Blue Monday

The Expos, the Dodgers, and the Home Run That Changed Everything

By: Danny Gallagher, Larry Parrish - foreword

Narrated by: Matt Fogarty

Blue Monday: one of the most unforgettable days in Canadian baseball history.

Danny Gallagher leads listeners up to that infamous day in October 1981 when Rick Monday of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a home run off of Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers in the ninth inning, giving the Dodgers a berth in the World Series. Listeners will be taken back to 1976 when a five-year plan for winning the National League championship was set in place by the Expos with the hiring of experienced manager Dick Williams.

Gallagher examines old narratives about Blue Monday and talks to all the key players involved in the game, unearthing secrets and stories never before told.

©2018 Danny Gallagher and Larry Parrish (P)2020 Dundurn

Critic reviews

“Those who were Expos fans or followed the team during its existence will want to pick this up to learn a little more about the man who broke Canada’s heart, Rick Monday. Gallagher’s interviews and writing about Monday since that home run give the reader an inside glimpse into the man that many baseball fans have never seen.” (The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books)

Good history, terrible delivery

This was a good history of the 1981 Expos season and their playoff series with the eventual World Champion Dodgers. Ostensibly about the Rick Monday home run, the book climaxes a bit too early, with the playoff series ending about halfway through the book.

The problem is the narrator. I had read a review that mentioned mispronounced names. I figured I could get past it. I was wrong. If they couldn’t get a narrator that knew baseball or even had a cursory knowledge of the era he was narrating, then someone should have sat this guy down and taught him how to pronounce these names. I’m not talking about obscure players of the era. This narrator mispronounced (sometimes different ways in the same paragraph) the following names, among others: Willie Stargell, Mike Scioscia, Jerry Reuss, umpire Paul Runge, and scout Mel Didier. It’s very distracting and completely takes you out of the book.

One of the few books that I’ve listened to on Audible that I wish I read the book the old fashioned way instead.

A Fun Book for Fans

I enjoyed the book. It was well researched, based on many interviews with key players and others involved. Enjoyable for any fan that appreciates baseball in the 1970's and 1980's.
The narrator was good, enthusiastic and appropriate for this book. I appreciated the description of photos and the reading of captions. A minor complaint were the mispronunciation of some of the many names in the book.

Expos & Dodgers fans will like this

A great story that took me down memory lane for sure. I grew up watching the CBC on cable in the US. Expos games were broadcast often and I quickly became a fan. The “Blue Monday” game was tough for the franchise but they survived —at least for a while. The story was balanced and should appeal to Dodger and Expos fans alike. highly recommend this book if you like baseball stories and history and especially if you want to relive the 81 post season.

Great book on the M Expos & assoc players

Recommended for Expos, Dodgers & baseball fans alike. Great highlights ad context of the '81 Expos and the many professionals involved

Horrible Narration

I had to retun this book. The constant mispronounced names was too much. If you are going to narrate books, it might be a good idea to make the effort to learn the names - especailly considering who your audience is. Unreal...