The Chicago Tribune has announced who their seven major sports writers support for the 2010 baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Aggregately, the seven of them would vote in Roberto Alomar and Andre Dawson.
Dawson has always been on the bubble when it came to the Hall. It didn’t help that he had 438 homeruns short of the (what used to be) the magical number to get in, (whether or not you like that litmus test. I don’t) It also doesn’t help that he played for a team that doesn’t exist anymore and another that for the most part was mediocre (Dawson did his part winning the MVP for the last place 1987 Cubs).
Hopefully, this is his year. If you really want to see him in the Hall, you can help push for his election by joining Cubcast’s Twitter blitz aptly named #Dawson4theHall. More info on their website.
Dawson may have an uphill battle, though. Seems to me that the BBWAA is becoming more selective in recent years, with the possible exception of Bruce Sutter (sorry Sutter fans, I liked him too).
But mostly in the ‘00s, they’ve only voted in the creme de la creme, something the Veterans Committee should perhaps look into. In 2009, it was Rice (long time comin’) and Henderson (shoo-in). In 2008, Gossage. In 2007, two obvious choices in Ripken and Gwynn. Others in this decade: Boggs, Sandberg, Eckersley, G. Carter, Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith. Kirby Puckett.
Ok, there WAS Mazeroski. *snicker*
As far as his legacy is concerned, Dawson can be thankful he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs in 1987 after playing eleven years with the now defunct Montreal Expos . He was 32 years old and played only six years for Chicago but recently the Cub faithful have really taken up his cause for the Hall with a vengeance. See the above Twitter effort as an example.
Point is, as much as I like Dawson (and I do, being a Cub fan. Besides being a good player, he had a pretty cool WGN theme song based around him), it might be a tough row to hoe.
PS I couldn’t think of it at the time but the song was “Andre’s Army”.
For me, Andre Dawson is close to a Hall of Famer. But not quite. I would not vote for him. I think he’s a little light, both on career stats and on “times leading the league” in categories.
IMO, his Most Similar Player is “Mister May,” whom I realize is in the HOF. I would not have voted for him either.
If Dawson makes it, I will not jump up & down in disgust like I sometimes do .
It’s a close call.
DonS.