By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Most people don't know him as Jose Laboy but they sure do know him as Coco.

One day when he was just a baby in Puerto Rico, Laboy was called Coco by a very good friend of his mother.

"I don't remember the person's name but I was called Coco, Coco, Coco as in coconut. You are like a coconut,'' the 1969 Expos hero was telling me on the phone.

The name has stuck to this day. So when he comes to Montreal for Exposfest March 24 and festivities at Blue Jays games at Olympic Stadium, he will hear that name Coco a lot.

"I'm very happy to go back and see the people again in Montreal,'' Laboy said. "I will always remember Bill Stoneman, Rusty Staub, Mack Jones, Bobby Wine. Those guys were friends and helped me a lot.''

Laboy's legacy is his dream season of 1969 in the Expos inaugural season when he hit 18 homers and drove in a team-high 83 runs, establishing himself as a fan favourite. He won't forget that three-run homer against Mets' Canadian-born reliever Ron Taylor as the Expos prevailed 11-10 in Montreal's very first franchise game.

Laboy is one of more than 15 former Expos appearing at Exposfest, which is sold out. At $150 per pop, 700 tickets were sold. An amazing success story. The fee includes an autograph session from 4-6, a four-course meal and an open bar of beer and wine.

"It's going to be fun going back there and seeing guys I have never met and seeing guys I played with,'' Tim Burke said.

Other Expos alumni include Larry Walker, Ross Grimsley, Steve Renko, Brad Wilkerson, Larry Walker, Mike Fitzgerald, Tim Foli, Oil Can Boyd, Javier Vazquez, Dennis Martinez, Bill Lee, Steve Rogers, Livian Hernandez, Derek Aucoin and Claude Raymond. Other guests include former Canadiens player Shayne Corson and Montreal-born actor William DeVry.

Exposfest founder Perry Giannias said the grand prize at Exposfest will be a 2019 Ford Mustang which has generated a lot of interest. Some 700 tickets at $100 per pop have been sold and Giannias is aiming for 1,000 sold. Proceeds from the gala will go to the Kat D DIPG Foundation and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Danny Gallagher will be signing copies of his Expos book Blue Monday at Exposfest. Books will be available for $20 each. Felipe Alou and Jacques Doucet will also be signing copies of their books.