Tucson Citizen, June 18, 1984: D1.

12 As an indication of Francona’s popularity, a restaurant on St. Catherine Street named a pizza after him in June 1982. An April 1983 article in the Montreal Gazette described Francona as “a crowd favorite here even in a backup role.” Tim Burke, “OIB Should Get Priorities Straight,” Montreal Gazette, April 15, 1983: C-1.

13 As of June 2023, video of Francona injuring his knee at Busch Stadium was available on YouTube. Brian Kappler, “Francona Hurt as Expos Rack Cards’ LaPoint,” Montreal Gazette, June 17, 1982: 17; Canadian Press, “Francona Is Gone for Year,” Calgary Herald, June 19, 1982: A13.

14 Francona was wearing spikes because it rained in St. Louis that night and he wanted to be able to dig in at the plate. He normally wore rubber cleats on artificial turf. Greg Haney, “Francona Looks Forward to Memphis ‘Ribbing,’” Memphis Commercial Appeal, April 2, 1983: D1.

15 Canadian Press, “Snowstorm Delays Francona’s First Start,” Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Star-Phoenix, April 20, 1983: C16.

16 The 25-game figure was deduced by the author. A September 30, 1983, article stated that Francona needed two more starts to claim the second-half bonus. He had started 23 games at that point. Francona finished the season with exactly 25 second-half starts. “Francona’s Bonus in New Pact Based on Play in Second Half,” Montreal Gazette, March 3, 1983: C9; Ian MacDonald, “Francona Chomping [sic] at Bit to Play,” Montreal Gazette, May 27, 1983: D1; Ian MacDonald, “Strong Finish by Gullickson Rates Some Cy Young Votes,” Montreal Gazette, September 30, 1983: D-13.

17 Dan Donovan, “Francona Finds Saving Energy Hard,” Pittsburgh Press, June 12, 1983: 76.

18 At the end of August, Francona was hitting only .217 in 143 at-bats.

19 Brian Kappler, “Francona Clicks With Chance to Play,” Montreal Gazette, September 16, 1983: D-8.

20 Associated Press, “Gullickson Drops Phillies Back into Tie,” Lancaster (Pennsylvania) New Era, September 16, 1983: 21.

21 Gullickson was named the NL’s Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News in 1980. He went 9-2 with a 2.08 ERA in his final 12 starts beginning on July 29. The Expos finished two games behind the division-winning Phillies in 1980 (the Phillies went on to win their first World Series in franchise history). Gullickson was 4-3 with a 2.09 ERA in his 11 starts after the 1981 players strike, helping the Expos reach the NLCS. In 1982 his second-half ERA was 0.89 runs better than in the first half of the season.

22 Ian MacDonald, “Francona’s Fielding Gem Saves Game for Expos,” Montreal Gazette, June 25, 1983: G2; Kappler, “Francona Clicks With Chance to Play.”

23 Filip Bondy, “Expos Live! Trim Phils, 4-1,” New York Daily News, September 16, 1983: 38.

24 Matuszek made his major-league debut on September 3, 1981, although he retained his rookie status until 1984. Rose had gone 10-for-83 (all singles) since August 15. The slump prevented him from reaching 4,000 career hits before the end of the season. He signed a free-agent contract with the Expos in the offseason and reached the 4,000-hit mark in the Expos’ 1984 home opener.

25 Bondy, “Expos Live! Trim Phils, 4-1.”

26 Trillo had played for the Phillies from 1979 to 1982. The veteran second baseman was traded to the Cleveland Indians in December 1982. The Expos acquired him from Cleveland in August 1983 in exchange for a minor leaguer and $300,000. Trillo signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants in December 1983.

27 Greg Gross had led off the eighth with a single, but Gullickson induced Ozzie Virgil to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

28 The Phillies were dubbed the “Wheeze Kids” because they were the oldest team in the NL. Their roster included Pete Rose (42 years old), Tony Pérez (41), Ron Reed (40), Joe Morgan (40 on September 19), Tug McGraw (39), and Steve Carlton (38).

29 September 1983 was Francona’s best month up to that point in his career. The best month of his entire career was May 1984 when he hit .388, slugged .505, and had an OPS of .883 in 97 at-bats.

30 Ian MacDonald, “Expos Hand Game to Pirates,” Montreal Gazette, June 15, 1984: 25.

31 Brian Kappler, “Expos to Give Salazar a Second Chance,” Montreal Gazette, June 18, 1984: C3.

32 Brian Kappler, “Francona’s Dream Fades as Career with Expos Ends,” Montreal Gazette, April 2, 1986: 1.

33 Brian Kappler, “Webster’s Move to First Bad News for Francona,” Montreal Gazette, March 24, 1983: D2.

34 Brian Kappler, “Francona’s Dream Fades as Career with Expos Ends.”

35 Brian Kappler, “’Tito’ Finds a Home Down on the Farm,” Montreal Gazette, April 9, 1986: C3.

36 George Rorrer, “Redbirds’ Maclin Fits Mold of Cardinals Outfielders,” Louisville Courier-Journal, April 3, 1991: D1.

37 “I spent my last six to seven years playing in running shoes,” said Francona. “I couldn’t dig in at the plate because I didn’t think my knees would hold up.” The quote was taken from the 10-minute, 30-second mark of the 2023 documentary on Francona’s baseball career. “Tito: The Terry Francona Story,” MLB.tv, https://www.mlb.com/tv/shows/mlbtv-featured-svod-video-list/mlb-network-presents-tito, accessed June 20, 2023.

38 Francona finished his 10-year major-league playing career with a .274 batting average, 16 home runs, and 143 RBIs in 1,731 at-bats.

39 Rich Dymond, “Knee Injuries Are a Sore Point for Expos’ Francona,” Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), June 19, 1984: C1.