Dawson: Big Frank a first-ballot lock

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Andre Dawson had to wait for election to the Hall of Fame, a victim of terrible timing and the steroid era that obliterated his once-great numbers.

But he sees no such issue for Frank Thomas, who was considered borderline during the era of performance-enhancers, but now has a clear path to Cooperstown.

"He should be in the Hall of Fame. He's a first-ballot lock, if you ask me," said Dawson, upon being asked Saturday morning. "There's a lot of unhappiness about steroids in baseball and Frank never had any connection to any of that, so the timing of his retirement is good in that way."

Thomas will be up for vote in January 2014 - along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine - and Dawson says Thomas should get a healthy percentage immediately.

"No question at all," Dawson said. "Great hitter who could do it all at the plate and he did for a very long time, where he was a feared hitter in the lineup and throughout the American League.

"He had power and average to all fields with great run production, great hand-eye coordination, and a great approach to hitting.

"There's not a lot of guys in history with his kind of power who took the walks the way he did, but he was willing to wait for his pitch and he would just walk to first base if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Scary hitter because he could make a pitcher give him what he wanted. He was in charge at the plate and that's a hitter I have a lot of respect for."

The enhanced power explosion coincided with Dawson's retirement, and by the time he was on the ballot in January 2002, monstrous sluggers were cruising past 400 homers - and Dawson - like it was no feat at all.

The result was a nine-year wait for Dawson's election.

"I kind of got left behind when the criteria changed in the middle of the game for me," Dawson said. "All the comparisons were bad for me, but the comparisons when I retired were all good for me.

"Frank's not going to have to worry about any of that. He's going to get recognized the way he should. I'm very confident of that."

Bringing the heat

If Dawson wasn't nervous enough, temps in the 80s with high humidity should have him sweating plenty at his induction Sunday (12:30 p.m., MLB Network).

"I never played for this day. I played because I loved the game," Dawson said. "I had the tools and talent and I worked hard.

"You never really think this day will come, but I've prepared well for it and that's all you can do. The guys all say you can't really know what it feels like until you get up there, so I've done all I can."

Dawson will not be shy Sunday when talking about his mother and grandmother, whom he credits with all he's achieved.

"I just hope I can get through that part without falling apart," Dawson said. "I could have a Bill Mazeroski moment."

Mazeroski had one of the more famous speeches in Hall of Fame history when he spoke for only a few seconds before bursting into tears.

He could not collect himself and sat down while getting a roaring ovation from the crowd and his fellow Hall of Famers.

No one ever heard his speech.

The list

Among the Cubs and White Sox Hall of Famers in attendance include Bruce Sutter, Luis Aparicio, Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, Carlton Fisk and Lou Brock.

Jerry Reinsdorf is also here, as are scores of Dawson family members, friends and teammates, including Warren Cromartie, Jim Fanning, Tim Raines and Mel Didier, the scout who signed Dawson.

Shawon Dunston was scheduled to arrive Saturday, but when he found out the flights out here were bumpy, he opted to stay home in California.

"He'd rather eat the airline ticket than fly," Dawson said. "He's scared of flying even when it's not bumpy."

The timing

Even though the ceremony starts at 12:30 p.m. Chicago time Sunday, Dawson probably won't speak until about 3 p.m.

Sight seen

Doug Harvey, Don Sutton and Tommy Lasorda sharing a laugh together, and remembering an alleged scuffing incident on July 14, 1978, when Harvey told Lasorda, "I'm trying to clean up this game."

To which Lasorda replied, "The last time I ever saw a guy clean up a town was Wyatt (Bleeping) Earp."

The nice gesture

Tom Ricketts and the Cubs threw a fabulous party in Dawson's honor Saturday night at a bistro within crawling distance of the Hall of Fame.

The quote

Doug Harvey, who will present an acceptance speech on tape today due to vocal and health problems, said of instant replay, "I was better than any replay machine you've ever had or will ever have."

The reality

Andre Dawson on having an Expos cap on his plaque: "It's no big deal. I'm not disappointed. I just wanted a Cubs hat for the Cubs fans, not for me. They deserve it."

And finally ...

Whitey Herzog, the 78-year-old former St. Louis manager, on his big weekend: "I'm glad it's finally here, finally over. I think I've done more interviews than I ever did in 18 years of managing. I can't wait to go fishing every morning next week and get back to my life."

bozner@dailyherald.com

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