| | ESPN.com
Thanks to new owner Jeff Loria and the promise of a new downtown
stadium, the Expos no longer have a flimsy foundation as they build for the future.
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EXPOS LOWDOWN |
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|  | | Vladimir Guerrero is an MVP waiting to happen. |
1999: 68-94
Runs: 718, 14th in NL
Allowed: 853, 13th in NL
Key facts
Drew 438 walks, worst total in major leagues.
Dustin Hermanson had 5.48 ERA before All-Star break, 2.95 after.
Vladimir Guerrero finished with a kick: hit 21 home runs and slugged over .700 the final two months.
Tim Kurkjian's scenarios
Best-case: Young outfielders Peter Bergeron and Milton Bradley give Expos fans something to cheer about.
Worst-case: The Expos break ground on their new stadium and stay in Montreal.
Prediction: 4th in NL East
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Yes, it's true, that Felipe Alou has had quality building parts in the past. But Montreal was nothing more than a feeder system for future major league
superstars.
When the price was no longer right, the players always moved on. It's
been well documented that you could build a contending team with former
Expos.
Now, Alou thinks he can build a contending team with his current crop of young players.
The foundation for the future is already one of the game's greatest
stars.
At the young age of 23, Vladimir Guerrero had a season for the ages. It included a .316 batting average, 37 doubles, five triples, 42 home runs, 131 RBI, 102 runs scored and a 31-game hitting streak that was the longest in the majors during the 1990s.
That was the best season in the Expos' 30-year history. That history
includes players such as Andre Dawson and Larry Walker.
"Larry Walker is probably the best hitter in our league, but Vladimir is the most dangerous," Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "He's dangerous
because you can't throw him a pitch that he doesn't think he can hit."
Like so many Latin Americans, Guerrero goes to the plate hacking. He saw only 3.1 pitchers per at-bat last season, but he struck out only 61 times.
By comparison, Sammy Sosa struck out 171 times.
If Guerrero has a weakness, it's in the field. He set a club record for
outfielders with 19 errors last season, but most of them were errant throws.
That number will be greatly reduced as he learns that he can't throw out
every runner even though he has the best outfield arm in the league.
It's really not a matter of if Guerrero will win an MVP award, it's a
matter of when.
The trick for the Expos is to surround him with talented players and a
quality pitching staff. Loria swears he is committed to doing just that.
Guerrero is signed through 2003, which means there is hope once again for
baseball in Montreal.
-- Bob Brookover
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Lineup comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Player
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Comment
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Grade
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P. Bergeron, CF
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Batted .314 with 14 SBs in AAA, so the job's his -- for now
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I
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Jose Vidro, 2B
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Winter ball after 1998 paid off with a .304 BA and 45 2Bs. Went back for more
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B
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Rondell White, LF
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Among things that seem most certain for 2000 'Spos: Rondell's a goner
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B
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V. Guerrero, RF
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If the best player in the NL plays in Montreal, does he make a sound?
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A
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Lee Stevens, 1B
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Only one more error than Brad Fullmer in 39 more games. But 7 years older
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C
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M. Barrett, 3B
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Not playing 59 games at C will help him blossom at third
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B
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C. Widger, C
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295 before All-Star break, .227 after. Translation: good defensive catcher
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B
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O. Cabrera, SS
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May one day challenge Edgar Renteria as the best-ever Colombian shortstop
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C
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Pitching comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Pitcher
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Comment
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Grade
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D. Hermanson, SP
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5-2 with a 1.88 ERA on grass last year. Can't wait 'til that new park is done
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B
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J. Vazquez, SP
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Still just a baby, he showed grit by surviving horrible start, finishing strong
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C
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H. Irabu, SP
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7-1 lifetime on turf. Hopes the Big O lives on forever
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C
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C. Pavano, SP
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Key man in the Pedro deal has missed much of last two seasons with tendinitis
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C
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G. Lloyd, RP
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New owner didn't want to overwhelm fans with the free agent concept too soon
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B
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U. Urbina, RP
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Team only had 68 wins, yet Urbina led league with 41 saves
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A
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