MONTREAL, Quebec --- Former Texas Rangers general manager Tom Grieve was announced today as the fifth general manager in Montreal Expos team hisotry. Grieve replaces Murray Cook, who had been the the Expos' GM since 1985. Grieve spent the 1988 season as a part-time analyst for the sports network ESPN, both on their SportsCenter highlight show and as a fill in color analyst for their boradcasts of Major League Baseball games.

Grieve took over as the general manager of the Texas Rangers in 1985 following three-straight losing seasons. Grieve helped guide the Rangers to an 82 win season in '85, their highest win total since 1979. The following season, Grieve was the architect of a 90-win Rangers team that finished within one game of the franchise's first ever division championship.

During the 1987 season, the Rangers took a drastic step backwards as they reached the All-Star break with a league worst 31-56 record. Although the team was hampered by a lack of production by several key hitters and season-ending injuries to their top two pitchers, Grieve was fired by owner Eddie Chiles when the team reported back from the break.

The Rangers went on to finish last in the American League West in '87 with a 65-97 record. However, the Rangers took the pieces that Grieve had put in place during the previous three years and used them to finish second in the AL West in 1988 with an 85-77 record. The team also set a franchise attendance record (previously set during Grieve's tenure in 1986) during the 1988 season.

The Expos have finished last in the National League East each of the past three seasons. They have also failed to finish within 18 games of first place each of the past five seasons. The Expos have made the playoffs only once in the team's 20 year history, in 1981 when they won the second half divison title during the strike shortened season.

Grieve's first priority will be rebuilding a pitching staff that finished 11th out of 12 teams in the National League with a 4.03 ERA in '88. He will also need to infuse a lineup that finished ninth in the NL in team batting (.243) and runs scored (630) while finishing 11th in home runs (104).