Andre Dawson was from Miami and played football for Southwest Miami High School, but in 1971, severely injured his knee. It was the first of many knee injuries for him that required surgery.

After he recovered from his first surgery, Andre narrowed his athletic focus to baseball. He received his nickname, “The Hawk,” because he had a hawk eye at the plate. He made the baseball team at Florida A&M University and was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1975.

After one year in Lethbridge, Alberta, and most of a season split between Quebec (Double-A) and Denver (Triple-A), he was a September call-up in 1976.

His first full season in the majors was in 1977, and he made the most of it in Montreal’s center field winning the National League "Rookie of the Year".

Andre had his best performance in 1980, when he batting .308, had 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases. He won his first of eight "Gold Glove" Awards and his first "Silver Slugger".

He was out to prove it wasn’t a fluke and in 1981, he batted .302 in the season split by a player strike. Determined to continue his strong play in 1982, Andre earned his second All-Star appearance.

In 1983, Andre had perhaps his best season. He led the National League with 189 hits and 32 homers. He was named The Sporting News "Player of the Year", and once again, he second in the NL MVP voting.

Andre was hoping his resurgence would lead to a big contract because he was the greatest player in the history of the Montreal franchise and still one of the top outfielders in baseball. But he received no offers from other teams and the only offer came from his Expos and included a pay cut.

So Andre found himself in a dilemma because he needed to play somewhere that had natural grass in the outfield. He had undergone eight knee surgeries by this point and also wanted to go somewhere where he could get proper respect.

He finally decided that playing for the Chicago Cubs would be his best fit. In Chicago, he had always performed well and could play on natural grass, so he approached Chicago General Manager Dallas Green and said he would play for whatever they wanted to pay him. He was quickly signed but took the cut in pay.

Andre would not only turn in the best season of his career in 1987, but one of his best offensive seasons. Wrigley Field helped his power numbers reach new heights with his new team and the fans embraced him immediately, especially the “Bleacher Bums” in right field. He led the National League with 49 home runs and 137 RBIs.

In 1988, his power numbers dropped, but he made the All-Star team and won his eighth and final "Gold Glove". Things quickly came together for the Cubs in 1989 and Andre reached the career marks of 300 home runs and 2,000 hits in 1989.

He was healthy all season in 1990 and 1991, played in his final two All-Star Games and finished his Cubs career in 1992.

In December, he signed as a free agent with the Red Sox. It was a move to the American League which allowed him to give his knees a break by being the designated hitter from time to time.

Andre brought class and character to the Sox, but his knees betrayed him. On April 15th, in his third game at Fenway, he hit his 400th career homer. But at the end of the month, he had to have his knee drained of fluid. It was the second time since the start of the season.

In May, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list and would undergo his eighth knee operation, the fifth on his right knee. When he came back, he was hitting .208 in mid-June, but then began a steady rise that resulted in a .306 average after the All-Star break.

Andre helped the Sox win and put them in first place. In a 6-5 victory over the Mariners on July 3rd, he ripped a walk-off solo home run in the ninth inning, to assure the Sox of their 10th victory in 11 games.

Toward the end of July, he was batting .400 with four runs scored and five runs batted in seven of his previous eight games.

He drove in five runs in the first two innings at Camden Yards, to send the Sox to an 8-7 victory on July 30th. Next, the Sox started August by beating the Orioles, 2 to 1, on his homer keeping them in the pennant race.

The Sox chase for the 1993 American League East title, which after a big surge, ended on September 24th. It was a year in which they built character but fell short on talent. Andre hit just 13 home runs, because his age and his knees held him back.

The following season, Andre batted .240 and would have another knee surgery, managing to play in only 75 games, his final season with the Red Sox.

In April 1995, he returned to the National League, joining the Florida Marlins where he was primarily a pinch-hitter for two seasons, before retiring after the 1996 season. He then joined the Marlins’ front office as a special assistant.

Determination made Andre Dawson a great player. His determination to come back after more than a dozen knee operations, determination to become one of the most well-rounded players in the game’s history. He was one of baseball’s true five-tool players. He could run, hit, hit with power, field, and throw and was among baseball’s best in each category.

He joined Barry Bonds and Willie Mays as the only Major League baseball players in history with more than 400 home runs and over 300 stolen bases. He won eight Gold Gloves and was an eight-time All-Star.

In his ninth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, he joined manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, who were elected by the Veterans Committee, in the Class of 2010.