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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=Andre Dawson
|caption=Dawson
|name=Andre Dawson
|position=[[Outfielder]]
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|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1954|7|10}}
|birth_place=[[Miami|Miami, Florida]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 11
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*[[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|1987}}–{{mlby|1992}})
*[[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1994}})
*[[Miami Marlins|Florida Marlins]] ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1996}})
|highlights=
*8× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981]]–[[1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1983]], [[1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1987]]–[[1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1991]])
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|hofvote=77.9% (ninth ballot)
}}
'''Andre Nolan Dawson''' (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "'''the Hawk'''" and "'''Awesome Dawson'''",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.wtsp.com/sports/pro_baseball/rays/story.aspx?storyid%3D121856 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140422001256/http://archive.wtsp.com/sports/pro_baseball/rays/story.aspx?storyid=121856 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 22, 2014 |access-date=April 22, 2014 | title=Welcome to nginx! }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097276,00.html|title=No Series for the Cubbies, but at Least They Have Andre the Awesome|date=October 5, 1987|website=people.com|access-date=April 22, 2014|archive-date=August 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822145739/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097276,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goatriders.org/taxonomy/term/175 |title=Andre Dawson | GoatRiders of the Apocalypse |access-date=April 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801092644/http://www.goatriders.org/taxonomy/term/175 |archive-date=August 1, 2010 }}</ref> is an American former [[professional baseball
An 8-time [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]], he was named the league's [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] in 1977 after [[batting average (baseball)|batting]] .282 with 19 [[home run]]s and 65 [[run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI), and won the [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] in 1987 after leading the league with 49 homers and 137 RBI; he had been runner-up for the award in both 1981 and 1983.
Dawson was a center fielder until knee problems – worsened by the artificial surface at [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]] – forced his shift to right field, followed by his move to a team which played on grass. He led the NL in outfield [[putout]]s three consecutive years (1981–1983), and won eight [[Gold Glove Award]]s for fielding excellence.
==Early life==
Dawson grew up in Florida as the oldest of eight children. His father was a [[major general (United States)|major general]] in the [[United States Army]] and often absent, leaving Dawson to look after his seven younger siblings while his mother worked.<ref name="Beatty">{{cite news |last1=Beatty |first1=Robert |title=Hometown Hall-of-Famer Andre Dawson counsels children to follow their dreams |url=http://www.sfltimes.com/uncategorized/hometown-hall-of-famer-andre-dawson-counsels-children-to-follow-their-dreams |access-date=9 November 2022 |work=[[South Florida Times]] |date=August 8, 2013}}</ref> Dawson would pay his younger brothers in cookies to toss him rocks for him to hit with a broomstick as [[batting practice]].<ref name="Rutland">{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Fred |title=Dawson Is Happier In Chicago's Wrigley Field |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112769601/dawson-is-happier-in-chicagos-wrigley/ |access-date=9 November 2022 |work=[[Rutland Daily Herald]] |date=5 July 1987 |page=B6}}</ref>
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.<ref name="craftsman-experience-interview">{{cite web| title = Andre Dawson's Interview at the Craftsman Experience| publisher = Craftsman Experience| date = December 4, 2010| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4QJxqOjOE| access-date = December 10, 2010 }}</ref>
Dawson attended and graduated from [[Southwest Miami Senior High School]] in 1972.<ref name="lowitt">{{cite news |last1=Lowitt |first1=Bruce |title=Andre Dawson |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/03/12/andre-dawson/ |access-date=9 November 2022 |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |date=March 12, 1993 |language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Beatty" /><ref name="Rutland" />
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===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 11. 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 (baseball)|Steve Henderson]] of the [[New York Mets]].<ref name="HOF"/> 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 Award]]s 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), RBI (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 [[List of Major League Baseball single-inning home run leaders|hit two home runs in the same inning]] twice: at [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]] against the [[Atlanta Braves]] on July 30, 1978 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL197807300.shtml |title=July 30, 1978 Montreal Expos at Atlanta Braves Play by Play and Box Score |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date=July 30, 1978 |access-date=August 1, 2012}}</ref> and at [[Wrigley Field]] against his future team, the Chicago Cubs, on September 24, 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN198509240.shtml |title=September 24, 1985 Montreal Expos at Chicago Cubs Box Score and Play by Play |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date=September 24, 1985 |access-date=August 1, 2012}}</ref> As of 2021, Dawson, [[Willie McCovey]], [[Jeff King (baseball)|Jeff King]], [[Alex Rodriguez]], and [[Edwin Encarnación]] are the only five players to hit two home runs in one inning twice.
