The Numbers
	2002 record: 83-79, .512 (13th overall) Runs scored: 735, 6th in NL Runs allowed: 718, 8th in NL Run differential: +17 (14th overall) Starters' ERA: 4.04, tied for 6th in NL Bullpen ERA: 3.83, 9th in NL Payroll (Opening Day): $38.7 million (29th overall) Attendance: 812,000 (30th overall) 3-year record: 218-268, .449 (23rd overall)

2002 in review
What went right?
No contraction. Yes, the Expos lived to play another year. Major League Baseball postponed Montreal's demise, and the team went on to become one of the season's biggest surprises. The Expos finished second in the NL East at 83-79, their best mark since 1996. The Killer V's carried the offense again as perennial Triple Crown threat Vladimir Guerrero (.336-39-111) finished one homer shy of joining the 40/40 club. Jose Vidro batted over .300 for the fourth consecutive season while adding 19 HRs and 96 RBI. Also, Rookie of the Year runner-up Brad Wilkerson hit 20 homers and drove in 59 runs.

On the mound, Javier Vazquez led the team with 230 IPs (fourth in the NL) and 179 Ks. Bartolo Colon, acquired in June, won 10 games, and Tomo Ohka was a reliable No. 3 with a team-high 13 wins and a 3.18 ERA. After Scott Strickland was traded to the Mets early in the season, Scott Stewart (17 saves) and Joey Eischen (6-1, 1.34) stepped up to help the bullpen.

The best numbers, however, were put up by manager Frank Robinson and GM Omar Minaya. Despite a $40 million payroll and a team given zero chance, Robinson and Minaya guided the Expos to 15 more wins than the team had in 2001. Perhaps more astounding, both are coming back for another year. Minaya even declined to interview for the Red Sox GM job. It's no wonder that the one category in which the Expos led the majors was sacrifices (108).

What went wrong?
No contraction. Yes, the Expos lived to play another year ... in dreary, drab, nearly empty Olympic Stadium. Although attendance actually increased (average of 7,935 fans in 2001 to 10,025 in 2002), only 21.6 percent of the seats were filled every night, dead last in all of baseball.

Despite the lack of ambiance, the Expos had one of the league's best home records (49-32). But they were abysmal playing in front of the bigger road crowds -- 34-47, the worst record among teams that finished above .500 overall.

At the plate, Fernando Tatis struggled again with injuries (.228/15/55). He's played 155 games in two years with the club. Cliff Floyd's triumphant return to Montreal in July resulted in a .208 average in 15 games before he was shipped to Boston. The team also got no production out of first base, ranking last in the league in OPS at the position. For Robinson, the toughest stat to swallow was 139 errors, third worst in the majors. This year he's emphasizing fundamentals.

In retrospect, the critical decisions were:
1. Hiring Robinson and Minaya. They accepted the challenge of leading the Expos even with an almost-impossible situation: a lame-duck organization with a questionable future. The two committed to winning and exceeded all expectations, except their own.

2. Naming Vlad co-captain. Eleven days into his tenure, Robinson set the tone by giving his low-key heavyweight a heavy weight: lead the team. And, well, Vlad led by example. Once again he topped the Expos in virtually every offensive category as well as outfield assists.

3. Trading for Colon and Floyd. Working with a tight budget, baseball's second lowest, rookie GM Minaya nevertheless delivered two summer blockbusters. Though the moves didn't put the Expos into the playoffs, the message was loud and clear: If they got a shot, Minaya and Robinson were going to go for it.

Looking ahead to 2003
Three key questions

	Michael Barrett Catcher Montreal Expos Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM AB R HR RBI AVG 117 376 41 12 49 .263

1. Payroll. Do the Expos have a prayer of keeping Vlad, who's entering his walk year? Even with Colon traded to the White Sox, there's still some budget-cutting to do (no one wants Tatis, but several teams covet catcher Michael Barrett). With continued uncertainty over the franchise's future destination, Minaya is in no position to make any guarantees. The Expos began last season 15-10, but only one opponent in that stretch finished above .500. This April, they'll face the Braves (twice), Mets (twice), Cubs, D-Backs and Astros. If the Expos flounder early, teams will start circling for Vlad and company.

