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 Andre Dawson Photo Gallery
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We Know Andre Dawson Was A Great Player,

“But Did You Know That…”

“I always thought that Andre was a renaissance man, but this is taking it to a different level!” – Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson 

Today, I’ll continue with my new collection of essays I’m calling: “But did you know that…” In this series, I’m looking into the careers of former major leaguers who have something highly unusual in their history, either in their playing days or in their post-baseball career. As I’ve said many times, whenever you look deep into the life of a former player, you’ll invariably find something of interest. In previous editions to this series, I featured the feud between Stan Musial and Joe Garagiola — something of which I’d been totally unaware — and the career of 1930s Yankee pitcher Johnny Murphy, who later became an architect of the 1969 Miracle Mets. 

Today, I’ll shine our baseball spotlight on Andre Dawson. We all know that Andre Dawson was a great ball player, but after he left the game, he changed his “uniform,” embarking on an entirely new career — one that’s about as far from the baseball diamond as you can get! If you haven’t heard about this already, I think you’ll find this story interesting. 

Before I tell you what it is, here’s a few words about Andre’s career.

Andre Dawson’s Great Hall of Fame Career

Andre played 21 years in the majors (1976-1996), for the Expos (1976-’86), Cubs (1987-’92), Red Sox (1993-’94), and Marlins (1995-’96). Over his career, he compiled a .277 average, with 2,774 hits, 438 home runs, 1591 RBIs, and 314 stolen bases.

Be Sure to Read My Essay From 2019:  “I meet Andre Dawson with My Grandkids at Cub Spring Training at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona!”

Career highlights include eight-time National League All-Star selections, National League Rookie of the Year (1977), National League MVP (1987), eight-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger Award, National League home run and RBI titles (1987). Dawson batted .300 five times, drove in 100 runs four times, and had 13 seasons of 20 home runs. A strong base runner early in his career, he also stole 30 bases three times. He is one of eight players with at least 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases during his career.

Defensively, Andre Dawson was an outstanding center fielder early in his career, leading the National League in putouts three consecutive years (1981–1983), until recurring knee problems necessitated a move to right field. This was undoubtedly caused by the artificial turf of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. Concerned about his career longevity, Dawson sought out a team that played on grass and soon landed with the Cubs. The natural turf of Wrigley Field provided five seasons of welcome relief.

Upon his retirement, his National League totals of 409 home runs and 962 extra-base hits both ranked tenth in league history; he also ranked seventh in National League history in games as an outfielder (2,303), and sixth in outfield putouts (5,116) and total chances (5,366). His #10 has been retired by the Montreal Expos, and he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.

“But Did You Know That…”

So what was Andre Dawson’s unusual post-baseball career? Andre Dawson’s new “uniform” is a pin-striped dark suit and tie as he became a:

Funeral Director!

Yes…that’s Andre “Hawk” Dawson in the featured photo above looking very dignified in his dark mortician suit (although I have to say I like him better in a baseball uniform!). I guess you could say Andre traded in his baseball pinstripes for the pin-striped suit of a funeral director!

Andre and his wife of 46 years, Vanessa, own and operate the Paradise Memorial Funeral Home in Richmond Heights, Fla.  He’s believed to be the second Hall of Famer to enter the business, joining Waite “Schoolboy’’ Hoyt, who was also a funeral director. Dawson, 69, has owned the funeral home for 15 years.

Commenting on his post-baseball career, Andre said:

“You never know where God is going to lead you, but wherever it is, you have to be prepared. When this first fell into my lap, I prayed on it. I thought, ‘How am I really going to pull this off without having the background, or knowing anything really about the industry?’ But I wanted to make this as good a facility as I possibly could, and I’m proud of it. It’s important to me because this is a product the community needs.”

And baseball is proud of Andre Dawson…even if we’re not wild about his new “uniform”!

Gary Livacari 

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Information: Information: Excerpts edited from article on Andre Dawson in USA Today: Stats from Baseball-Reference.com