In 1984, Dawson appeared in ''[[The Cap (film)|The Cap]]'', a short film about a young boy living in Montreal
===Chicago Cubs===
[[File:Andre Dawson Gold Glove, Chicago Cubs Store, Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois (42675555914).jpg|thumb|The 1987 [[Gold Glove Award]] trophy, awarded to Dawson during his tenure with the [[Chicago Cubs]]]]
[[File:Andre Dawson (August 1988).jpg|thumb|left|Dawson in right field at Wrigley Field, August 1988.]]▼
[[File:Andre Dawson
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.<ref name="nyt6Jan2010">{{cite news|last=Kepner|first=Tyler|title=Following Long Wait, Dawson Enters Hall Alone|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/sports/baseball/07hall.html|access-date=July 20, 2010|date=January 6, 2010|work=The New York Times}}</ref> However, due to [[Baseball collusion|collusion]] on the part of the Major League Baseball owners, he was unable to attract offers.<ref name="NYTimes-Collusion">{{Cite news| last = Chass| first = Murray| author-link = Murray Chass| title = Big Collusion Winners: Clark, Parrish, Dawson| work = [[The New York Times]]| date = December 15, 1992| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/sports/baseball-big-collusion-winners-clark-parrish-dawson.html| access-date = January 7, 2010 }}</ref>
Dawson campaigned for the Cubs to sign him during the off-season, however general manager [[Dallas Green (baseball)|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' 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 $500,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|500000|1987}}}} in today's dollars), second-lowest on the team among regulars, and added bonuses of $150,000 if he did not go on the disabled list by the All-Star Game break and $50,000 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 NL MVP, the Cubs did not make the playoffs, so he had no chance to earn the NLCS or World Series MVP.<ref name="HOF"/><ref name="Tribune-GreenDawson">{{Cite news▼
▲Dawson campaigned for the Cubs to sign him during the off-season, however general manager [[Dallas Green (baseball)|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' 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 $500,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|500000|1987}}}} in today's dollars), second-lowest on the team among regulars, and added bonuses of $150,000 if he did not go on the disabled list by the All-Star Game break and $50,000 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 NL MVP, the Cubs did not make the playoffs, so he had no chance to earn the NLCS or World Series MVP.<ref name="HOF"/><ref name="Tribune-GreenDawson">{{Cite news| last = Martinez| first = Michael| title = Dawson Named MVP| work= New York Times| date = January 7, 2010| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/19/sports/dawson-named-mvp.html }}</ref><ref>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).</ref>
He became the Cubs' starting right fielder, and hit an MLB-leading 49 home runs (equal with [[Oakland Athletics]] rookie [[Mark McGwire]]), the most a player had hit since [[George Foster (baseball)|George Foster]] in 1977 and [[Willie Mays]] in 1965. He was named the league's MVP, finally winning after the two years 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.<ref name="Baseball Reference.com ">{{cite web▼
▲He became the Cubs' starting right fielder, and hit an MLB-leading 49 home runs (equal with [[Oakland Athletics]] rookie [[Mark McGwire]]), the most a player had hit since [[George Foster (baseball)|George Foster]] in 1977 and [[Willie Mays]] in 1965. He was named the league's MVP, finally winning after the two years 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.<ref name="Baseball Reference.com ">{{cite web| title = 1987 National League Standings and Head-to-Head| publisher = baseball-reference.com| url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1987-standings.shtml| access-date = March 8, 2015 }}</ref>
| access-date = January 8, 2010 }}</ref> Dawson played five more seasons 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 [[1989 National League Championship Series|NL 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.▼
▲Dawson was the first player to win a league MVP trophy from a last place team.<ref name="USAToday-HoF">{{Cite news| last = Nightengale| first = Bob| title = Dawson elected to Hall; Blyleven, Alomar just shy| work=USA Today| date = January 6, 2010| url = https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/hallfame/2010-01-06-2010-hof-class_N.htm| access-date = January 8, 2010 }}</ref> Dawson played five more seasons 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 [[1989 National League Championship Series|NL 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.
===Late career===▼
▲[[File:Andre Dawson 2009 CROP.jpg|thumb|190px|Dawson in 2009.]]
▲[[File:Andre Dawson (August 1988).jpg|thumb
In October 1992 the Red Sox signed Dawson as a free agent.<ref name="Tools">Edes, Gordon. [http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/01/10/dawson_had_the_tools_to_build_a_solid_case/?page=2 "Dawson Had the Tools to Build a Solid Case"]. boston.com. January 10, 2006.</ref> Dawson hit his 400th career home run with the Red Sox on April 15 at Fenway Park. Dawson sustained a knee injury early in the 1993 season in a game against the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|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 DH role."<ref name="Tools"/>
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.
