What's at stake for Andre Dawson if the Hall of Fame decides to depict him wearing a Cubs cap instead of a Montreal Expos cap when he is inducted?
Besides many more thousands of marketing dollars, Dawson has been promised by the Cubs to have his No. 8 uniform number retired if he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Cub, a source close to Dawson said on Sunday.
No word on whether the Cubs would follow through with retiring his number if Dawson is inducted as an Expo. He played his first 11 seasons in Montreal, and his next six with the Cubs, where he won the NL MVP award in 1987. He wound up his career with brief stops with the Red Sox and Marlins.
Photo: Andre Dawson at the plate at Wrigley on Aug. 9, 1989. Tribune File Photo)
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Go to Google and type in any of the following words/phrases "(Dumbest, Most annoying, Most stupid, Drunkest, Biggest Idiot)...fans in baseball." And your most consistent answer will be the Cubs.
Andre Dawson is an Expo. Greg Maddux is a Brave. Its freaking embarrasing how fans cling to any twinkle of success.
Cub fans blaming goats I believe are the second thing there fans do to goats. Lets not talk about the first. Poor goats!
This is from Wikipedia. I find it amusing:
The Chicago Cubs retired numbers are commemorated on pinstriped flags flying from the foul poles at Wrigley Field, with the exception of Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers player whose number was retired for all clubs. The first retired number flag, Ernie Banks' number 14, was raised on the left field pole, and they have alternated since then. 14, 10 and 31 (Jenkins) fly on the left field pole; and 26, 23 and 31 (Maddux) fly on the right field pole.
There is also a movement to retire numbers for other players, most notably the uniform shirt of Gabby Hartnett. The Cubs first wore numbers on their shirts in 1932, and Hartnett wore three different numbers. Number 7 was initially assigned to Hartnett, but he was switched to number 9 the next year. In 1937 he was switched to number 2, which he retained through his last season with the Cubs, 1940. Petitions have been sent in to the team for Cap Anson (shirt), Hack Wilson (shirt), Phil Cavarretta (3), Andre Dawson (8), and Mark Grace (17), while movements are expected for more recent departures Sammy Sosa (21) and Kerry Wood (34).[citation needed]
Really, Kerry Wood? No wonder no one provided citation of such uterlly ridiculous claims. I highly doubt the Cubs would ever retire his number. Many years in uniform, one good rookie season, one good season as a closer, and numerous great seasons sitting on the bench injured does NOT quailify for a retired number, then again, these are the Cubs.
I loved Dawson! He's a Hall of Famer and a great former Cub although it's a no-brainer that the Hall of Fame will depict him rightly wearing a Montreal Expos cap when he is inducted. His number will certainly not be retired by the Cubs because he was only a Cub for 6 years.
This is another example of why the Cubs will never be a winner, they are purely ignorant in everything they do. If someone deserves their number retired after only six years with the organization, and ones that didn't even bring a World Series title, then the Cubs just don't undersand baseball. What an insult this would be to so many other great Cubs who haven't had their number retired, ones that spent many more years with the organization then Dawson did. Andre was a great player for his career, and a great player for a few years with the Cubs, period. While some of the greats never wore a number, they still haven't been enshrined with anything, names like Moredocie Brown, Hack WIlson, Bruce Sutter, Gabby Harnett, Mark Grace, Kiki Cuyler, Riggs Stevension, and so on and so forth.
"Jim on January 11, 2010 10:51 AM
Sox fans will never let us forget why they are universally considered the dumbest fans in baseball.
Thanks guys, your reputation is safe."
And to prove his absurd, embarrassingly baseless theory, Little Jimmy boldly predicts the Cubs will score more touchdowns per period than the Sox this upcoming season. Jimmy has his own "special" universe in his head.
Let's retire the number of someone whose best year on the Cubs was spent in last place. Can't make this stuff up folks...only in Cubland.
Amazing how this article became a reason for Sox fans to bash the Cubs. The Sox put up statues to former players who have not and never will make the HOF.
Sox fans if you only knew how insecure and petty you looked.
Retiring his number is too much. As a matter of fact, retiring Jenkins #31 was legit until they included Maddux, then it was just about political/money bull****! Dawson had one mvp season, 4 respectable and 1 down right shameful season in 1998, especially in the playoffs when it mattered most! (Maddux was equally as shameful!) They should be in the HOF but retiring the numbers for accomplishments with other teams is WRONG!
Why don't they retire all the cubs numbers.
Mark Monforti: sorry there is NO such rule that a player has to be with the club ten years to have the # retired or 31 would have been retired solely for Fergie.
Bottom line, if someone at the Cubs said this, the HOF might just put an Expo cap on Andre for spite.
Nice player in 1987, but who cares what hat he wears? i care that he was 1 for 22 in '89 playoffs. Thanks for the bad memories, hawk. You stunk when it counted.
