RIP - Rusty Staub

Rusty Staub - "Le Grande Orange" - has passed away today (Opening Day) March 29, 2018 at age 73.

Staub had been in failing health in recent months.

Rusty played for the Astros (1963-68), Expos (1969-71), Mets (1972-75), Tigers (1976-79), the Expos again (1979), Rangers (1980), and the Mets again (1981-85).

He was a 6-time All-Star (1967-71, 76), and led the NL with 44 doubles in 1967. He was the first star for the Montreal Expos, and remained popular there, even though he only played 3 seasons for Montreal. Staub was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1986.


In 2009, I posted about the Expos' Jarry Park on this blog, and one commenter offered the following story about Rusty Staub:

"Not only was the lighting bad, but the fences were deteriorating. During a foggy night game against the Cubs, Ernie Banks tagged what appeared to be a home run over the right-field fence, but the umpires could not see it due to the fog. 

So they went to Expo right-fielder Rusty Staub, who, knowing what was about to happen, resourcfully kicked a hole in the bottom of the fence. Upon inquiry, Staub said he saw the ball bounce into the hole. With only Staub's word to go on, the umps waved off Banks' homer, and ruled it a ground-rule double. 

Talk about knowing your position!" 

WABC (New York) obituary

New York Daily News obituary
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Jarry Park was a minor-league stadium

The MLB network was showing a 1970 game between the Expos and Pirates. The lighting was so bad at Jarry Park in Montreal that not only do the players have shadows, but when the camera behind home plate follows fly balls to the outfield, you can't even see the outfield fence, because the entire area is in shadows.