Montreal Gazette November 8th 1991

 It is time, Larry Walker said, to "write off 1991." And that's precisely what the Expos tried to do yesterday - with the word "Expos" in italicized blue on their new home uniforms and "Montreal" in italicized red on gray road uniforms.

"I think people will like the fleur-de, uh, thing, too," the right fielder said, glancing down as he tugged on the front of the road uniform, where a blue fleur-de-lis accented the "e" in Montreal. Give the guy a break, will ya? He's taken the initiative to learn French on his own at $28 an hour. "Basically, they're outstanding. Classy."

The Expos crossed their fingers and unveiled new uniforms to a lunch-time crowd of onlookers in the central court of Complexe Desjardins, a downtown office complex.

Reviews favorable

It remains to be seen whether the new threads will be enough to make everyone forget 1991's potpourri of misfortune: a last-place finish, the firing of popular manager Buck Rodgers, the front- office exodus to the expansion Florida Marlins and the Olympic Stadium fiasco. But early reviews were favorable.

"Really nice. Well done," said Bob Zenga, a 30-year-old native of Montreal. "I like the way they've put the name of our city on the uniform."

"They needed a new image for 1992," said Danyk Sauro, an 18-year- old from Laval who stood out by wearing a Cleveland Indians cap. "I like the new hat. I think the whole thing is just going to make people feel good about them."

The home uniforms have pinstripes. Blue pinstripes. Unfortunately, Gehrig, Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio weren't part of the deal, but we all know the kind of luck the Expos have signing free agents.

The package is a hybrid between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs uniforms, with blue numbers and names on the back.

The road uniform is an eye-catcher. Gone is the sickly leisure- suit light blue with the hard-to-read names and numbers. It's been replaced instead by a classic gray. The word "Montreal" is outlined in white, as are the players' names and numbers.

The uniform jerseys have the traditional button-down fronts, and both sets have an Expos patch on the left shoulder.

The team also bid adieu to the old tri-colored beanie that always left you searching for a propellor. In its place is a solid, dark blue cap with the Expos logo on front.

"Essentially, we were trying to bring the team closer to Montreal and create a sense of tradition while maintaining the integrity of the basic logo," team president Claude Brochu said. "The script on the road uniforms - the word `Montreal' - is a tie-in to the old days of the Montreal Royals."

Brochu wasn't concerned about the presence of the fleur-de-lis, a symbol that some interpret as a symbol of Quebec nationalism.

"The fleur-de-lis is a symbol of our province, not a political symbol," said Brochu. "Including it wasn't meant to be a political statement. It's a statement of who we are as Quebecers."

Brochu said the fleur-de-lis was not included on the home uniform "because it didn't fit in anywhere with what we wanted to do with the home jersey."

Johnny Rochon lives near the stadium. A retired type-setter, he wrinkled his nose at the writing on the home uniform. "But then, as a type-setter, I kind of grew to hate italics anyhow," he said, chuckling.

"The only problem with the fleur-de-lis is it reminds me of the Quebec Nordiques. Look where that symbol got them."

Walker presque bilingue

Both Dennis Martinez, in town to be honored as the team's player of the year, and Walker addressed the crowd. Walker opened and closed his statement en francais to cheers. He later took a jab at the organization for failing to set up a proper French course for him during the season ("I'm paying $28 an hour on my own initiative to learn French," he said, "but it's going to be worth it.")

The club's season ticket drive is starting up, and both players took the opportunity to hawk some tickets. "The Big O is safe," Martinez said. "The players aren't afraid to be there. We hope you aren't either."

Are fans? That remains to be seen. Sartorial splendor is one thing - public confidence is another.

"If they're winning, people will go," said Rochon. "Most people think that other stuff's just a bunch of politics, anyhow."
Illustration

Color Photo; GAZETTE PHOTOS, DAVE SIDAWAY; Ace model and pitcher Dennis Martinez signs photographs yesterday while sporting a flashy new uniform. Expos' old home jersey. Expos' new road jersey. Expos' old home jersey.