Renowned sports commentator, columnist Rodger Brulotte dies at 79

Rodger Brulotte, 79, a longtime Montreal Expos scout, broadcaster and Hall of Fame inductee, died Friday, prompting tributes from across the province.

Quebec has lost one of its greatest voices in baseball.

Rodger Brulotte passed away on Friday.

He was 79.

Born on Jan. 4, 1947, in Montreal, Brulotte was part of the Montreal Expos from their very beginning. Starting as a scout in 1969, he became assistant director of international player recruitment in 1970. He helped sign legendary players such as Gary Carter, Steve Rogers, and Larry Parrish.

After stints in public relations and as the organization’s travel secretary, Brulotte joined the marketing team in 1979 and helped create the popular mascot Youppi.

In 1983, Brulotte became a radio play-by-play announcer for Expos games, alongside Jacques Doucet. It was that same year, in San Diego, that he first uttered his legendary phrase: “Bonsoir, elle est partie!”

In 2004, he had a front-row seat when Montreal lost the Expos franchise, a period he would later describe as “living through a bereavement.”

Even after the departure of “Nos Amours,” Brulotte remained active in the sports media landscape, whether as a television analyst for Toronto Blue Jays games, a radio host, a newspaper columnist, or an emcee at numerous events.

Brulotte was inducted into the Baseball Québec Hall of Fame in 2014.

On social media, many expressed their condolences and fond memories of Brulotte.

With files from RDS