www.chicagotribune.com /2023/11/28/
columnandre dawson fighting the odds to get
his hall of fame plaques
1. Position: Outfielder
2. Born: July 10th,
1954
3. Birthplace: Miami, Florida
4. Batted: Right
5. Threw: Right
6. MLB Debut: September 11th,
1976, for
the Montreal Expos
7. Last MLB
Appearance: September 29th,
1996, for
the Florida Marlins
8. MLB
Statistics:
9. Batting
Average: .279
10. Hits: 2,774
11. Home Runs: 438
12. Runs
Batted In: 1,591
Teams played for:
1. Montreal Expos: 1976 – 1986
2. Chicago Cubs: 1987 – 1992
3. Boston Red Sox: 1993 – 1994
4. Florida Marlins: 1995 – 1996
Career Highlights and Awards:
4. 8x Gold Glove (1980-1985, 1987, 1988)
5. 4x Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1981, 1983, 1987)
6. NL Home Run Leader 1987
7. NL RBI Leader (1987)
8. Montreal Expos No. 10 retired
9. Montreal Expos Hall of Fame
10. Washington Nationals Ring of Honor
11. Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame
12. Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame:
Induction: 2010
Andre Dawson, nicknamed “the Hawk” and “Awesome Dawson”,(1)(2)(3) is a former professional baseball player who played 21 seasons in the MLB. He played for four different teams as a center fielder and right fielder, spending the majority of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs.
An 8 –
time National League All – Star, he was named the league’s Rookie of the Year
in 1977 after batting .282 with 19 home runs and 65 runs batted in, and won the
Most Valuable Player Award in 1987 after leading the league with 49 home runs
and 137 runs batted in; he had been runner – up for the award in both 1981 and
1983. He batted .300 five times, drove
in 100 runs four times and had 13 seasons of 20 home runs. A strong base – runner early in his career,
he also stole 30 bases three times. He
is one of eight MLB players with at least 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases
during his career.(4)
Dawson was a center fielder until knee problems – worsened by the artificial surface at Olympic Stadium – forced his shift to right field, followed by his move to a team which played on grass. He led the National League in outfield putouts three consecutive years (1981-1983), and won eight Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence. Dawson was known for his incredible work ethic and study of the game. He was often seen in the dugout with a clipboard in hand documenting pitches and pitcher tendencies. This was long before such practices were common-place and such information was readily available. Upon his retirement, his National League totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra base hits both ranked tenth in league history; he also ranked seventh in National League history in games as an outfielder (2,303), and sixth in both outfield putouts (5,116) and total chances (5,366). He set Expos franchise records for career games, at bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits, total bases, and steals, all of which have since been broken variously by Tim Raines, Tim Wallach, and Vladimir Guerrero(5). In 2010, Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.(6)(7)
Early Life:
Dawson
grew up in Florida as the oldest of eight children. His father was a Two-Star General in the
United States Army and often absent, leaving Dawson to look after his seven
younger siblings while his mother worked(8). Daws would pay his younger brothers in
cookies to toss rocks for him to hit with a broomstick as batting practice.(9)
Dawson’s
nickname “The Hawk”, was given to him by an uncle at a very early age. Dawson used to work out with a men’s team
that would hit him ground balls at practice.
Dawson’s uncle told him that most kids his age would shy away from the
ball, but Dawson attacked the ball like a hawk.(10)
Dawson
attended and graduated from Southwest Miami Senior High School in 1972(11). In high school, he suffered multiple knee
injuries which hampered his athletic development. He did not draw any attention from
professional scouts or college recruiters and took out student loans in order
to enroll at Florida A&M University.(8)(9)
At Florida A&M, Dawson walked on to the Rattlers baseball team as a freshman. He spent three years at Florida A&M which he later said paved the way for his future.(12)
Playing Career:
Montreal
Expos:
Dawson was
selected by the Expos in the 11th round (pick #250) of the 1975
Major League Baseball draft. He played
in 24 major league games in 1976 after making his debut on September 11th. His stardom rose in 1977 when he became an
everyday outfielder for the Expos, and batted .282 with 19 home runs and 21
stolen bases. He was awarded the 1977
Rookie of the Year in the National League, narrowly beating out Steve Henderson
of the New York Mets(7).
Dawson had a blend of power and speed, hitting at least 20 home runs in
seven seasons with the Expos, and stealing at least 20 bases in his first seven
seasons. Dawson, playing primarily
center field for the Expos, also became an excellent defensive player, gaining
his first of eight Gold Glove Awards in 1980.
