Former Florida A&M University Rattlers baseball star and alumnus, Andre Dawson (1973-75) was the lone inductee to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. A graduate of Miami's Southwest High School, Dawson will be enshrined on July 25, 2010 in Cooperstown, NY., 15 days after his 56th birthday. OTTAWA, Canada — Baseball graduated its 2010 Hall of Fame class on Wednesday, which turned out to be a class of just one player: Andre Dawson. At last, The Hawk is in the Hall. A joyous day, not just for the elegant outfielder and his cast of supporters, but for fans of the Montreal Expos, able to reflect on another fond figure from their long-gone ball team. Dawson, in his ninth year on the ballot, received 77.9 per cent of the vote, comfortably past the 75 per cent margin. He leaped more than 10 per cent in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America after reaching 67 per cent last year.
Dawson, angular, powerful and fleet in his youth, had Hall of a Fame markings in his 21 seasons with four clubs, but was severely hampered by injury late in his career. It wasn’t character that slowed Dawson, but a pair of bad knees, preventing this “five-tool” player from posting automatic Cooperstown numbers. Dawson finished his career as a .279 career hitter with 438 home runs, 1,591 runs batted in and 314 stolen bases. He was the National League’s rookie of the year with the Expos in 1977 and the 1987 NL most valuable player with the Chicago Cubs. Eight times he was an all-star and 12 times he underwent knee surgery. In history, only Willie Mays and Barry Bonds shared Dawson’s combination of at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.
(Read more, click main blog title)'Well worth the wait' for baseball hall inductee Andre DawsonThe Hawk has a new nest: the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Andre Dawson, considered by some to be the best player ever produced by the Montreal Expos, was elected Wednesday to the baseball shrine — the only player to make the cut this year in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. "It was well worth the wait. I can’t really describe the elation," Dawson, who made the Hall on his ninth try, told reporters on a conference call. "If you’re a Hall of Famer, eventually you’re going to get in, no matter how long it takes."
Dawson appeared on 77.9 per cent of the ballots, after falling 44 votes short last year of 75 per cent needed for induction. A strong-armed outfielder whose speed and power on the diamond and class off it made him a fan favourite, Dawson played 21 seasons for four teams (the Expos, the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins), hitting 438 home runs, collecting 1,591 RBIs and stealing 314 bases. He is one of only three players in MLB history to hit 400 home runs and steal 300 bases in his career. Willie Mays and Barry Bonds are the others.
Dallas Green recalls Andre Dawson 'blank check' signingMost free-agent negotiations are conducted under clandestine circumstances, far from the prying eyes of the public and media. But in 1987, for all to witness during spring training in Mesa, Ariz., free agent Andre Dawson and agent Dick Moss demanded the immediate and undivided attention of Cubs management. Dallas Green, then the Cubs' bombastic general manager, took umbrage at the fact the future Hall of Famer and Moss showed up with a blank contract. Green huffed and puffed, then referred to Dawson and Moss as "a dog and pony show."
I was the Tribune's Cubs beat reporter at the time, and In the Wake of the News columnist Bob Verdi and I thought the entire surreal scene was made for TV, as well as newspapers. I spoke with Green on Wednesday about the scene and he provided some background. "It all started in 1984 when we won (the division) and I had to sign all of those guys to multiyear contracts, and big contracts," said Green, 75, now the senior adviser to the general manager of the Phillies.
"You know, Rick Sutcliffe and Steve Trout and Scott Sanderson and Dennis Eckersley. ... I had to re-sign all of those guys because they were on one-year deals. It took a pretty good chunk of dough. And, of course, in '85 we didn't do too well, and in '86 we struggled a little, as well. It was where Tribune Co. finally had to put (its) foot down and say, 'Hey, we're approaching the payroll we want to be at.' I said, 'Well, I love this guy (Dawson)'.
Andre Dawson receives just due with Hall of Fame electionNever one to sweat the details, Andre Dawson is happily on his way to Cooperstown. A man who generated respect along with run production throughout his 21-year career, six of his most satisfying seasons coming when he was based at Wrigley Field, Dawson will take his place in the Hall of Fame alongside Ryne Sandberg, who like "The Hawk" knew Wrigley before there were lights. There was never a real question of Dawson's Hall of Fame worthiness -- anyone who saw him dominate the National League with the Cubs and Montreal Expos knew he had earned his spot among baseball's greats. The question was how long he would have to wait, and that finally was answered Wednesday.
Dawson, whose signing with the Cubs in 1987 was one of the most amazing stories in team history, was more gracious than he needed to be on the subject of hard-to-convince voters. "The wait isn't a big factor in the scheme of things," said Dawson, 55, who was a huge fan favorite on the North Side. "You get frustrated when people say, 'When are you going to get in?' and you don't have an answer for that. As I sit here now, I think it was well worth the wait."
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Dawson's determination evident in electionAndre Dawson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
