by Dan Trammel

Created on: January 09, 2009

On January 12, the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame will introduce the Class of 2009. The only player certain to be inducted is Rickey Henderson, unquestionably the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of the game. Less certain, however, is whether any players will be inducted with Henderson. One name whose candidacy continues to spark debate is Andre Dawson.

In twenty-one Major League seasons, "The Hawk" collected 2,774 hits, belted 438 home runs, drove in 1591 runs, and swiped 314 bases. Along with all-time home run king Barry Bonds and Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Dawson is one of only three players with 400 or more home runs and 300 or more stolen bases. He also earned 8 Gold Glove Awards and participated in 8 All-Star Games. He was named the National Rookie of the Year in 1977 and the National League Most Valuable Player in 1987.

Despite these achievements, Dawson still is not a member of the Hall of Fame. He spent many of his best seasons toiling in relative obscurity in Montreal. Teamed with Tim Raines and Hall of Famer Gary Carter, the Expos finished second or third on numerous occasions, but were only able to make one playoff appearance, in the strike-shortened 1981 season. Outside of Canada, few people were able to enjoy Dawson's exploits. Worse, years of playing on the artificial turf of Olympic Stadium took its toll on Dawson's knees.

Following eleven seasons in Montreal, Dawson signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs. He made an immediate impact with his new ballclub, batting .287 and hitting a National League leading 49 home runs and 137 RBIs. These numbers were good enough to earn him a controversial MVP Award. His selection remains controversial because the Cubs finished the season in last place, 18.5 games behind the division-winning St. Louis Cardinals. Furthermore, many believe the two best players in the National League that season, Ozzie Smith and Jack Clark, played for the best team, and ultimately took votes away from each other, allowing Dawson to prevail.

In 1989, Dawson helped lead the Cubs to a National League East division title. Unfortunately, this was one of Dawson's least productive seasons, hitting .252, with 21 home runs and 77 runs batted in. Four Cubs received MVP votes following the season. Ryne Sandberg, Mitch Williams, Jerome Walton, and Mark Grace were each listed on ballots. Dawson was not included among them. Additionally, Walton and Dwight Smith finished first and second respectively in Rookie of the Year

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