Andre Dawson, known to many lovingly as “The Hawk” was one of the great heroes of my childhood.  Pretty much any Cubs fan in the late 1980s and early 1990s was a Hawk fan.  He won the MVP in 1987 as a Cub and blasted a career 438 home runs in an era where steroids were just a twinkle in baseball’s eye (well maybe the bash brothers were having some fun, but for the most part baseball was as innocent as a few greenies and a 6-pack).  In fact, I have wanted a throwback Dawson Cubs jersey for years now but just didn’t have the funds to buy one (I had to settle for this cheap stupid Fukudome jersey tee instead).  Now that he has finally, and rightfully, been inducted into the Hall of Fame, the question that has arisen in most people’s minds is what team’s jersey he will go into the Hall wearing.  While he spent his first 11 seasons with the Expos, he spent his next 6 with the Cubs and won the MVP while playing there as well as making 5 of his 8 career all-star appearances.

I’m not entirely sure what the Hall’s process is for selecting the team of each member, but if Dawson’s intentions are any indication, we might get our wish and have another Cubbie in the Hall.  Also playing in favor of the Cubs is the organization itself, which is trying to make Dawson an offer he can’t refuse:

Dawson has been promised by the Cubs to have his No. 8 uniform number retired if he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Cub, a source close to Dawson said on Sunday.

No word on whether the Cubs would follow through with retiring his number if Dawson is inducted as an Expo.

I like the Cubs strategy, although it seems obvious that his number would be retired if he makes the  Hall as a Cub.  The only player in the last 75 years I can think of who would have their number retired with the Cubs while entering the Hall with another team will be Greg Maddux.  Hopefully we have the #8 flying on one of the flagpoles at Wrigley this season either way, but it’d be nice to see The Hawk in the hall with Cubbie blue on.

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Tags: Andre Dawson, Cubs Jersey, Hall of Fame, The Hawk