Andre Dawson — better known as "The Hawk" to Cubs fans — has spent the last 17 years as a special assistant in the Miami/Florida Marlins front office.

But when a new ownership group led by Derek Jeter came to town, Dawson was sent packing, along with fellow Hall of Famer Tony Perez.

Dawson — a Miami native who owns a restaurant in the area — has since rejoined the Cubs organization in an official capacity.

In an interview with NBC Sports Chicago while the Cubs were visiting the Marlins in Miami over the weekend, Dawson let it rip on Jeter and the new Marlins ownership:

"He made an 'unpopular decision,' the way he likes to put it," Dawson said. "The one thing about new ownership — it's their money, their team. They have a sense of direction.

"I didn't think it was handled professionally or the right way. First of all, you gotta know what you're signing up for and if you're gonna do that, you handle baseball people the right way. You stand up to them and you do it yourself to their face. You don't let someone else make a phone call for you.

"That was the only thing I thought was quite unprofessional. He supposedly has a genuine reputation about the type of classy individual he is. But no.

"I thank him for doing me a favor, because it allowed me the opportunity of a lifetime."

So not only was Dawson fired, but it sounds like Jeter didn't even make the call himself.

Dawson will throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field on the Cubs' home opener (April 9) with other Cubs legends.