Based on his all – around excellence, Dawson was second in the National
League MVP voting in 1981 (won by Mike Schmidt) and second again in 1983 (won
by Dale Murphy). He was voted the
Montreal Expos Player of the Year in 1981 and 1983.
Dawson
played 1,443 games with the Expos, fourth highest in franchise history, and set
single – season club records for home runs (32, now seventh), RBIs (113, now
fourth), extra base hits (78, now seventh), and sacrifice flies (18, still
first). He still holds the Expos career
record for sacrifice flies (71), and is the only player to hit 200 home runs
and steal 200 bases with Montreal.
During his Expos days, Dawson hit two home runs in the same inning
twice: at Atlanta – Fulton County Stadium against the Atlanta Braves on July 30th,
1978(13) and at Wrigley Field against his future team the Chicago
Cubs, on September 24th, 1985(14). As of 2021, Dawson, Willie McCovey, Jeff
King, Alex Rodriguez, and Edwin Encarnacion are the only five players to hit
two home runs in one inning twice.
In 1984,
Dawson appeared in The Cap, a short film about a young boy living in Montreal
who was given a baseball cap by Dawson.
Chicago Cubs:
Dawson
played for the Expos until after the 1986 season when he became a free agent
and sought a team whose home field had natural grass, as his knee injuries were
aggravated by Olympic Stadium’s artificial turf(15). However, due to collusion on the part of
Major League Baseball owners, he was unable to attract offers.(16)
Dawson
campaigned for the Cubs to sign him during the off – season, however general
manager Dallas Green resisted, insisting the Cubs would start Brian Dayett in
right field (Dawson had moved from center field to right field in his final two
seasons with the Expos, due to the condition of his knees), and that one player
could not make a 71 – 91 team a 91 – 71 team.
When the Cubs opened camp in Mesa, Arizona, that spring, Dawson and his
agent Dick Moss arrived with a signed blank contract in an attempt to secure a
contract with the Cubs. Dawson and
Moss’s stunt was derided as a “dog and pony show” by Green. After reviewing the contract, Green reached
an agreement with Moss on a salary of $500,000 dollars ($1,416,960 in today’s
dollars), second – lowest on the team among regulars, and added bonuses of
$150,000 dollars if he did not go on the disabled list by the All – Star break,
and $50,000 dollars if he made the All – Star team. He earned both. The team also wrote in $100,000 bonuses if
Dawson was MVP of either the league championship series or the World Series,
but did not add a clause for National League MVP. While he won the National League MVP, the
Cubs did not make the playoffs, so he had no chance to earn the NCLS or World
Series MVP.(7)(17)(18)
He became
the Cubs’ starting right fielder, and hit an MLB – leading 49 home runs (tied
with Oakland Athletics rookie Mark McGwire), the most a player had hit since
George Foster in 1977 and Willie Mays in 1965.
He was named the league’s MVP, finally winning after the two year as
runner – up in Montreal. He also earned
his fourth All – Star nod and won the Home Run Derby that year. Although the Cubs held first place for nearly
half of May and remained in contention through July, the team finished the 1987
season 76 – 85, last in the National League East.(19)
Dawson was
the first player to win a league MVP trophy from a last place team(20). Dawson played five more season with the Cubs,
and was one of the franchise’s most popular players during that time. His worst individual season came in 1989 when
the Cubs won the National League East title.
During the National League Championship Series that year, Dawson batted
.105 as the San Francisco Giants beat the Cubs 4 games to 1. Dawson’s .507 career slugging percentage with
the Cubs is fourth highest in team history.
Later Career:
Photo
Credit:
https://www.sportscardspro.com/game/
baseball-cards-1994-sp/andre-dawson-154)
In October 1992 the Red Sox signed Dawson as a free agent(21). Dawson hit his 400th career home run with the Red Sox on April 15th at Fenway Park. Dawson sustained a knee injury early in the 1993 season in a game against the Texas Rangers which limited him to only 121 games in his first year with the Red Sox: “I got caught between sliding and standing up on a passed ball. I was on second base, and I took a chop step between strides and hit the corner of the third – base bag. I had knee surgery and [Boston] decided to use me in the designated hitter (DH) role.(21)
Dawson would have knee surgery the following year as well, and only managed to play 75 games in his second and final season with Boston. Dawson played his last two years with the Florida Marlins in Miami, where he was born and raised. During the 1995 season, he became an unexpected regular starter, despite his age and history with injuries, due to an injury to outfielder Gary Sheffield(22). He played somewhat sparingly with the team the following year, retiring after the 1996 season. In his final game, Dawson was removed from the field as a final farewell to the fans and the game. The fans gave him a standing ovation as Dawson walked off the field.
