What if the baseball strike of 1994 had never happened? What if the American version of the apocalypse occurred and a World Series was to take place entirely north of the border? Using the APBA baseball game, we created a little baseball magic, Canadian style.

By Baron Bedesky

Back in the early 1990s, Canadian baseball fans used to speculate about an all-Canadian World Series between the Blue Jays and Expos.

The idea may seem laughable now but consider the Expos were considered by many to be the best team in baseball when the strikeshut down the 1994 season for good. They were in first place in the National League East and running away from the pack. The Jays, meanwhile, were reigning World Champions for two consecutive seasons in 1992 and 1993.

With the Expos' very existence teetering on the brink today, we have resigned ourselves to dreams of what it may have been like. How great would it have been to see the Expos' starting staff of Ken Hill, Pedro Martinez, Jeff Fassero, and Kirk Rueter match up against Juan Guzman, Dave Stewart, Dave Stewart, and Todd Stottlemyre. How about the closers: John Wetteland versus Duane Ward?

Then you had the Jays' big sticks of Joe Carter, John Olerud, Roberto Alomar, and Paul Molitor up against Moises Alou, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, and Wil Cordero from Montreal.

Maybe the most fun of all is to daydream how angry Americans would have been about the World Series not even being played in their country. Then again, that is certainly a better alternative to no World Series at all.  Well folks, wonder no further. With the use of the APBA baseball board game, we took the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and pitted them against the 1994 Montreal Expos in a CSC version of a World Series that might have been. Here are our game-by-game results.

Game One

Toronto 8, Montreal 0

Juan Guzman fired a six-hit shutout while striking out 10 and John Olerud cranked a two-run homer helping the Toronto Blue Jays wipe out the Montreal Expos 8-0 in Game One of the CSC World Series.  This one was no contest right from the get-go as Guzman was dominating throughout. Only two Expo runners advanced past second base all night, one of them being first baseman Cliff Floyd who was gunned down by the Jays' Devon White while trying to score on Moises Alou's base hit in the third inning. That's as close as the Expos would come to putting a run on the board as Guzman seemed to get stronger as the night went on.

"He sure was tough," said Expos' outfielder Larry Walker who fanned twice in four at-bats. "He threw hard all night and his fastball had a lot of movement. The way he was mixing in his curve, he was almost impossible."

Expo starter and ace Ken Hill seemed to have trouble getting untracked from the first pitch. His throwing error on a routine ground ball by Olerud led to the Jays' first run in the second. After giving up three hits and another run in the third frame, Toronto hit him hard again in the fourth scoring three more times and giving Guzman all the support he needed.  Olerud cranked his tater in the seventh off Canadian-born lefthander Denis Boucher who had just come in to relieve Hill after Joe Carter led off the inning with a double.

"We've counted on Kenny all year and he's always come up big," said Expo skipper Felipe Alou. "I think he was pressing but I'm not worried. I know he'll give us a strong game in his next start."

Devon White and Ed Sprague each knocked in a pair of runs for Toronto while Tony Fernandez went two-for-four with a pair of stolen bases.

"I can't think of a better way to get out of the blocks," said Jays' manager Cito Gaston. "I'm going to go home and relax with my copy of  Canadian Sports Collector, and not think about the next game until tomorrow."

Game Two

Montreal 10, Toronto 5

What a difference a day makes!

The Montreal Expos feasted on largely ineffective Blue Jay bullpen ace Duane Ward to blow open a one-run game and cruise to a 10-5 victory squaring this World Series at a game apiece.

With no outs and the Expos' Cliff Floyd on second base in the top of the ninth inning, Blue Jay manager Cito Gaston replaced reliever Mark Eichhorn with Ward in hopes of keeping the Jays within one run of  Montreal who led 6-5 at the time. Instead, Ward allowed six of the seven hitters he faced to reach base and before you knew it, a tight ballgame turned into a blowout.

"I think I just felt too strong out there," explained a contrite Ward after the game. "I was full of energy and pumped up but they just got all over me. I missed my spots and they took advantage. You've got to give them all the credit in the world. They're a good hitting club."

After walking his first batter, Moises Alou, Ward gave up a two-run double to Larry Walker before inducing Sean Berry to fly out to right field. Wil Cordero then slapped a single to cash in Walker. Ward proceeded to hit Lou Frazier with a pitch and gave up another single to catcher Darren Fletcher before he was mercifully removed.

"We saw their ace (Ken Hill) get beaten up yesterday and ours take a licking today," said Blue Jay manager Cito Gaston. "There have been a few surprises so far."

Pedro Martinez was hardly dominating for the Expos before leaving with one out in the seventh with a 6-3 lead. Reliever Mel Rojas gave up a two-run triple to Joe Carter to make it a 6-5 game. John Olerud, who hit his second home run of the Series earlier in the game, followed with a groundball to shortstop Wil Cordero who cut down Carter at home trying to tie the score. It was all Expos from then on.

"I was inspired by a story I read on myself last night in Canadian Sports Collector," said Walker. "They wrote some nice things about me."

Game Three

Montreal 7, Toronto 6

Rondell White laced a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning scoring Wil Cordero all the way from first base giving Montreal a 7-6 victory and a two-games-to-one series lead.

