"When he's hot there's no stopping him—he'll even hit a ball over his head." - Nolan Ryan in Nolan Ryan's Pitchers Bible. (1991)
The man known as "The Hawk" has finally made it to Cooperstown. Andre Dawson will soon have a plaque and a place in baseballs hall of fame. My only question is, what took so long? He should have been in years ago, and I think it's only fitting he will enter the hall alone. No one will be able to steal his thunder or overshadow him in anyway. It will be the Hawk's day. A day that is well deserved and long overdue.
I grew up listening to the late great Harry Carey beam about the broad shouldered right fielder. Harry had his guys, but would never go out of his way to express who they were during a broadcast. With Dawson he never needed to go out of his way.
Andre was so good Harry had no choice but to boast about the things he could do on a baseball diamond. He was a throwback type ballplayer who played his ass off and left it all out on the field. Harry appreciated that. Hell, anyone who loved baseball appreciated that.
I wish I would have known Andre Dawson was going to be one of the last real baseball players I would see for quite sometime. I would have paid closer attention. I wouldn't have mimicked his trade mark batting stance each and every time he stepped into the batters box.
If I could do it all over again I would have sat in front of that television set and I would have taken it all in. I would have realized what I was watching. I would have realized Dawson was the last of a dying breed. When you're seven years old it's hard to see the bigger picture. It's hard to think outside the box. I can see the bigger picture today though.
The game is just different. It's less pure. It's a game where every player is guilty until proven innocent, and it's a game driven by money hungry owners and players. Today's game makes me take a step back on days like today. Today's game makes me appreciate days like today.
The Hawk being elected is a breath of fresh air. It's a breath of fresh air for me, and for every other fan who forgot what the good old days were like. A true baseball fan couldn't help but smile when news started to break of the Hawk finally getting in. What took so long? This is the question those same fans thought to themselves or amongst one another. What took so long?
All Andre Dawson needed was his god given ability and talent to achieve his hall of fame numbers. He ended with a career batting average of .279. Dawson compiled 2,774 hits, and 1,591 RBI. He is one of only three players to hit 400+ home runs and steal 300+ bases. The other two are Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.
He was the NL rookie of the year in 1977, and remains the only player in the history of the game to win an MVP award while playing for a last place team in 1987. Dawson also won eight gold gloves, and four silver slugger awards. He also appeared in eight all star games. So I ask, what took so long?
I watched him hobble around on bad knees toward the end of his career. It was painful to watch, and made me wonder what kind of numbers he may have put up if the turf in Montreal didn't get its say.
It doesn't matter though. Andre Dawson is now amongst the greats, and a proud member of the baseball hall of fame. His numbers have been there, and so has he. The Hawk has been patiently waiting to recieve the call he got today. For eight years he has been waiting for the call he recieved today. So I ask, what took so long?
Perhaps teammate and fellow hall of fame member Ryne Sandberg said it best during his very own induction speech. Sandberg said, "No player in baseball history worked harder, suffered more, or did it better than Andre Dawson. He's the best I've ever seen. Stand up Hawk. The Hawk.
I watched him win an MVP for a last place team in 1987, 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." Someday has now arrived for Andre Dawson.
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