THE STORY
In September 2004, Major League Baseball announced that the Montreal Expos would relocate to Washington, D.C., starting in the 2005 season. The Expos played their final game in Montreal on September 29, 2004, losing 9–1 to the Florida Marlins. Their last franchise game was on October 3, 2004, against the New York Mets, ending in an 8–1 loss. The team concluded its 36-year history with a 2,753–2,943–4 record before becoming the Washington Nationals in 2005.
WHY IT MATTERS
The relocation of the Expos marked the end of Major League Baseball in Montreal, a city that had been home to the Expos since their inception in 1969. The move to Washington, D.C., was significant as it returned professional baseball to the U.S. capital after more than three decades. The Expos' departure and the subsequent success of the Nationals highlighted the challenges of maintaining a competitive team in a market with declining attendance and financial difficulties.