Sean Berry led off the eighth lacing a single of Toronto reliever and loser Danny Cox. Cordero followed and narrowly missed hitting into his third double play of the night when he beat Roberto Alomar's relay from second base by half a step. Cox looked as though he would escape any trouble after Darrin Fletcher flied out but White drilled a pitch into the left-centrefield gap and Cordero scored standing to give the Expos the lead. Bullpen ace John Wetteland set down Devon White, Alomar, and Joe Carter in the ninth to nail down the victory.

"I was just trying to hit the ball square," admitted White, "because he (Cox) has some nasty stuff. This is just awesome. I'm so glad I could come through for the team."

The contest was nip and tuck all the way with Toronto busting out to an early 3-0 lead off Expo starter Jeff Fassero. Montreal closed to 3-1 thanks to a leadoff homerun off the bat of Marquis Grissom in the fourth but Toronto got that back an inning later when Paul Molitor singled Devon White home for his third RBI of the game.

Montreal closed to within one in the fifth when Cliff Floyd slapped a two-run double off Jays' starter Dave Stewart. Toronto tallied another run in the sixth but the Expos knotted the score at five in their half of the inning, keyed by a successful suicide squeeze by Darrin Fletcher scoring Sean Berry.

Montreal took the lead in the seventh on Moises Alou's sacrifice fly but the Jays came back to tie in the top of the eighth. Montreal's Butch Henry set down the first two hitters of the inning but was replaced by Mel Rojas in order to face Ed Sprague. Toronto manager Cito Gaston countered with Canadian pinch-hitter Rob Butler who spanked a two-out double. Pat Borders followed with a run-scoring single to tie the game at six. That set up Rondell White's heroics an inning later.

"What a game," said Expo first baseman Cliff Floyd, who along with Sean Berry enjoyed a three-hit game. "I can hardly wait to read about it in Canadian Sportscard Collector."

Game 4

Montreal 7, Toronto 2

Rondell White and Juan Bell each clubbed 2nd-inning RBI doubles and Montreal got some impressive pitching from unexpected sources as the Expos beat the Blue Jays 7-2 and opened a three-games-to-one lead in this World Series.

Kirk Rueter, a crafty southpaw who isn't noted for his durability, hurled five solid innings and the bullpen tandem of Gil Heredia and Denis Boucher only coughed up one run in the victory.

The Expos scored three runs in the second inning off starter and loser Todd Stottlemyre. Moises Alou led off the inning with a home run before White and Bell hit their doubles. They added single runs in the third and fifth innings before striking for two more in the sixth on a single by Bell and a fielder's choice from pinch-hitter Randy Milligan.

"I can't tell you how huge this game is," said an elated Felipe Alou in his office. "For Rueter to come up so solid and our bullpen to pitch so well, it's just fantastic. I'm so happy for Boucher to do the job he did in front of the hometown fans. And that gives Rojas and Wetteland the rest they really needed because we'd been working them pretty hard. Now they'll be ready for game five."

Stottlemyre never did find his groove giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs in five-plus innings.

"All of you guys can just kiss my ass," yelled Stottlemyre towards the media after the game. His frustration was somewhat evident.

"Todd's upset and I don't blame him," said Blue Jay manager Cito Gaston. "He knows he's better than that. At the same, time, we've got to figure out how to start creating some offense out there, and fast."

Joe Carter (three for 18, .167 average) and Rickey Henderson (four for 17, .235 average) have been struggling but the bigger problem appears to be timely hitting. Toronto just can't seem to put together the two or three big hits they need.

"All I know is we better do somethin'," said Blue Jay veteran Jack Morris who pitched two innings of scoreless relief, "or it'll be time to piss on the fire and go huntin'."

Game Five

Montreal 2, Toronto 0

The Montreal Expos proved the naysayers wrong while once again silencing Blue Jay bats. Along the way, they staked a claim as CSC World Series champions.

Expo starter Ken Hill made amends for a rocky start in game one of  the Series by firing a three-hit shutout as Montreal won their fourth straight game, defeating the hapless Jays 2-0.

Hill was brilliant allowing only two batters to advance as far as second base while facing four batters over the minimum. He struck out seven and walked two.

His mound opponent, Juan Guzman, turned in a gutsy performance while wriggling out of jam after jam before running out of gas in the eighth inning. His mates provided no support at the plate, however, and Guzman's heroics went for naught.

"Kenny has been doing this for us all year," hollered an exuberant (Expo manager) Felipe Alou in the post-game clubhouse melee. "He unravelled a bit in his first start but he showed what a pro he really was tonight."

The Expos broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when Rondell White drilled a one-out single scoring Wil Cordero who led off the inning with a double. They added their other run in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Larry Walker and Moises Alou. In fact, six of the 10 Expo hits were of the two-bag variety.

"This is better than I could have ever hoped for," said Moises Alou who was named the Series MVP after batting .353 with a homer and six RBIs. "I'm so happy for Dad with all the years he's put into this organization. He showed faith in a lot of people and he's earned this reward."

The post-game atmosphere in the Blue Jay clubhouse was disconsolate to say the least. Many players declined interview requests before rushing out the door.

"This is not a good day for Rickey Henderson," muttered the Blue Jay left fielder. "I'm not sure what's in the future. I don't know. I'll sit down and think about it for awhile... maybe talk to my agent. All I know is I just lost my chance to be on the cover of Canadian Sports Collector."

Baron Bedesky is the editor of Canadian Sports Collector. He can be reached at sports@trajan.com.