Andre Dawson

Andre Dawson has recently been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It took a little longer than most of us wanted but after nine tries he made it. He will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 25, 2010.

There was some controversy regarding what cap he would wear as an inductee. He made it know that he wanted to go in as a Chicago Cub. The decision is not his as the rules were changed a few years ago. There was an incident that it might have been construed that an inductee was offered compensation to select which team he wanted to represent. The deal never consummated and all parties denied it but the rumor or allegation caused enough of a furor to warrant a rule change. So it goes and Andre Dawson will be going in as a Montreal Expo as decided by the committee at the Hall of Fame.

Andre Dawson

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Click here if you want to see Andre Dawson's Hall of Fame Induction Speech

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Andre had quite a career. He baseball career started in Montreal after being selected in the 11th round in 1975. The scouts missed this one. His first major league appearance was on September 11, 1976 playing in 24 games. It didn't take Andre long to make his mark. He was named the rookie of the year in 1977 and he was off to the races. He played center field for the Expos but there was a problem. Olympic Stadium where the Expos played had a very hard artificial surface which took its toll on Dawson's knees. He switched from center field to right field but playing on an artificial surface just was not going to make it.

Following the 1986 season Andre was a free agent. He wanted a natural grass surface to play on. He made it know that Wrigley Field would fill that need. Collusion was a problem among the owners then and Andre could not find any offers. He had an excellent resume and drastic measures were in order.

Dawson and his agent went to Mesa, Arizona with a signed blank contract. Dawson wanted to play in Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs. At first Dallas Green, the Cubs general manager at the time, resisted but finally filled in an amount of $500,000 plus incentives. Dawson went on to have the best year of his career. He ended up hitting 49 home runs and knocking in 137 runs. He was awarded the MVP trophy for 1987 and it was the first time it was awarded to a player whose team finished in last place. Even Dawson couldn't help the Cubs that year.

The scenario surrounding Dawson that year and the numbers he put up earned him a fan favorite for the Wrigley Field fans. Chicago loved him. And he is remembered to this day for his days as a Chicago Cub. He never reached the 1987 levels and in 1989 when the Cubs did win the division it was a disappointment that he couldn't help them in the playoffs against the Giants.

Andre played for the Cubs through the 1992 season. He went on to Boston playing 2 years and finished his career with the Florida Marlins. He retired as a players following the 1996 season. His career lasted 21 seasons. He finished with 438 home runs, 1,591 RBI, and 2,774 hits.

Those statistics are all great. But it was his heart that Andre Dawson has that sets him apart from other ball players. Especially in today's news of players taking illegal drugs to “make them heal faster”. Andre Dawson never took steroids even though they were available. No one has ever accused “The Hawk”. Andre Dawson played with pain in his knees that were ruined by playing on a hard artificial surface in Montreal. He didn't complain, he just played everyday getting the most out of his talents as one of the greatest players. He has had 12 knee operations and has had both knees replaced. Those players on the steroid list awaiting the Hall of Fame call need to look in the mirror and see if they can match up to a real Hall of Famer. It takes more than putting up numbers. It also takes character.

The Hall of Fame welcomes him and he is most deserved.

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