‘It means everything': HOF letting Dawson change cap on plaque

MESA, Ariz. -- Andre Dawson was in camp with the Cubs on Wednesday morning, wearing team gear, keeping an eye on the practice fields and spending time chatting with fellow team greats Fergie Jenkins and Rick Sutcliffe. The Hall of Famer always feels at home when he is back around the ballclub.

That explains the sense of relief and satisfaction Dawson also feels right now, following the news that the Hall of Fame is granting his request to recast his plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y. While the Cubs' icon would love nothing more than to have the team’s “C” logo in bronze, he is content with the decision to have a blank cap over the former Montreal Expos’ emblem.

“I always felt that I was a Cub in the Hall of Fame. I just had the ‘M’ on the cap,” Dawson said on Wednesday. “That’s what I always related to. That’s where my heart was, even though I was six years a Cub. It means everything. It means I finally had the opportunity to provide my input.”

When Dawson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010, the Hall of Fame made the final decision to have his plaque feature Montreal, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his 21-year career. In 2014, the Hall of Fame began offering the blank cap as an option for players who made a significant impact with multiple franchises.

Dawson initially reached out to the Hall of Fame in 2023 to see if it would consider changing his plaque to better reflect his wish to honor the Cubs. Ultimately, the Hall decided that the blank cap was the appropriate solution, per a statement by Jane Forbes Clark, the chairman of the board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

“The Hall of Fame Board of Directors voted unanimously to provide Andre Dawson with the option of having no logo on his Hall of Fame plaque, which will be recast to reflect his wishes,” Clark said. “This decision gives Andre a choice that he would have taken if it had been available when he was elected in 2010, just four years prior to the formal implementation of that alternative."

The rest of Dawson’s plaque will be recast in the same way it appears now.

Dawson suited up for the Expos from 1976-86, winning the National League Rookie of the Year in 1977 and picking up six of his eight career Gold Glove Awards. Heading into the ‘87 season, Dawson famously offered the Cubs a blank contract in order to sign with the team. He was frustrated with free agency, contract negotiations with the Expos and wanted to get away from the artificial turf in Montreal.

“This is what I envisioned,” Dawson said of playing for the Cubs. “Natural playing surface. Wrigley. You can’t say enough about daytime baseball. And a huge fan following. So, I had to make that happen … If it requires a blank contract, so be it.”

Dawson won over Cubs fans in a hurry.

During the ‘87 campaign, Dawson led the Major Leagues in home runs (49) and RBIs (137), paced the NL in total bases (353), and picked up the NL MVP. In his six years with the North Siders from ‘87-92, the right fielder was a five-time All-Star, took home two more Gold Gloves and added one of his four career Silver Slugger trophies.

Dawson hit 174 of his 438 career homers while in a Cubs uniform. He ended his time in the big leagues with stints in Boston (1993-94) and with the Marlins (‘95-96), but the outfielder never lost that soft spot in his heart for Chicago and its fan base.

“It was just a love affair with the fans in right field,” Dawson said. “Andre’s Army. That’s what is most enjoyable about the game. That’s what you play the game for – for the fans. And the way they embraced me, it goes beyond what my wildest expectations would’ve been.”

That is a large reason why Dawson wanted to better honor the Cubs in Cooperstown.

“I felt that this would, in some way, help me to move forward,” Dawson said. “I’m satisfied that we can put it behind us.”