Gallagher: Super fan Duval keeps Expos legacy alive with new site
Montreal Expo fan John Duval (Repentigny, Que.) is still a fan … as he created a website with pictures of every player who ever wore the Expos uniform.
December 19, 2022
Quebec man helps keep Expos’ legacy alive with new web site to honour players, managers
By Danny Gallagher
Canadian Baseball Network
A Montreal Expos fan has created what is believed to be the only website containing photos of all Expos players and managers.
John Duval (Repentigny, Que.) organized the site to honour the uniformed personnel of the franchise through its 36 seasons of existence.
Close to 620 players donned the Expos uniform and there were 11 managers: Gene Mauch, Karl Kuehl, Charlie Fox, Dick Williams, Jim Fanning, Bill Virdon, Buck Rodgers, Tom Runnells, Felipe Alou, Jeff Torborg and Frank Robinson.
The site was up and running this past weekend with the help of Duval’s wife Lucilia Marques.
“It’s the first time that I have ever built a website so I’m very proud of it,’’ Duval said in an interview. “I don’t know how many hours I spent building the site but it took a very long time.
“It took a long time to figure out how to build it. Setting it up was quite complicated. It was a good thing my wife was able to help me. She was the one who got me going and showed me how to build it so I owe her a lot. If not for Lucilia, there wouldn’t be a site. She had to repeat and repeat and repeat (instructions) so many times until I got it right.’’
Duval started looking for images of players and managers over a year ago and he has always been trying to find better ones. Some Expos only played briefly so getting photos of them wasn’t easy.
“Once I add the audio and video sections, it will be even better,’’ Duval said. “I want to add a section for Jarry Park and Olympic Stadium but that can wait.’’
The players are categorized in alphabetical order and one of them stands out for Duval.
“Bob Bailey is my all-time favourite player,’’ he said. “The 1969 season was the first year for the Expos and there weren’t many stars besides Rusty Staub and Mack Jones so I went with Bailey.
“I loved his style. Nothing seemed to bother him. He was a bit nonchalant I would even say, but the power he had, the swing -- I loved everything about him. Even the way he threw when he played third base, a side winder, so he was different and I enjoyed it.
“I loved the name. It’s a real baseball name, a short name easy to pronounce so for a 13-year-old not speaking English in 1969, it was very easy to pronounce.’’
Duval and his wife are planning to create another site, this time to honour Elton John.
“We have so many CDs, books, vinyls, T-shirts, etc that it will take me two years to finish the it,’’ Duval said.
Thank you, John, for keeping the Expos’ legacy alive with your website.