Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has a nice story on the increasingly forgotten Montreal Expos, including the tidbit that the Washington Nationals can't be bothered to acknowledge their ancestors at their new park.

And he recounts the quality of players they produced:

This week’s election of Andre Dawson to the Hall of Fame is further evidence of the continuing influence of Canada’s first major league team. Gary Carter wears an Expos cap on his Cooperstown plaque and Tim Raines appears on the Hall of Fame ballot, on which Larry Walker will make his debut in December.

The Cy Young winners Randy Johnson who was developed by Montreal, and Pedro Martinez, who thrived there after a trade, seem destined for induction into the Hall. Modern All-Stars like Jason Bay, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Javier Vazquez were drafted by the Expos.

That's just sick.

Update: In the comments, Aisle424 and And Counting (not sure those are their real names) rightly note that Vlad Guerrero, Andres Galarraga, Moises Alou, Rondell White, Milton Bradley, Cliff Floyd and Steve Rogers were all products of the Expos system, too.

And many others; just go read the comments already.

Andre Dawson is saying the right things these days about his time in Chicago to make the fans happy, but look what he had to say 16 years ago about which cap he would wear into the Hall of Fame:

TORONTO -- Andre Dawson, who has hit more than 400 home runs and is closing in on 1,500 RBIs, is a likely Hall of Fame candidate, and when asked what cap he would wear if he makes it, Dawson said, "Probably the Red Sox.

"I've respected the way they've treated me and stuck with me. They've shown me a certain respect that I never felt in Montreal and Chicago. Just the way they pursued me in the offseason was an indication of that.

"I'm just sorry I haven't been able to produce for them so far. I think things are coming along. Adjusting to the American League has been difficult, and with my knee problem, it's been hard for me to push off and generate power."

Egad! Even Andre Dawson didn't feel appreciated in Chicago? Awaiting an angry denunciation of the Hawk from romantic lovers of ivy and urinal troughs in 3, 2, 1 ...

With the signing of Marlon Byrd, the acquisition of Carlos Silva and the addition of a reliever or two, the Cubs haven't done much this offseason - and the fanbase is getting a bit restless. Which is natural, given the high payroll, recent successes and recent failures.

But Chuck at Ivy Chat says the Ricketts family has a plan - and a good one, though one that will be unpopular on the North Side:

Well, there is a plan and it's pretty clear what it is. And some fans aren't going to like it. The key point is understanding what the plan does include and what it doesn't include. Let's start with what it doesn't include:

The plan does not include an all out effort to win in 2010.

Deal with it, Cub fans. Barring some sort of unnatural intervention, 2010 will not be the year we make contact with a pennant. The team isn't good enough as it stands and there weren't / aren't enough good players available to make the team better enough to win.

Here's what the plan the Ricketts have does include:

1) Multi-generational ownership
2) Winning many times during those many generations

(click "read more" below)

A question of great national - nay, international - import will be answered when Andre Dawson speaks to the media later today.

Yes, the "Expos" or "Cubs" question and which cap will sit on Dawson's head on his plaque for perpetuity.

As Paul Sullivan notes, the decision ultimately rests with the Hall of Fame since it is, well, their Hall of Fame:

(Museum spokesman Brad) Horn stressed that Major League Baseball has no say in the decision, and that it's up to the museum, after consulting with Dawson. The museum took control after Wade Boggs tried to get inducted as a Tampa Bay Devil Ray because of his bad ending with Boston.

Although he was asked several times about the cap, Dawson sidestepped it.

"It's important I'm a Hall of Famer now," he said. "This is time to compose myself and enjoy the moment."

(click "read more" below)

With Milton Bradley gone, Paul Sullivan is leaving little question who will be his target and scapegoat on the 2010 Cubs:

Cubs pitchers and catchers report Feb. 17. First workout Feb. 18. First arguement (sic) with Big Z Feb. 19.

Paul: If you're going to be an ass, at least learn to spell.

The peculiar thing about the Baseball Hall of Fame is that people who are the best in the world at what they do are evaluated - and ultimately honored or not - by a handful of people who may or may not be any good at what they do.

Odd.

For example, Phil Rogers gets a say as the lead baseball writer for a major American daily. But does he have any idea what he is talking about?

Rogers has displayed his baseball acumen by developing the landmark plus/minus system to gauge the quality of a team's offseason. This system deems a team's moves successful if they add more starters than they lost. So, if the Cubs lost Derek Lee, Mike Fontenot and Reed Johnson but acquired Albert Pujols, they would be minus two - and therefore had a negative offseason.

Rogers also is on record saying the Cubs should have kept Mark Prior and gotten rid of Carlos Zambrano. Among other lunacies.

Phil Rogers is a Hall of Fame voter.

(click "read more" below)

Congratulations, guys! You get in next year!

The Cubs won't have Randy Johnson to kick them around any more.

The tall one retired Tuesday with a career record against the Cubs of 13-0, with a 1.91 ERA and 143 strike outs in 103.2 innings. That's just sick.

(I first saw Johnson pitch in 1988 as a member of the Indianapolis Indians. He was tell then, too.)