NEW YORK — Andre Dawson got up at 6 a.m. and went to the gym. Before going back home, he took a detour from his usual routine on the day Hall of Fame voting is announced.
“I went by a cemetery to visit my mom and also my grandmother,” he said. “It’s the first time I had done that. I just felt a little bit more optimistic about this year, and I just wanted to share a few things at that grave site. It meant a lot to me to get out there.”
Dawson’s faith was rewarded a few hours later Wednesday, when he was elected to the Hall in his ninth try. He was the only player honored, as Bert Blyleven fell five votes short and Roberto Alomar finished eight shy.
Dawson received 420 of 539 votes in results announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, 15 more than the 75 percent necessary to gain election. The eight-time all-star outfielder was 44 votes short last year.
“If you’re a Hall of Famer, eventually you’re going to get in, no matter how long it takes,” Dawson said. “As I sit here, the only thing I can think of is that it was well worth the wait.”
Dawson, who hit .350 with 20 home runs in 74 games for the 1976 Denver Bears before beginning his major-league career that season with the Montreal Expos, hit 438 homers with 1,591 RBIs in a career that spanned from 1976-96. Nicknamed “The Hawk,” he was voted NL rookie of the year in 1977 with Montreal and NL MVP in 1987 with the Chicago Cubs, the first member of a last-place team to earn that honor.
“It gave me new life, playing on a natural surface after playing in Montreal on artificial surface for 10 years,” Dawson said.
Joined by Barry Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players with 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, Dawson also spent time with Boston and Florida. He never made it to the World Series.
Known for his strong arm in right field, he had a .279 career average and 314 steals, playing through 12 knee operations. He’s already had two knee replacements and might need another.
He will be inducted July 25 at Cooperstown along with manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, elected last month by the Veterans Committee.
Blyleven, who had 287 wins, 3,701 strikeouts and 60 shutouts, is likely to have a similar experience next year. He had 400 votes (74.2 percent), up from 338 last year, and gets two more tries on the BBWAA ballot. The highest percentage for a player who didn’t enter the Hall in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.
“Hopefully, this will lead to getting over that hurdle next year,” Blyleven said.
Alomar received 397 votes (73.7 percent), the most of any first-year candidate not elected. It’s the first time in BBWAA balloting that two players fell fewer than 10 votes short in one year.
“I feel disappointed, but next year hopefully I make it in,” Alomar said. “At least I was close.”
Mark McGwire received 128 votes (23.7 percent), 10 more than last year and matching the total from his first two times on the ballot. Eighth on the career list with 583 homers, he has been stigmatized since evading questions from Congress in 2005 about steroids use.
Next year’s vote also will include newcomers Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, Jeff Bagwell, John Franco, Kevin Brown and former Rockies outfielder Larry Walker.
Hall of Fame voting
539 votes cast, 405 needed for induction (75%):
Elected: Andre Dawson 420 (77.9%).
Missed: Bert Blyleven 400 (74.2%), Roberto Alomar 397 (73.7%), Jack Morris 282 (52.3%), Barry Larkin 278 (51.6%), Lee Smith 255 (47.3%), Edgar Martinez 195 (36.2%), Tim Raines 164 (30.4%), Mark McGwire 128 (23.7%), Alan Trammell 121 (22.4%), Fred McGriff 116 (21.5%), Don Mattingly 87 (16.1%), Dave Parker 82 (15.2%), Dale Murphy 63 (11.7%), Harold Baines 33 (6.1%).
No longer eligible by the BBWAA (by receiving fewer than 27 votes (less than 5 percent): Andres Galarraga 22 (4.1%), Robin Ventura 7 (1.3%), Ellis Burks 2 (0.4%), Eric Karros 2 (0.4%), Kevin Appier 1 (0.2%), Pat Hentgen 1 (0.2%), David Segui 1 (0.2%), Mike Jackson 0, Ray Lankford 0, Shane Reynolds 0 and Todd Zeile 0.
