For many Expos fans, time flies by and Wednesday gives them another good example, as it marks the 30th anniversary of pitcher Denis Boucher’s first game in a Montreal uniform.
Acquired from the San Diego Padres on June 10, 1993, the left-hander was expected by the hitters of the Colorado Rockies, but also by more than 40,000 people at Olympic Stadium on September 6 of the same year. On this Labor Day afternoon, he had many reasons to celebrate.
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First, the athlete from Lachine became the first Quebecer since Claude Raymond to participate in a Loves game played in Montreal. Then he put on a solid performance, giving up one run, six hits and no walks in six innings. Finally, his team won 4-3, although the starter was not involved in the decision.
“It was big, but to tell the truth, we are always nervous and we have butterflies in our stomachs before every game of the majors, because we want to do well every time. […] On the other hand, I knew very well that it was very special”, he had declared to the QMI Agency during an interview in 2013.
Now 55, Boucher wrote another chapter of history in that game, because with the presence of his compatriot Joe Siddall behind the plate, the two men formed the first Canadian pitching-receiving duo in action in a major league game.
“We were very comfortable together, because we had already played against each other in the minors or, we had been teammates, like in Ottawa. [au niveau AAA]. Throwing to Joe was easy, he said. It was like a rebirth of the Canadiens and it opened the eyes of the leaders of baseball.
Championship Race
Thus, the end of the Quebec campaign was intense to say the least, since he found himself at the heart of the race for the championship of the Eastern section of the National League. He won three of his four decisions by the end of the regular season, maintaining a stellar 1.91 ERA.
Unfortunately for him and baseball fans here, the Expos came up short, victims of a tough start to the season. Despite a prolific last few weeks, the team finished three games away from the Philadelphia Phillies and the top; recall that this was the last year that only the champions of the four major divisions could participate in the playoffs.
To return to the pitcher, the rest of his stay in Montreal was less glorious. He played in 10 games in 1994, allowing 16 runs in 18 2/3 innings, and did not play major league baseball again.
2023-09-06 20:04:13
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