<Tr> <Th> Theme Song </Th> <Td> Les Expos sont là ("The Expos are here") by Marc Gélinas </Td> </Tr> <P> The Montreal Expos (French: Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec . The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States . They played in the National League (NL) East Division from 1969 until 2004 . Following the 2004 season, the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals . </P> <P> Immediately after the minor league Triple - A Montreal Royals folded in 1960, political leaders in Montreal sought an MLB franchise, and when the National League evaluated expansion candidates for the 1969 season, it awarded a team to Montreal . Named after the Expo 67 World's Fair, the Expos originally played at Jarry Park Stadium before moving to Olympic Stadium in 1977 . The Expos failed to post a winning record in any of their first ten seasons . The team won its only division title in the strike - shortened 1981 season, but lost the 1981 National League Championship Series (NLCS) to the Los Angeles Dodgers . The team was sold in 1991 by its majority, founding owner, Charles Bronfman, to a consortium headed by Claude Brochu . Felipe Alou was promoted to the team's field manager in 1992, becoming MLB's first Dominican - born manager . He led the team to four winning seasons, including 1994, where the Expos had the best record in baseball before a players' strike ended the season . Alou became the Expos leader in games managed (1409). </P> <P> The aftermath of the 1994 strike initiated a downward spiral as the Expos chose to sell off their best players, and attendance and interest in the team declined . Major League Baseball purchased the team prior to the 2002 season after the club failed to secure funding for a new ballpark . In their final two seasons, the team played 22 home games each year at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico . On September 29, 2004, MLB announced the franchise would relocate to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season, and the Expos played their final home game in Montreal . </P>

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