I agree with Mike Meyer
Here's the thing. I love Andre. But the Cubs have a rule. You need to be on the Roster in 10 differnt seasons to have you jersey retired. Maybe the new owners want to make a change to that rule, but as it stands now It's not going to happen, nor should it. Unless you want to retire a bunch of other players that went into the hall as a Cub.
CUBS BLOW 102 YEARS NO WS WTH LMFAO BUT HEY THEY GOT CY YOUNG SILVA AND MVP BYRD FOR SURE DEADLOCK FOR 2010 WORLD SERIES HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
CUBS BLOW 102 YEARS NO WS WTH LMFAO BUT HEY THEY GOT CY YOUNG SILVA AND MVP BYRD FOR SURE DEADLOCK FOR 2010 WORLD SERIES HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Seriously Farmington...are you that ignorant? I mean I might hate Sox fans or Cards fans (not sure which brand of hater you are) but I won't deny the rich history of their organization, nor will I deny the deep roots that team has in their city, therefore I wouldn't wish for that team to pack up shop and move to Florida. Oh and by the way, the Sox almost moved to Florida...seriously. It almost happened.
Personal I think the cubs should retire all the players numbers than close up shop and go to Florida do the city of Chicago a favor
@blackmail
The decision on what cap to wear isn't up to Dawson. The Hall makes that decision.
@blackmail
The decision on what cap to wear isn't up to Dawson. The Hall makes that decision.
By the by John, don't the Cubs have a Harry Carey statue? Let THAT sink in for awile. A Harry Carey statue. Harry used to call alot of Harold Baines' homers and game winning hits. I do not recall Harold calling anything of Harry's. Oh and before you bash Baines, look at his numbers compared to your darling Dawson (who's #'s with Montreal were better). Harry Carey whom they had to go to the Sox to get after he got fired. So he goes to the darkside and what happens. He dies. Freakin Cubs baseball KILLED Harry Carey. Then since he was their most popular "person", they built a statue for him that the pigeons really enjoy.
What about Sammy Sosa? LOL
I thought the coob were moving to Naples. Did Florida change their mind. They can take the shrine with them. Rats as big as pigs. I'm still laughing about that one.
Why not retire Mark Grace # too? I doubt it though Cubs organization and douchebag fans are jealous cause Mark got a ring in Arizona LOL
I believe that Larry Biittner's #44 should be retired. While your at it Mick Kelleher's #15 should be hanging next to the World Series banners as well. Can someone tell me if Scipio Spinks spent some time on the north side? If so, what was his number?
john, thank you so much. I am so tired of jealous, unemployed Sox fans coming on to the Cubs threads and trashing anything that has to do with the Cubs. You're right about the Sox having to resort to gimmicks to get their so called fans to go to that crappy park.
Someday, we can hope that the Sox will follow the lead of the football Cardinals and find some city that will take them.
Jack is an obvious White Sox fan. The irony in his statement regarding the Cubs doing anything to ensure attendance or a sellout.
The White Sox have a Harold Baines statue. Let that sink in for awhile....A Harold Baines statue!!!
The White Sox have ZERO shame when it comes to gimmicks and attempts to get fans to go to the game. The Cubs will sell out no matter what...the bars in the area alone guarantee that. The White Sox can't give away tickets....literally.
I'm fine with #8 being retired, but I'd like to see Mark Grace's #17 retired.
The Cubs will do anything if it guarantees a sold out park on the tribute date. Heck, they would even have a Bartman day if they could capitalize on it with bobblehead sales.
Andre may have been a great player but to retire his number and put him on the same level as Sandburg, Williams, Banks and Santo is a travesty. I would appreciate it if the retired numbers were kept for those who spent a majority of their productive career as career in a Cub uniform. This sounds like a publicity stunt by new management. They are setting the bar too low for this honor.
The hall makes the decision, but takes into account a number of factors, including Andre's wishes. Why would the Cubs make the promise to retire the jersey conditional upon his cap being a Cub cap? Either they choose to honor him or they don't. If the Hall, as you say, makes the decision to adorne his plaque with an Expo cap, would the Cubs organization really be so petty as to refuse to retire his jersey?
They should have retired his number years back !!!
blackmail,
The Cubs aren't trying to blackmail Dawson into choosing to go into the Hall of Fame as a Cub (by wearing their cap). The decision isn't even Dawson's. It is the Hall's, as it has been since 2001.
Don't let the facts get in the way of your hatred though. Have a nice day though. *tip my cap*
like how the Cubs are trying to blackmail Andre into making a decision. Classy move from a classy franchise. They also need to do a cost benefit analysis to ssee if there's a way they can make money off of retiring the jersey
Also ok to retire the number as there will always be Cub
numbers available to retire.
He wil go in as a Cubs as no one remembers the Expos. Now,
the question is , when will he and Sandberg team up to
get a winner in Chitown. Nice that we elected a NON STEROID
USER.
loved dawson when he played here, but to retire his jersey is too much.