I always liked watching Andre Dawson play. He played hard all the time. He was part of a young outfield that the Montreal Expos(Now the Washington Nationals) in the 1976-77 years. He played in the outfield Warren Cromartie and Ellis Valentine. Dawson was a blend of speed and power and played great defense. Valentine had the stronger throwing arm of the two but Valentine wore out his welcome in Montreal and in New York and basically never became the player that Andre Dawson would later become. part of the problem for Dawson was that he played for the Expos…and ownership was quick to move players that were due to be paid big contracts or tried hard to move players with big contracts at the expense of winning. Playing on the artificial turf in Monreal ruined his knees and once he became a free agent at the end of the 1986 season had him looking for a place where he could play on natural grass to save the wear and tear on his knees. He signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1987 and became the only player to win the National League MVP for a last place team (The Cubs record was 76-85, last in the National League East)
Little known fact about Andre Dawson … is the only player to hit 200 home runs and steal 200 bases with Montreal. During his Expo days, Dawson hit two home runs in the same inning twice: at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium against the Atlanta Braves on July 30, 1978 and at Wrigley Field against his future team, the Chicago Cubs, on September 24, 1985. As of 2014, Dawson, Willie McCovey and Jeff King are the only three players who had hit two home runs in one inning twice.
Dawson finished his career with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases, and 1,591 RBI. He is one of only eight players in major league history to record over 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases in his career (300-300 club); the other players to accomplish this are Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders, Steve Finley, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltrán. Dawson is also one of only five members of the 400 HR-300 SB club, along with Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, and Carlos Beltrán.
In 1997, Dawson’s #10 was retired by the Montreal Expos in his honor (the number had been previously retired for Rusty Staub).
Dawson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.Dawson’s Hall of Fame plaque depicts him with a Montreal Expos cap.
Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday spotlights…The Hawk …Andre Dawson.
| MLB debut | |
|---|---|
| September 11, 1976, for the Montreal Expos | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1996, for the Florida Marlins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .279 |
| Hits | 2,774 |
| Home runs | 438 |
| Runs batted in | 1,591 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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