John Boccabella---1969
For some reason, I have always had
a warm spot for the Montreal Expos.
They were losers for their first 10
seasons, played in a foreign country
and wore softball like hats with a logo
on their jersey that I couldn’t figure
out. But most of all, I loved their
names.
Coco Laboy, Adolfo Phillips, Ty
Cline, Jim Fairey, Jim Fairly,
Bobby Wine, Steve Renko, Claude
Raymond, Carroll Sembera, Larry
Jaster, Dan McGinn, Mack Jones,
Clyde Mashore, Rusty Staub,
Boots Day, Pepe Mangual, Pepe
Frias, Barry Foote, Larry Lintz,
Don Demola and my favorite---
John Boccabella.
Selected from the Chicago Cubs with
the 56th pick of the 1968 Expansion
Draft, Boccabella played in 376
games for the Expos, hitting .224 with
17 long balls over five seasons.
Finding playing time proved difficult
for Boccabella, who as a super-sub
shifted between catching and
handling throws over at first base.
Unfortunately, his bat was sooo
weak; he was not able to push aside
the Ron Brand’s or the John Bateman’
s of the world.
If you close your eyes and remember
old Jarry Park, you can still hear PA
announcer Claude Mouton’s
enunciation:
“And now batting,
John Boc---ca---bell---la.”
(8/7/08)
a warm spot for the Montreal Expos.
They were losers for their first 10
seasons, played in a foreign country
and wore softball like hats with a logo
on their jersey that I couldn’t figure
out. But most of all, I loved their
names.
Coco Laboy, Adolfo Phillips, Ty
Cline, Jim Fairey, Jim Fairly,
Bobby Wine, Steve Renko, Claude
Raymond, Carroll Sembera, Larry
Jaster, Dan McGinn, Mack Jones,
Clyde Mashore, Rusty Staub,
Boots Day, Pepe Mangual, Pepe
Frias, Barry Foote, Larry Lintz,
Don Demola and my favorite---
John Boccabella.
Selected from the Chicago Cubs with
the 56th pick of the 1968 Expansion
Draft, Boccabella played in 376
games for the Expos, hitting .224 with
17 long balls over five seasons.
Finding playing time proved difficult
for Boccabella, who as a super-sub
shifted between catching and
handling throws over at first base.
Unfortunately, his bat was sooo
weak; he was not able to push aside
the Ron Brand’s or the John Bateman’
s of the world.
If you close your eyes and remember
old Jarry Park, you can still hear PA
announcer Claude Mouton’s
enunciation:
“And now batting,
John Boc---ca---bell---la.”
(8/7/08)
