Most post professional athletes can’t comeback from one knee surgery, but if you are “The Hawk,” then what’s eleven more? Andre Dawson received the greatest honor in professional baseball yesterday when he became just the 203rd player to have his name inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Dawson, who played 21 seasons split primarily between the Montreal Expos and the Chicago Cubs and then finished out with the Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins, was truly in a class of his own. An eight-time All-Star and an eight-time Gold Glove winner, The Hawk also won the National League Rookie of The Year Award in 1977 and was honored with the NL MVP Award in 1987. Upon his retirement, his NL totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra base hits both ranked tenth in league history and he ranked seventh in NL history in games as an outfielder (2,303).
The class that Dawson exemplified as as player carried over into his speech where he voiced the importance of loving the game of baseball and to never give up on your dreams.
“Thank you for welcoming this rookie to your team,” said Dawson. “It’s an honor beyond words. I didn’t play this game with this goal in mind, but I’m living proof that if you love this game, the game will love you back. I am proof that any young person who can hear my voice right now can be standing here as I am.”
Dawson, who enters into Cooperstown with 438 homers, 2,774 hits, 1,591 RBIs and 314 stolen bases, was joined in the 2010 class with former manager Whitey Herzog, umpire Doug Harvey, broadcaster Jon Miller and sports writer Bill Madden.
photo credit: Thomas Duchnicki :: Location Scout