==Accomplishments==
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===Hall of Fame===
Dawson was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|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.<ref name="AP-HOF"/><ref name="HOF"/><ref name="Yahoo-BBBlog-HOF">{{cite web| last = Kaduk| first = Kevin| title = Whoa! Dawson heads to Hall while Alomar and Blyleven just miss| publisher = Yahoo! Inc.| date = January 6, 2010| url = https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Whoa-Dawson-heads-to-Hall-while-Alomar-and-Blyl;_ylt=AlGdB9WKN3JNKu9Py_jKbxo5nYcB?urn=mlb,212118| access-date = January 6, 2010 }}</ref> Dawson's Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a [[Montreal Expos]] cap.<ref name="ChicagoTribune-LogoAnnouncement">{{cite web| last = Mitchell| first = Fred| title = Dawson 'disappointed' he won't wear Cubs cap| work=Chicago Tribune| date = January 27, 2010| url = http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/dawson-disappointed-over-decision-not-to-wear-cubs-cap.html| access-date = January 27, 2010 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100130075338/http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/dawson-disappointed-over-decision-not-to-wear-cubs-cap.html| archive-date= January 30, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="AP-LogoAnnouncement">{{cite news| title=Hall denies Dawson's Cubs request, must enter as an Expo| agency=Associated Press| date= January 27, 2010| url=http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-denies-Andre-Dawson-Cubs-request-must-enter-as-Expo-012710| access-date=January 27, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100130142006/http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-denies-Andre-Dawson-Cubs-request-must-enter-as-Expo-012710| archive-date= January 30, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Dawson objected to the choice of the Expos logo at the time and in 2023 he petitioned for the Hall of Fame to change the logo on his cap to a Chicago Cubs logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/andre-dawson-hall-of-fame-cap-202ef06c12f0c5acc9e2b2a2dc7d9467|title=Andre Dawson asks baseball Hall of Fame to change cap on plaque to Cubs from Expos|publisher=Associated Press|date=November 29, 2023|access-date=November 29, 2023|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Andre_Dawson_signed_baseball.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Andre Dawson's signature]]▼
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."<ref name="Sandberg-Quote-HOF">{{cite web|title = Ryne Sandberg's Hall-of-Fame Induction Speech|publisher = CubsNet|date = July 31, 2005|url= http://www.cubsnet.com/node/526|access-date = January 9, 2010|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100819175011/http://www.cubsnet.com/node/526|archive-date = August 19, 2010}}</ref>
▲[[File:Andre_Dawson_signed_baseball.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Andre Dawson's signature]]
Dawson was the second player in the Hall of Fame whose plaque depicts him with an Expos logo, after [[Gary Carter]]. Although Dawson had played the majority 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.<ref>{{
==Retirement and personal life==
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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 were having to deal with the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Florida|COVID-19 pandemic]], he noted, "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."<ref name=Mortician>{{cite news|url=https://wgntv.com/news/coronavirus/you-see-a-lot-of-hurt-andre-dawson-deals-with-coronavirus-as-a-mortician/ |title='You see a lot of hurt': Andre Dawson deals with coronavirus as a mortician |agency=Associated Press |publisher=WGN-TV |date=April 30, 2020 |access-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref> At the time of the story, his wife of 42 years, Vanessa, was the office manager, while an uncle ran day-to-day operations.<ref name=Mortician/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2018/05/08/andre-dawson-hall-famer-funeral-home-florida-retirement/590358002/ |title=Andre Dawson, Hall of Famer, operates Florida funeral home in retirement |publisher=Usatoday.com |date= |accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/09/853216982/baseball-star-andre-dawson-on-running-a-funeral-home-during-the-pandemic |title=Baseball Star Andre Dawson On Running A Funeral Home During The Pandemic |newspaper=NPR.org |publisher=NPR |date=May 9, 2020 |accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref>
Dawson has regularly attended [[Chicago Cubs]] functions since his retirement, and is a fan favorite. Dawson has appeared in a "Discount Double-Check" commercial for [[State Farm]] Insurance that features former Cubs [[pitcher]] [[Kerry Wood]].
Dawson released his [[autobiography]], ''If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball'', in May 2012.
==See also==
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*{{baseballstats|mlb=113151|espn=300|br=d/dawsoan01|fangraphs=1003091|brm=dawson001and|retro=D/Pdawsa001}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|8ce7c5bf}}
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{{Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame}}
{{Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame}}
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