Season-high 31,395 give Expos a rousing sendoff

There were some acts of civil disobedience, but nothing serious.
MONTREAL (AP) -- The last baseball crowd at Olympic Stadium gave the Montreal Expos a rousing send-off.
Brad Wilkerson and his teammates were grateful for the gesture.
"It's a tough night to see something like this happen and to spend four years of your life here," said Wilkerson, his eyes reddened by tears.
The Montreal first baseman, who needed a few moments to compose himself, wasn't alone in his sorrow. Some fans stood with tears in their eyes, and others waved flags and signs during the final inning of the Expos' 9-1 loss to Florida in the last major league game in Montreal on Wednesday night.
When it was over, Expos coach Claude Raymond, a Quebec native who was traded by Atlanta to Montreal during the team's inaugural season in 1969, stood alone before all the Expos poured onto the field to wave good-bye.
"Luckily Wilkerson came over to me and he hugged me," Raymond said. "I love him like my son. I couldn't say anything and I couldn't do anything. All of a sudden this is over -- I can't believe it."
Season-high crowd
It made for a touching scene, even a wrenching one. A season-high crowd of 31,395 -- nearly four times Montreal's season average -- stayed and cheered well beyond the final out, but the last-minute show of support came far too late to save a franchise doomed in recent years by dwindling attendance.
"Now it can't be undone," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "That reaction makes it tougher to move on. It's like you want to stand still right now and not rush out of here, savor every moment you can be here."
The last major league team to move was the Washington Senators, who became the Texas Rangers for the 1972 season. The Senators' final home game was forfeited on Sept. 30, 1971, when fans rushed onto the field with Washington one out away from beating the New York Yankees.
10-minute delay
The Expos' end also almost came more abruptly than expected. There was a 10-minute delay in the third inning when players were pulled off the field after a fan threw a golf ball that landed near second base, and the crowd was warned the game could be forfeited if there were any more problems.
Three plastic bottles were tossed into left field in the sixth, one near Florida's Miguel Cabrera. But the teams remained on the field and no announcement was made. The game was held up for a few minutes as the bottles were retrieved by a ball boy.
With two outs in the ninth, a fan jumped onto the field near Florida's on-deck circle and was quickly escorted off by two security guards.
Flashbulbs popped as Terrmel Sledge popped up for the final out. Marlins coach Perry Hill took the ball from third baseman Mike Mordecai and tossed it across the field to Robinson.
Cordero became the last pitcher in Montreal history. His cap is going to the Hall of Fame.