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Andre Dawson came to a brutal Chicago Cubs team, became a fan favorite
Seeing the Chicago Cubs trade the heart of our team, Anthony Rizzo, away last month, I was reminded of another time I felt this angry and betrayed: when the Cubs let Andre Dawson go to the Red Sox as a free agent in 1993.
It was a comparable loss, as Dawson was the heart of the Cubs for six years. During that time the outfielder was an All-Star in five of six years and the National League MVP in 1987. Even his last year with the Cubs, in 1992, the only season he wasn’t an All-Star, Dawson batted .277 with 22 homers and 77 RBI. Not exactly a slub.
The Hall of Famer made one of his frequent return trips to Wrigley this year to throw out a ceremonial first pitch and lead the seventh inning stretch. He was warmly received by the Cubs fans, as he always is at Wrigley. Many remember what a great player and leader he was.
Dawson came into the league with Montreal where he was Rookie of the Year in 1977. He played 11 years for the Expos, was a three time All-Star and won six Gold Gloves while playing mostly in center field. He won his last two Gold Gloves with the Expos after a move to right field.
In 1986 Dawson was 31 and played in just 130 games, his lowest total in five years, primarily because of his knees. The Expos’ home field was artificial turf and it was hard, exceedingly so, on Dawson’s knees. The veteran knew if he was going to continue to play, he needed to make a change.
How did the Chicago Cubs get the All-Star Andre Dawson from the Expos?
Granted free agency in 1986, Dawson went to Cubs management and made them an offer they couldn’t refuse: pay me a base amount, include a few incentives and I’ll come play for the Cubs. Dawson took a $500,000 pay cut because he wanted to play on a natural grass field and the particular field he wanted to play at was the Friendly Confines.
Cubs fans embraced their new right fielder immediately. He quickly became one of the most popular players because everyone could see that Dawson committed himself to excellence in everything he did. It didn’t hurt that he won the league’s MVP honors in 1987, his first year with the Cubs.
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He did this with a team that lost 85 games, fired its manager Gene Michael, and finished last in the Eastern Division. Their general manager for the last six years, Dallas Green, resigned in October.
Dawson, of his own accord, asked to join a team that had been 70-90 the year before. That alone is a remarkable occurrence as there were many other teams courting him. Playing for the Cubs in 1987 he proceeded to put up staggering numbers for a Cubs team that went 76-85, finishing sixth in the Eastern Division. Just imagine how bad they might have been had Dawson not voluntarily joined them.
Dawson played 153 games that year, while such other Cubs stars as Ryne Sandberg, Jody Davis and Shawon Dunston, all played fewer than their usual numbers of games. The 1987 team’s second-leading RBI man behind Dawson’s 137 was Keith Moreland with 88. Moreland had led the club with 79 RBI the year prior. But an indication of how bad the 1987 Cubs team was is that after those two we drop precipitously to Leon Durham’s 63.
The 1987 Chicago Cubs were not a good team
Notably, among the Cubs starting pitchers in 1987, Rick Sutcliffe registered a solid winning record, with 18 wins and 10 losses. Les Lancaster and Steve Trout were 8-3 and 6-3 respectively. During that same period, a young 21-year-old starter named Greg Maddox was 6-14 and the other two regular starters, Scott Sanderson and Jamie Moyer, had losing records.
It was a tough year for the Cubs but Dawson winning MVP basically saved 1987. He hit .287 with 49 homers and 137 RBI, both league-leading totals. Dawson also played a great right field, his fielding percentage was .986, second in the league among right fielders. The league average for right field in 1987 was .981.
Next. Ranking Dawson among the Cubs' all-time greats. dark
Throughout his career Dawson combined strong defense with powerful offensive numbers. For comparison think of the defensive skills of Jason Heyward combined with the slashing bat of Nico Hoerner and the power of Patrick Wisdom. Put it altogether and you have a stellar ballplayer who was beloved by all Cubs fans.