By: Alex Patt

It is time to add yet another Hall of Famer to the list of documented past Cub players! This issue of #RememberThatCub features Andre “The Hawk” Dawson, a man who once terrorized the Cubs before becoming one.

Dawson may be known by many for being a Cub, but the team he spent the most time playing with was in fact the Montreal Expos. He was selected in the 11th round of the 1975 Draft by Montreal out of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee. It was September 11th, 1976 at the age of 22 when Dawson made his MLB debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dawson spent 11 season in Montreal totaling a .280/.326/.802 slash with 225 home runs and a 48.1 bWAR in 1,443 games. He was a three-time All Star, six-time Gold Glove winner, a three-time Silver Slugger winner and finshed in the MVP voting race twice in 1981 and 1983.

The Hawk was just about to turn 32 when he signed with the Chicago Cubs on March 9th, 1987. It was arguably one of the best free agent signings in Cubs history. His signing payed off for him right away in 1987 when he won the NL MVP, despite the Cubs being 76–85 which was dead last that year. Dawson’s 1987 campaign saw him hit a season-high 49 home runs with a slash of .287/.328/.896, 137 RBIs and a 4.0 bWAR; included was another All Star appearance, another Gold Glove and another Silver Slugger trophy. One of the highlights of his MVP season was on August 1st, 1987 when he hit three home runs in one game against the Phillies at Wrigley Field.

As a Cub he won four more All Star nods and another Gold Glove in 1988. He finally saw postseason action with the Cubs in 1989 when they won the NL East under Don Zimmer. Dawson struggled in the NLCS, batting .105 with no home runs and three RBIs due to nagging leg pain and the Cubs were eliminated by the San Francisco Giants four games to one. Though he was an All Star, Dawson only played in 118 games in 1989 because of the nagging injuries.

1992 was Dawson’s final season on the Cubs, the only season he was not an All Star representing the North Siders. He still had a solid season at the age of 37, but the Cubs did not resign him after the 1992 season which ended his Chicago tenure. His final numbers in a Cubs uniform: .285/.327/.834, 929 hits, 587 RBI, 18.6 bWAR in 867 games.

Dawson played four more seasons in the MLB, two with the Red Sox and two with the Marlins. He retired at age 41 and finished with 2,774 hits and 438 home runs. He was elected to the Hall of Fame 2010. The plaque of his face may have him in an Expos hat, but he is often remembered as a North Sider.

Do you #RememberThatCub?

Alex Patt is a writer for Wrigley Rapport and other news and sports publications. You can follow him and his work on twitter @chifanpatt1