So it was a big day for the rights of man as Andre Dawson is announced to be entering the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo. But he don't like it:
Dawson — considered by some to be the best player in Expos franchise history — will be enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y., as an Expo and not a Chicago Cub. “It was a little gut-wrenching for me to hear that, but it’s (the Hall of Fame’s) decision, and I respect that, and from there I move on,” Dawson said Wednesday on ESPN 1000, a Chicago sports radio station. Earlier this month, Dawson had said he preferred to join the hall as a Cub. Dawson spent six seasons with the Cubs.
It may be that he is irked that he, like every other HOFer, doesn't get to pick the cap on the plaque which is displayed at Cooperstown. And maybe he was happiest with the Cubs - that's his call. But his ten years at Montreal were the ten glory years of the franchise, the great experiment that sorta failed and sorta should never have failed. Look, even the Chicago Tribune believes he should be inducted as an Expo. Best of all, if I get down to Cooperstown this summer, the vintage baseball memorabilia shops will be full of Expos stuff. Last time I was there I could only find one ticket for a Jarry Park game and a cloth patch. And maybe there will be a DVD set put out of the greatest five Expos games ever. Is it sad that this is my dream? To own that DVD set?
Comments
Hans - January 28, 2010 10:20 AM
The Montreal Expos are emblematic of an era for Canadians of a certain generation. The memories of the Montreal Expos represent the glories and and innocence of youth, the best prospects of a blingual society, the promise of modernity, the flowering role of Canada in the world and indeed the Montreal Expose of my memory represents the Canadian Dream of the 70s and 80s. Anyone that grew up then, like you and me, feels that and feels the wistful regret of all that not quite panning out just like I didn't become a rock star and you didn't become a big leaguer (or whatever fantasy career you dreamed of as a youngster). Andre Dawson is one of the biggest parts of all of that, whether he knows it or not or whether he likes it or not. If he had gone into the HOF as a Cub I would have chalked it up to another Expos dream gone astray but I am happy he will be wearing that weird Expos logo on his head so that I can always think of all those good things the Expos represent, even if it didn't pan out the way we all hoped.