It was a feel-good story with no ending, a 4½-month joy ride with no destination. Baseball's last work stoppage robbed the Montreal Expos of their best chance of winning a World Series in 1994, and the what-ifs and what-might-have-beens haunt Kevin Malone to this day.

"When I think about it, I can really feel that twinge in my stomach, that emptiness, that kind of sick feeling," Malone said as he recalled the 1994 season, his first as Montreal's general manager.

"It's obviously not as intense as it was 25 years ago, but it's still there. It's almost like a scar that won't go away, and by touching it, I can remember certain things about the season."

The Expos, despite a $19-million payroll that ranked 27th out of 28 teams, had a 74-40 record -- the best mark in baseball -- and a six-game lead over Atlanta in the National League East when players walked off the job Aug. 12, 1994.

Montreal won 20 of its last 23 games before the strike. A dynamic team composed mostly of stars in their prime and promising youngsters, the Felipe Alou-managed Expos seemed poised not only for a deep October run in 1994, but also for a lengthy run as pennant contenders.

A balanced lineup featured power and speed, with Marquis Grissom (.288, 96 runs, 36 stolen bases) setting the table for Moises Alou (.339, .989 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 22 homers, 78 RBIs), Larry Walker (.322, .981 OPS, 19 homers, 44 doubles, 86 RBIs) and Wil Cordero (.294, .853 OPS, 15 homers, 30 doubles, 63 RBIs).

A stout rotation was led by veteran right-hander Ken Hill (16-5, 3.32 ERA), 22-year-old right-hander and budding Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez (11-5, 3.42 ERA) and veteran left-hander Jeff Fassero (8-6, 2.99 ERA).

A lock-down bullpen featured closer John Wetteland (2.83 ERA, 25 saves) and setup men Mel Rojas and Jeff Shaw, with Gil Heredia and Tim Scott providing solid middle relief.

"We could hit home runs and manufacture runs, we were athletic, we played good defense and had good pitching," Malone said. "We had so many different weapons and could win in so many different ways.