Accomplishments:
Dawson finished his career with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases, and 1,591 RBIs. He is one of only eight players in major league history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career (300 – 300 club); the other players to accomplish this are Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders, Steve Finley, Alex Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltran.
In 1997, Dawson’s #10 was retired by the Montreal Expos in his honor (the number had been previously retired for Rusty Staub). After the franchise moved to Washington, the Montreal Canadiens raised a banner in the Bell Centre to commemorate all of the retired Expos numbers, including Dawson’s. In 2010 the Washington Nationals franchise placed Dawson in its “Ring of Honor” at Nationals Park. In 2019, Dawson was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.(23)
Hall of Fame:
andre-dawson-fighting-the-odds-to-get-his-hall-of-
fame-plaques-cap-changed-my-preference-all-
along-was-as-a-cub/)
Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, his ninth year of eligibility, rising from an initial vote total of 45.3% in 2002 to 77.9% in 2010.(6)(7)(24)
The Major
impediments to Dawson’s election to the Hall had been his ordinary career .323
on – base percentage (albeit accumulated before OBP was even a statistic, and
many multi – time All – Stars and even Hall of Famers had even lower), his
statistics being diminished in stature by sluggers who played after him in the
steroid era, and never playing in a World Series. Cubs teammate Ryne Sandberg campaigned for
Dawson’s induction during his speech at his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony
in 2005: “No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more or did it
better than Andre Dawson. He’s the best
I’ve ever seen. I watched him win an MVP
for a last – place team in 1987 [with the Cubs], and it was the most
unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen in baseball.
He did it the right way, the natural way, and he did it in the field and
on the bases and in every way, and I hope he will stand up here someday.”(25)
Cap Logo:
Dawson’s
Hall of Fame plaque originally depicted him with a Montreal Expos cap(26)(27). Dawson was the second player in the Hall of
Fame whose plaque depicted him with an Expos logo, after Gary Carter. Though Dawson had played most of his 21 –
year career with Montreal, he publicly expressed his disappointment with the
decision, saying it was “a little gut – wrenching” to find out he would not go
in as a Chicago Cub. He also stated the
following: “I respect the Hall of Fame’s decision to put an Expos logo on my
cap, and I understand their responsibility to make sure the logo represents the
greatest impact of my career”(28).
Dawson’s reluctance to be enshrined as an Expo stemmed, in part, from
the breakdown of his relationship with the team during MLB’s collusion scandal
of 1986 – 1987, when he claimed the team not only “threw him out” of Montreal
but tried to prevent other teams from signing him as a free agent(29). In late 2023, Dawson sent a letter to the
Hall of Fame again requesting that the cap on his plaque be changed to a Cubs
hat(30)(31)(32)(33). In 2026,
the Hall of Fame agreed to recast his plaque with no team logo.(34)
While
Dawson played only six years with the Cubs, five of his eight All – Star
appearances were as a Cub, and his only MVP award came in his first year with
the team in 1987(26)(27). The
Hall noted that “Dawson had 1,575 of his 2,774 hits as an Expo, won six of his
eight Gold Gloves in Montreal and led the Expos to their only postseason series
win,” the 1981 NLDS win that was the only postseason win in Dawson’s career.(27)
Retirement and Personal Life:
Dawson
married Vanessa Turner and had two children, Darius in August 1989, and Amber
in September 1990.(11)
Shortly
after retiring as a player, Dawson returned to the Marlins to accept a position
in the team’s front office, where he got his first World Series ring in 2003.
Dawson
owns the Paradise Memorial Funeral Home in Richmond Heights, Florida. He entered the funeral business in 2003,
investing in a funeral home his younger brother owned, and became the owner and
operator of Paradise Memorial in 2008.
In an April 2020 Associated Press story on how he and his business dealt
with the COVID – 19 pandemic, he said, “It’s very sad. Because people mourn and grieve differently,
and they’re not getting through that process as they would under normal
circumstances. You see a lot of hurt and
pain.(35)” At that time, his
wife Vanessa was the office manager, while an uncle ran day – to – day
operations.(35)(36)(37)
Dawson
also owned The Mahogany Grille, a soul food restaurant in Miami Gardens,
Florida.(38)(39)
Dawson has
regularly attended Chicago Cubs functions since his retirement and is a fan
favorite. Dawson appeared in a 2012
“Discount Double – Check” commercial for State Farm Insurance with former Cubs
pitcher Kerry Wood.(40)
Dawson
released his autobiography, If You Love This Game: An MVP’s Life in Baseball,
in May 2012.(41)
For more about Andre Dawson, check out these links below:
1. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/andre-dawson/
2. https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/dawson-andre
3. .https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dawsoan01.shtml
References:
1. ""Awesome" Dawson hits Baseball's Hall of Fame". Retrieved April 22, 2014.2. "No Series for the Cubbies, but at Least They Have Andre the Awesome". people.com. October 5, 1987. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
3. "Andre Dawson | GoatRiders of the Apocalypse". Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
4. "Players With At Least 300 Career Home Runs And 300 Career Stolen Bases". StatMuse. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
5. "All-Time Leaders | Washington Nationals". MLB.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
6. Blum, Ronald (January 6, 2010). "Andre Dawson elected to Hall of Fame". Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
7. Blum, Ronald, Mike Fitzpatrick and Adam Pemble. "With Dawson in Hall, Future Bright for Blyleven" . Associated Press. January 7, 2010.
