April 4, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; MLB commissioner Bud Selig in attendance before the opening day game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

What I did know 18 years ago was that I was watching something special. For the first time in my life, I was watching the best baseball team in the world right in front of me. But back to what I didn’t know. I didn’t know it would be the last time.

There is a lot that is fuzzy around the summer of 1994. What I know was that I was at Olympic Stadium watching the Expos with my parents who brought me to the game for my birthday. I do remember that the Expos won. And I remember that after the game, the scoreboard showed the updated NL East standings. And there it was, the Expos had a 1.5 game lead over the second place Atlanta Braves. The crowd, which did not leave right after the game, gave the standings a standing ovation. Thanks to Baseball Reference, I am able to fill in the gaps. It was July 24 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was Montreal’s sixth win in a row and they were on their way to Atlanta. They would end up winning eight straight before losing the third game of the three-game series. By the time August came, and the strike called, they would have a six game lead. In their last 23 games, they would lose only three.

We all know what happened then. When it came to the Expos, when baseball returned in 1995 then-owner Claude Brochu got GM Kevin Malone to trade the team’s best players in a span of a few days. 10 years after the strike the team would be in Washington.

However, while the Expos are the most tragic story, they aren’t the only one. The 1994 season was the glory days of the 1990′s. Steroids were (probably) around but not prevalent like they would be later on. Superstars were on their way to record breaking seasons. The All-Star rosters read like a team of the decade.

In fact, Ranger fans like you were also affected. The team was going for their first-ever playoff berth, leading an under-.500 AL West when the strike hit. For Texas, their chance to cheer for a playoff team would come two years later instead.

The Yankees, once powerful, were going for their first playoff spot in a long time as well. They wouldn’t have to wait long, and ever since 1995, the thought of a lengthy run of playoffs without the Yankees would be laughable.

Jeff Bagwell was probably one player who was most helped by the Strike. He was having a great season and eventually won the National League MVP. However, right before the strike Bagwell was hit by a pitch and would have missed significant time. Instead, the season was over and the time missed would not affect him at all.

And so it was, 18 years ago today and the first time in almost 100 years there was no World Series played. The funny thing is, baseball may be in a better place it was then but not in the way they would have thought and they had to take the long road back with a couple of detours.

My relationship with baseball changed as a nine year old. Now, I understand why the strike happened and instead of my anger towards the players or the owners it is directed to one owner: Claude Brochu who failed to see the potential of what a 1995 run would do for baseball in Montreal.

As for the Rangers, they were in the first part of a glory days state. Then after a lull, they got back to the promise land. I wonder how fans in the mid-1990′s would have dealt with the ups and downs of a first place club coming off of two straight World Series appearances. Success spoils some of us.

June 6, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (21) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Jarrod Parker and Bartolo Colon are two very different pitchers, though and how could two guys shut down what has been the best offensive team so far this season. I know this is a site about the Texas Rangers but indulge me for a bit as I try to remind you how good Colon once was.

Remember when Cleveland had back-to-back Cy Young Award winners in C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee? They had Colon first and he was a bonafide ace. He won a Cy Young Award in 2005 as a member of the Angels. But he only made two all-star teams. He may very well be the most underrated player of this generation and the fact that he needed experimental surgery to prolong his career, he may even be remembered more for that than he would for his prime.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, I had just graduated from high school and took in a game between the Montreal Expos and the Indians at Olympic Stadium due to the fantastic advent of interleague play. Colon was pitching for the Indians and he shut the Expos down. The Expos that year, it should be said, were battling for a playoff spot. If you look at the final standings, this may be hard to believe but they defied the odds and the rumours of contraction and battled.

The date was June 22, 2002. The Expos were coming into the game with an eight game winning streak. The Indians would end up being sellers by the trade deadline trading, among others, Ricardo Rincon. Colon was masterful. He scattered nine hits over eight innings, striking out two and allowed only two runs. Bob Wickman would try to blow the save by giving up two runs but the Indians held on 5-4.

Montreal’s lineup that day included former Rangers Brad Wilkerson, Vladimir Guerrero, Fernando Tatis and Lee Stevens.

Colon picked up the win and moved to 10-4 on the season. It would be his last start for Cleveland. They would trade him to Montreal before his next start.

The Expos added both Colon and Cliff Floyd before the trade deadline but their team didn’t respond and Floyd was traded to Boston before the trade deadline when the Expos all but gave up already.

Colon went 10-4 for the Expos to finish at 20-8 with a 2.93 ERA between Cleveland and Montreal.

Of course, the thing that most people remember about Colon is the trade that brought him to Montreal. The Expos traded Lee Stevens, Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips for Colon and Tim Drew. Of course, the Expos didn’t care about prospects because they thought they would be contracted and had a slither of hope to make the playoffs. Lee, Sizemore and Phillips were three top prospects and the deal looks just as bad now as it did at the time. Sizemore has dealt with injury issues and Phillips is good but Lee developed into a star pitcher after struggling early in his Major League career.

But, back to Colon himself. Not many people can say they threw 8 innings of shutout baseball 10 years apart against the same team. Colon did that.

May 4, 2002: 8 ip, 4 h, 1 BB, 9 K, 125 pitches/87 strikes
June 6, 2012: 8 ip, 5 h, 1 BB, 5 K, 100 pitches/77 strikes

And just for fun, Texas lineup from that game:

Mike Lamb, 1B
Michael Young, 2B
Rusty Greer, LF
Alex Rodriguez, SS
Rafael Palmeiro, DH
Carl Everett, RF
Herbert Perry, 3B
Hector Ortiz, C
Calvin Murray, CF

So, yes the results were the same but at least we’re not in 2002, right?