Jacques Doucet: “Rodger was the brother I never had”

Since the announcement of Rodger Brulotte's passing, messages of condolence have poured in from all over, and the one that touches me the most comes from Jacques Doucet, the voice of the Expos. Having shared the microphone with Brulotte for many years, he knew the late broadcaster better than anyone. In an interview with TVA Sports, Mr. Doucet mentioned that Rodger Brulotte was like the brother he never had.

A heartfelt tribute that perfectly captures the bond between the two men who worked in perfect harmony for several decades. When I was younger, back when the Expos played on the West Coast, I would fall asleep listening to their voices on the radio, accurately describing every move made by the players on both teams, and I would wake up to the sound of their voices rising, knowing full well that an Expos player had just hit a long ball. These memories will be etched forever in my mind, and the two friends will be part of the history of the Expos and baseball in Quebec.

A touching tribute https://t.co/U7QHxAgxRv

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) March 21, 2026

Rodger Brulotte was the master of anecdotes. He always had a story to tell about this or that player, or about events he'd experienced in every Major League city. He was an unparalleled storyteller. Through his tales, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the sport thanks to the vivid and colorful words of this great man.

Serge Touchette, who covered the Expos for the Journal de Montréal for many years, shared yesterday on his Facebook page that Rodger and he hated having to catch a flight and leave Montreal after Sunday afternoon games, knowing that family and friends would be having a good time barbecuing while they were traveling elsewhere on the continent. Mr. Touchette's account highlights the friendship that existed between the two colleagues. He also mentioned visiting Rodger in the hospital last week, realizing that he was likely seeing him for the last time. With a faint whisper, Rodger told him, “I love you, Touch.”

The shockwaves surrounding Rodger Brulotte's death quickly spread as far as Florida, specifically to Dunedin, the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training site. Before his battle with illness, Rodger and Denis Casavant called Jays games on TVA Sports. Brulotte was well-known and respected by the Toronto organization. Keegan Matheson, who covers the Canadian team for MLB.com, noted that Dunedin felt very quiet without Rodger there.

Oh, what a loss.

Rodger was one of the voices of the Expos alongside Jacques Doucet and Denis Casavant. More recently, he and Casavant broadcast #BlueJays games in French for TVA Sports.

Dunedin was quieter without Rodger's visit this year. I'll miss those. Good evening. https://t.co/GJfoU2z4yB

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 21, 2026

Since the announcement of his passing, Rodger Brulotte has received countless tributes from the worlds of sports, politics, and culture. He left no one indifferent, and his voice will forever be associated not only with the Expos' time in Montreal but also with baseball in general, in all its greatest and most noble aspects.

With just over a month to go before another ExpoFest Gala, everyone would have loved to see him back on his feet to celebrate with the attendees and former players of the franchise. Illness had other plans, and instead, it is his memory that will be honored.

It's a cliché, I know, but I had to end my post this morning with “Goodnight, he's gone.”

Farewell, Rodger, and safe travels!

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