8. Beatty, Robert (August 8, 2013). "Hometown Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson counsels children to follow their dreams". South Florida Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
9. Mitchell, Fred (July 5, 1987). "Dawson Is Happier In Chicago's Wrigley Field". Rutland Daily Herald. p. B6. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
10. "Andre Dawson's Interview at the Craftsman Experience". Craftsman Experience. December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
11. Lowitt, Bruce (March 12, 1993). "Andre Dawson". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
12. "Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs". Los Angeles Times. February 23, 1988. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
13. "July 30, 1978 Montreal Expos at Atlanta Braves Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 30, 1978. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
14. "September 24, 1985 Montreal Expos at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. September 24, 1985. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
15. Kepner, Tyler (January 6, 2010). "Following Long Wait, Dawson Enters Hall Alone". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
16. Chass, Murray (December 15, 1992). "Big Collusion Winners: Clark, Parrish, Dawson". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
17. Martinez, Michael (January 7, 2010). "Dawson Named MVP". New York Times.
18. Note that Bill James considers Dawson's best years to be from 1979 to 1983, with his higher Chicago numbers being due to Wrigley Field's advantageous environment for hitters (James 2001).
19. "1987 National League Standings and Head-to-Head". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
20. Nightengale, Bob (January 6, 2010). "Dawson elected to Hall; Blyleven, Alomar just shy". USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
21. Edes, Gordon. "Dawson Had the Tools to Build a Solid Case". boston.com. January 10, 2006.
22. "30-year Marliniversary: Andre Dawson hits 400th National League homer".
23. "2019 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
24. Kaduk, Kevin (January 6, 2010). "Whoa! Dawson heads to Hall while Alomar and Blyleven just miss". Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
25. "Ryne Sandberg's Hall-of-Fame Induction Speech". CubsNet. July 31, 2005. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
26. Mitchell, Fred (January 27, 2010). "Dawson 'disappointed' he won't wear Cubs cap". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
27. "Hall denies Dawson's Cubs request, must enter as an Expo". Associated Press. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
28. "Dawson to enter Hall of Fame as Expo, prefers Cubs". Columbia Daily Tribune. Associated Press. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 12, 2026.
29. Rozner, Barry (January 26, 2010). "Dawson: Hall of Fame's cap choice was 'punch in gut'". Daily Herald. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
30. "Andre Dawson asks baseball Hall of Fame to change cap on plaque to Cubs from Expos". Associated Press. November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
31. "Dawson asks HOF to change plaque cap to Cubs". ESPN.com. November 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
32. Ibrahim, Abdulhamid (November 29, 2023). "Dawson's request to change Expos cap on Hall plaque 'shot in the gut'". Times Colonist. The Canadian Press. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
33. "Dawson, Andre". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
34. "Column: Hall of Fame cap saga finally ends for Chicago Cubs great Andre Dawson". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
35. "'You see a lot of hurt': Andre Dawson deals with coronavirus as a mortician". WGN-TV. Associated Press. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
36. Nightengale, Bob (May 8, 2018). "Andre Dawson, Hall of Famer, operates Florida funeral home in retirement". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
37. "Baseball Star Andre Dawson On Running A Funeral Home During The Pandemic". NPR.org. NPR. May 9, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
38. Katel, Jacob. "Behind The Line: The Mahogany Grille of Miami Gardens Neo Classic Soul Food in Pictures". Miami New Times. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
39. "The Mahogany Grille, Incorporated". Search.Sunbiz.org. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
40. State Farm Discount Double Check TV Commercial Feat. Kerry Wood, Andre Dawson. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via www.ispot.tv.
41. Dawson, Andre; Maimon, Alan (2012). If You Love This Game ...: An MVP's Life in Baseball. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-60078-700-3.
42. "Dawson gets very chummy". Chicago Tribune. March 3, 1987. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
