I grew up watching this man hit the long ball. Andre was one of the reasons I began watching and cheering for the Cubbies. This is well-deserved!
NEW YORK -- Andre Dawson was elected to the Hall of Fame, while Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar fell just short of earning baseball's highest honor.
Eight-time All-Star Andre Dawson, on his ninth try, got in with 77.9 percent of the vote (539 votes were cast; 405 were needed for induction).
Dawson, nicknamed "The Hawk," received 420 of 539 votes in voting announced Wednesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, 15 more than the 75 percent necessary to gain election.
The eight-time All-Star, appearing on the ballot for the ninth time, had fallen 44 votes short last year.
"It was well worth the wait. I can't really describe the elation," Dawson said during a telephone conference call. "If you're a Hall of Famer, eventually you're going to get in, no matter how long it takes."
A victim of the owners' conspiracy against free agents after he left the Expos, Dawson signed a blank contract with the Cubs during spring training. Then-general manager Dallas Green filled in the dollar amount of $500,000, making Dawson the second-lowest paid regular on the team.
Dawson stayed with the Cubs through 1992, then spent two seasons apiece with Boston and Florida. He had a .279 career average with 1,591 RBIs and 314 steals, playing through 12 knee operations.
He is one of only three players with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.
