MONTREAL - Rodger Brulotte, the iconic voice of baseball in Quebec, has died at 79.
Famous for his signature home-run call “Bonsoir, elle est partie!” - “Good evening, it’s gone!” - Brulotte was a trailblazing broadcaster and columnist who called MLB games on TVA Sports as recently as last summer.
Born in Montreal, Brulotte began with the Expos in 1969 as a scout and helped create the team’s mascot, Youppi!. He later became a staple on CKAC, RDS, and TVA Sports, working alongside Jacques Doucet.
He joined TVA Sports’ Blue Jays coverage in 2011 and electrified fans with his call of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s walk-off homer in 2018: “Vladimir! Vladimir! Bonsoir!”
Brulotte championed the return of the Expos to Montreal and served as president of the Ligue de baseball junior élite du Québec. In 2014, he was inducted into the Quebec Baseball Hall of Fame as a journalist. In 2024, he received the Jacques-Beauchamp Tribute Award from Sports Québec.
Tributes poured in from across Quebec and the NHL, with the Canadiens calling him a ‘larger-than-life character.’ Former mayor Denis Coderre praised his unwavering spirit. Premier François Legault remembered him as a man of authenticity and joy.
He passed after a battle with cancer following surgery in September 2025.