William James Fanning was an American-Canadian catcher, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. Often called "Gentleman Jim", Fanning was the first general manager of the Montreal Expos of the National League, and served the Expos in a number of capacities for almost 25 years. As their field manager in 1981, he guided Montreal into the playoffs for the only time in the 36-year history of the franchise.
Jim Fanning
The Montreal Expos were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (NL) East division from 1969 until 2004. Following the 2004 season, the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals.
A game at Jarry Park, 1969
Andrés Galarraga, pictured here in 2002, also played with the Expos from 1985 to 1991.
The Expos, wearing their powder blue road uniforms, face the St. Louis Cardinals in 1991
Omar Minaya was the first Latin American-born general manager in MLB history.