2. Puerto Rico. Will the Expos be inspired or tired by playing in Puerto Rico? The Expos have a large Latin influence, and the thought of playing 22 games (vs. the Angels, A-Rod and Sammy, among others) in front of frenzied sellout crowds might be a kick -- for a while. But in one stretch the Expos will play 22 games in 25 days away from Montreal. They'll finish the season with 27 of 37 games south of the border. Not to mention a grueling eight-hour flight from San Juan to Seattle somewhere in between.

3. Playoffs. Will Hall of Famer Gary Carter be the only Expo celebrating this summer? Art Howe (296 wins in the last three years) joins a division that boasts four former Managers of the Year. Big-time bats Jim Thome (Phillies), Pudge Rodriguez (Marlins) and Cliff Floyd (Mets) beef up their respective lineups. The NL East's pitching staffs feature such 1-2 tandems as Maddux-Hampton, Glavine-Leiter and Burnett-Beckett. Having lost their ace in Colon, the Expos need the guidance and production of oft-injured Orlando Hernandez, the team's elder statesman at 33. If healthy and interested, El Duque and Vazquez can be a formidable duo, which is essential to having any success. If they get bullpen help and play better defense, the Expos can compete in a division with no dominant team.

Can expect to play better
Fernando Tatis. The Expos hope to dump his salary, his injuries and his attitude, so if he wants out he's got to prove 1999 (.298/34/107) was no fluke. It's also time for Vazquez to become the ace, and not the wild card. Starting a few games in his native Puerto Rico won't hurt.

Can expect to play worse
Scott Stewart. Despite a solid year, closer Stewart struggled in the second half (5.91 ERA, 5 saves) due to a bone spur in his left elbow. After offseason surgery he's a question mark, meaning newcomer Rocky Biddle could get some save chances. Joey Eischen, who pitched out of his mind in the second half (4-0, 0.95 ERA), will have a hard time duplicating those numbers.

Stats Corner
Vladimir Guerrero (above) led the NL with 206 hits and also established career highs in walks (84), stolen bases (40) and on-base percentage (.417) in 2002. Tomo Ohka finished with the seventh-best ERA (3.18) in the NL while also winning a career high 13 games. Expos batters were tied for second in the NL with 300 doubles. Expos pitchers issued the second-fewest walks (508) in the NL.

Projected lineup
CF Endy Chavez
2B Jose Vidro
RF Vladimir Guerrero
1B Jeff Liefer
3B Fernando Tatis
LF Brad Wilkerson
SS Orlando Cabrera
C Michael Barrett/Brian Schneider

Rotation
Javier Vazquez
Orlando Hernandez
Tony Armas Jr.
Tomo Ohka
Zach Day

Closer
Scott Stewart/Rocky Biddle

A closer look
Predicting where the Expos will play in 2004 isn't worth the effort. Calculating the miles they'll log this season takes too much time. But pinpointing who was responsible for putting the Expos back on the map last season is simple.

The team's decline started in 1994 -- the year Felipe Alou's squad could have won it all only to lose it all due to the season-ending strike. Management let free agents walk and fans flee, leaving the team crippled for the next five years. From 1998 to 2001, the team averaged 95 losses a year. Going into the 2002 season, Montreal was amid its worst skid since the team debuted in 1969 and strung together 10 consecutive losing seasons. If that wasn't bad enough, the team faced the threat of contraction in 2002 and 2003.

Enter Frank Robinson, a 12-time All-Star, two-time MVP, Triple Crown winner, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Hall of Famer with 586 career home runs. Those accomplishments are based on one key characteristic: He's one of the most competitive people on the planet. Robinson managed the Expos to 83 wins in a no-win situation. He tried to infuse the intensity he demonstrated as a player into a team that hadn't showed much in recent years.

That's why Jeff Liefer, acquired in the Bartolo Colon deal this winter, is looking forward to playing for Robinson. "I like his hard-nose type of coaching," Liefer told MLB.com. "He has a no messing around-type attitude. You go in there every day and you are expected to play hard. If you don't, you are going to have some consequences."

Last July, Robinson, known as the Judge in his playing days, came down hard on Tony Armas Jr., pulling him early in a game due to a lackluster performance. The next day Robinson nearly resigned because he felt he cared about winning, and hated losing, more than his players. GM Omar Minaya talked Robinson into staying, and the team rebounded at the end of the season.

This year will be another test for Robinson. He's lost players and added travel headaches. But he still wants to win. And if history is any indication, the Expos will improve. The Indians, Giants and Orioles all did in Robinson's second season at the helm.

Matt Wong covers baseball for ESPN The Magazine.