Over the course of 30 years, from 1969 to 1999, Bill Stoneman left an indelible mark on Canadian baseball history. Born April 7, 1944 in Oak Park, Illinois, Stoneman became a defining player of the Montreal Expos’ early years and an important front office presence.
Bill Stoneman began pitching his signature curveball at the age of 10 and soon excelled at the high school and junior college levels. Stoneman joined the University of Idaho Vandals in 1963, and over the next three seasons dominated the Big Sky Conference, notching a First Team All-Star nod and a Conference Championship for the Vandals. His performance impressed the Chicago Cubs, who selected him in the 31st round of the 1966 MLB Draft. Stoneman quickly worked his way through the Cubs system, making his MLB debut with the team on July 16, 1967. After making just two starts with the Cubs, Stoneman was shifted to the bullpen and used exclusively as a reliever for two seasons. When the 1969 Expansion Draft arrived, Stoneman was left unprotected, and was quickly selected by the Montreal Expos to join the first team formed outside the United States.
Upon his arrival in Montreal, Stoneman was placed into the Expos starting rotation where he made an immediate impact. On April 17, 1969, in just his third start of the season, and only the ninth game in Expos history, Bill Stoneman pitched the first franchise no-hitter on the road in Philadelphia (Items 1.1-4).
(Item 1.1-4) Pictures of Bill Stoneman celebrating his first no-hitter in 1969 with his family and Expos management. The Expos responded to Stoneman’s no-hitter by raising his pay by $2,000, gifting him a new car, and surprising him with a visit from his brother (who had recently returned from Vietnam) and his mother.
(Item 2.1) Picture of Bill Stoneman celebrating after throwing his second no-hitter in 1972. He is flanked by fellow CBHFM inductees, Expos president John McHale (left, Class of 1997) and general manager Jim Fanning (right, Class of 2000).
(Item 2.2) Baseball from Bill Stoneman’s second no-hitter. Stoneman signed the ball and addressed it to Expos French play-by-play announcer and fellow CBHFM inductee, Jacques Doucet (Class of 2020).
Over the next four seasons Stoneman was a workhorse for the Expos, pitching 200+ innings each year. Throughout 1969, Stoneman led the Expos in wins (11), starts (36), and complete games (8), and set a team record in shutouts (5). Following up on the success of the inaugural Expos season, Stoneman had a career year in 1971, recording wins in 17 of his 39 starts, and pitching 19 complete games. Across the National League, Stoneman ranked behind only Fergie Jenkins (who would win the Cy Young Award for 1971) in games started and innings pitched. Stoneman continued the success of his 1971 campaign with an All-Star game appearance in 1972, and by pitching his second no-hitter on October 2 against the Mets at Jarry Park, the first major league no-hitter on Canadian soil (Items 2.1 & 2.2).
After playing his final season with the Expos in 1973, Stoneman finished out his on-field career with the California Angels in 1974. In retirement, Bill Stoneman returned to Canada, eventually joining the Expos’ front office in late 1983. Over the next 16 years, Stoneman served in various positions with the Expos, including as VP of Baseball Administration, and VP of Operations, as well as a stint as General Manager from 1987-1988 (Item 3.1). For his work on and off the field, Stoneman was inducted into the Montreal Expos Hall of Fame in 1995 (Item 3.2).
(Item 3.1) Image of Bill Stoneman during his time as an executive with the Montreal Expos
(Item 3.2) Bill Stoneman’s plaque from the Montreal Expos Hall of Fame. The Expos Hall of Fame was created in 1993 for the Expos’ 25th anniversary, and Stoneman was inducted as part of the 1995 class.
In 1999, Bill Stoneman departed Montreal to become the General Manager of the Anaheim Angels. After hiring Mike Sciosca as Manager, Stoneman took a struggling team and transformed them into World Series Champions in 2002. The team also claimed three division titles after Stoneman’s key signings of fellow Expos alumni, Vladimir Guerrero and Bartolo Colon, in 2004 (Item 3.3). After the 2007 season (and a brief return as interim GM in 2015), Stoneman stepped down as General Manager of the Angels, but has continued with the team in an advisory role.