Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson wants his cap switched on his plaque in Cooperstown.
While the National Baseball Hall of Fame has not allowed players to choose which team cap is on their plaque since 2001, Dawson is taking one last chance at getting it switched from an Expos hat to a Cubs hat, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The MLB legend was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2010 and was forced to enter the Hall of Fame with an Expos cap on his plaque, against his choosing.
“When I think about them immortalizing a cap, it would be the Chicago Cubs for a lot of personal reasons,” Dawson said at the time.
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Fast forward to present day, and Dawson is requesting the change one last time. Dawson told The Tribune that he recently sent a letter to Jane Forbes Clark, the chairman of the Hall of Fame board of directors, as well as the Hall of Fame committee requesting a meeting about possibly changing his plaque.
He has yet to hear back from the Hall about his request, but discussed why he once again asked for the cap to change.
“I just felt my preference all along was as a Cub, despite playing 11 years in Montreal” Dawson told The Tribune. “I had my reasons, and I think that should’ve been something we sat down and discussed.”
As for the main reason he wants to sport the Cubs cap on his plaque?
“It was an eye-opening experience for me,” Dawson said about playing in Chicago. “The adoration of the fan base, the welcoming from the city itself and the joy of being able to experience that feeling in the second half of my career. … I was one of the more popular players in Montreal, but I wouldn’t consider myself an organizational icon or the most popular. … When push came to shove and I became a free agent, I think it was handled poorly and in a sense I was really forced out. The change of scenery in Chicago rejuvenated me because of how warmly I was received.”
Dawson was one of the best players in the National League when he was with the Expos, which was certainly a significant reason why the Hall of Fame chose to put the Montreal cap on his plaque as he was enshrined in Cooperstown.
Regardless, Dawson wants the cap changed, and it will be interesting to see whether he eventually gets his wish.
