Gary

One of the reasons for the rule change that the hall of fame chooses which cap a player will where when they enter is becuase of Wade Boggs. Tampa Bay was going to pay him to enter the hall as a Ray.

From Chicago Breaking Sports:

Horn stressed that Major League Baseball has no say in the decision, and that it's up to the museum, after consulting with Dawson. The museum took control after Wade Boggs tried to get inducted as a Tampa Bay Devil Ray because of his bad ending with Boston.

I saw in another article that Tampa Bay was going to pay Boggs, but I can't find the article now.

Congrats to The Hawk!!! My wife was two years ahead of him at Southwest High School in Miami. The high school baseball field is named after him. Even have the high school yearbook with his picture in it.

Chuck, very cool!

It sounds like a decision will be announced on Florida or Arizona in the next two weeks.

I have to say...in six month's on the site...this is probably the happiest day.

Dawson represents all that was right with baseball.

If not for his knees, he probably would have been the Greatest Cub...he was definitely one of my all time favorites.

Ahhh the Hawk. Takes me back to a more innocent time when all I worried about was if that big tomohawk swing of his was going to drive Ryno in for another cubs run. Congrats Hawk. "When I hit the ball over the fence at wrigley field, I hit it over a true-link fence". "Wind's blowin out."

Jeff, thanks for the memory! I loved that and the Bud commercials with Harry! "I'm a Bud man, and a Cub fan." Lol

here's one of many reasons why baseball HOF voting, along w/ alot of baseball itself. (what league has 2 sets of rules, DH or no DH), makes no sense:

player A: second baseman

12 time all star, 10 gold gloves, 5 times top 10 MVP voting, 4 silver slugger awards, 2700 hits, 210 homers, 474 SB, 1134 rbi, .814 OPS, .984 fldg pct., 1508 runs, 17 seasons

player B: second baseman

10 time all star, 9 gold gloves, 3 times top 10 MVP, 1 MVP, 7 sliver slugger awards, 282 homers, 344 SB, 2386 hits, .795 OPS, 1061 rbi, .989 fldg pct., 1318 runs, 16 seasons

anyone notice a difference between either???.......nope me neither.

so why is everyone in the media so shocked player A did not get in this year....roberto alomar.???

player B is ryne sandberg, who took 3 yrs to get in.

alomar was flashy, stole more bases, got to play in more post season games; but sandberg has MVP award alomar does not, more silver sluggers, more homers, and when in then playoffs hit .385 plus the very famous 2 homers off HOF RP sutter.

if alomar had gotten in today; then there would need to be some 'xplaining" going on why ryno took 3.

just thought the alomar shock was crazy so checked out the stats to prove it.

P.S. i'm very bias; sandberg is my fav player/cub ever and to prove it I drove from oswego to cooperstown w/ my wife, 5 yr old and 4 month old(yes-true) to see hin inducted.........and got his autograph outside the men's washroom back near the kids area of the HOF on the monday after the ceremony!.......absolutely awesome as only 2 of us were in the back to meet him before he snuck out.

congrats hawk!--cubbies cap please HOF!

Everything a baseball player needed could be found in the Hawk and I think it's pretty disgusting how some of the media outlets have greeted the news like he's undeserving. I do think however that Roberto Alomar should have waltzed into the HOF, the guy is one of the two best 2B in the past 70 years (regardless of his spitting prowess).

On a side note, one of the HOF voters picked David Segui?...I always thought the voters had to be narcotic free before choosing.

Congratulations to the Hawk!!!

Neil,

I can't remember if you posted The Hawks career stats in past posts or not, so just in case, here they are.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dawsoan01.shtml

What a career from an amazing player. Congrats Hawk!!

I posted Dawson's stats earlier and should have on this post ... thank you for doing so.

dawson was on mlb network and said he would talk w/ HOF officials about the cap: sutter apparently was OK as a cardinal as he won a WS w/ them even though his cy young was as a cub and he learned the split from a cubs pitching coach: i'm sure if dawson states he should be a cub; they'll at least listen. he would not state on air which cap he preferred...........if the "business" of the HOF matters; although cubs fans consider him a cub; enshrining him as a cub i'm sure would result in a few more fans at the ceremony....now about santo, HOF voters..........

Personally I think if the hall decides to make him wear the hat of a defunct team,in a city that did not appreciate their team, in a stadium that potentially shortened his career (Astroturf), well then they are silly.

Dawson came to the Cubs, asked to play for the Cubs, was a MVP for the Cubs, and I would bet if he had his choice would choose to be wearing the Cubby Blue.

Ahhh who cares... we know which organization helped to make the Hawk an Hall of Famer.

Cloycub...I'd like Hawk to go in as a

Cub.

That being said...I always felt Montreal got jobbed by mlb.

Their attendance was fine up until the year they had a great team and baseball went on strike...They never recovered

with the cheap owner they had...and

horrible park.(I believe he owns the Marlins now.)

Montreal is a really cool city if ever you get the opportunity to see it.

In any case...Go Hawk !!!

Yes, in Montreal the audience applauds the strippers at the exotic dancing clubs.

JimC...I don't really know about that...

but don't guys do that in all strip clubs?

I do know I had a lot of fun there...half the city speaks French...we had to hit a chinese restaurant to find someone that spoke english when I was there.

sorry "a" Hall of Famer...personal grammar police

Congrats to the Hawk!! He was a ballplayer that these modern players should look up to. He played the game right, giving 100% ALL the time. When they talk of 5-tool players he has to be high on the list. He was probably the best right-fielder I have seen play and definitely the best the Cubs have ever had.

It is an honor to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but over the past few years I have been very disappointed in the people who vote for entry. I have also seen Blyleven pitch and there is no way that he should not be in the Hall. Same goes for our own Ron Santo. I think it haws become more of a popularity contest rather than rewarding players who are deserving. Alomar was one of the best 2nd basemen of all time, but his "spitting episode" probably kept him out this time.

Awesome News!! Congrats Hawk!!

Has he said what cap he'll wear? He had 10 full seasons as an Expo and only 6 as a Cub. I am sure he'll pick the Cubs. Especially since he had his MVP season here. Besides, who wants to be immortalized in a bust with the cap of a defunct (I know, not really defunct) and in the end, a very sad franchise?

Nothing official on which cap ... I have heard Expos. But again, nothing official.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/dawson-uncertain-which-cap-he-will-wear-in-hall.html

As Suzy pointed out it is not his decision.

Dawson will be at the Cubs Convention next week.

Gary...it's not his choice...since 2002 mlb/hof determines the cap a player will wear.

I appreciate the tip. I wonder what the thinking was behind that rule change.

Question,

Will Dawson wear a Cubs hat or an Expos hat in the HOF????

For all of the dark moments in baseball in that last several years, this is a very bright spot. I remember being a young child and watching Andre Dawson on WGN winning the MVP for the last place club in 1987. This was a guy that played the game as hard as he could every day and that played it the right way. I am just happy that he was recognized this year ahead of the many performance enhancing drug users that were also on the ballot. Congrats Hawk..

Very Impressive Neil! Ken Hubbs was the Cubs 1st Gold Glover at 2B in 1962!

Congrats to Andre!

May we all stand up and salute...you know...hands in the air bowing down!!!

A very happy day for one of my favorite Cubs of all time. He has certainly earned it. Way to go, Andre!

'Bout time!!

Very happy for the Hawk today.

Alomar was so close he could have spit on it!!!

Congrats to Andre. And now Bert "Cry"leven has a real reason to cry.

Congrats to the hawk!