INSIDE THE NL: MISERABLE FINALE IN MONTREAL.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

The commissioner's office finally, mercifully pulled the plug on baseball in Montreal. The official announcement came on Wednesday, mere hours before the Expos played what became their final home game. That night, though, an occasion that should have been somber, poignant and moving became something else entirely, making it hard to feel sorry for the jilted fans of Quebec.

The whole, sordid affair began with the American national anthem. The fans booed loudly, apparently more in protest of the team's pending move to the U.S. capital than over U.S. foreign policy. The fans then sang along quietly during the Canadian anthem.

``That was embarrassing,'' said Jack McKeon, manager of the visiting Florida Marlins, who won 9-1. ``I came close to taking our players off the field when they played the Canadian (anthem). Maybe it gave us the motivation we needed.''

From there, it only got worse.

With the Marlins' Jeff Conine (UCLA) batting in the top of the third, a golf ball was thrown from the stands and landed near second base. Expos manager Frank Robinson waved his team off the field, and play was halted for 10 minutes, after stadium security personnel met with umpires.

Marlins infielder Mike Mordecai caught a popup off the bat of Cal State Northridge product Terrmel Sledge to finally end the game at exactly 10 p.m., marking the end of an 36-year era and, finally, the end of a night many of the players involved would like to forget.

``I counted six golf balls on the field,'' Mordecai said. ``You could see them raining in. There were so many golf balls flying that when (Sledge's) ball went up, I saw it out of the corner of my eye but was looking out for anything else that might be coming in. We had said we were going to get off the field quickly because if they were already throwing stuff while we were playing, what's going to stop them from throwing stuff when the game is over?''

Apparently, golf balls weren't the only projectiles.

--Carpenter out: Chris Carpenter, the ace of St. Louis' regular-season rotation, won't be in the Cardinals' playoff rotation. An irritated nerve in his right biceps has sidelined him since Sept. 19, and although Carpenter is not believed to have structural damage, it still isn't clear when he will be able to pitch.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa announced on Tuesday that his playoff rotation will consist of Matt Morris, Jason Marquis, Woody Williams and Jeff Suppan (Crespi High of Encino).

--Local angle: Pittsburgh shortstop Jack Wilson, a Thousand Oaks High product, entered the weekend needing one hit to become the second Pirates shortstop to compile 200 in a season. The other was Honus Wagner, who did it in 1908.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams celebrates Wednesday, after he announced that the Expos will move to the nation's capitol.

Susan Walsh/Associated Press

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AROUND THE HORN

By Rich Hammond