Former Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson always a proud All-Star

With six Cubs on squad, 1988 was a special season

Fred Mitchell | AROUND TOWN

10:29 PM CDT, July 7, 2008

The Cubs had a club-record seven players selected for the July 15 All-Star Game in New York.

It was 20 years ago—July 12, 1988—when the Cubs had six players in the All-Star Game that was played at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and won by the American League 2-1.

"We had so many representatives on that occasion," Andre Dawson recalled. "That made it special, more so than just having one or two guys get a chance to go."

Dawson was joined on that NL roster by teammates Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, Shawon Dunston and Vance Law.

Dawson recalls the pride the players felt as they shared a flight to Cincinnati.

"It meant a lot to the organization at that time, [and] it meant a lot to the players representing the club," Dawson said.

Dawson won the NL MVP award in 1987 after hitting 49 home runs and driving in 137 runs. Yet those Cubs finished in last place. The Cubs improved to fourth (77-85) in 1988, but obviously had some future Hall of Famers on their roster: Sandberg, Maddux and, perhaps, Dawson, whose 438 home runs, 314 stolen bases and eight Gold Gloves keep him in the running.

In 1989, that nucleus carried the Cubs to a division title with 93 wins.

"Greg Maddux was young, Dunston was young, Palmeiro was young ... so this was the culmination of some things where those players were starting to receive some recognition. That's what I remember most," Dawson said of the '88 All-Stars.

The 1936 Cubs also had six All-Star representatives: Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Augie Galan, Frank Demaree, Curt Davis and Lon Warneke. Cubs manager Charlie Grimm managed the NL All-Stars, who won 4-3 at Braves Field in Boston. It was the NL's first All-Star Game victory.

Dawson was selected to play in eight All-Star Games, and he never took any of them for granted.

"It's an achievement, it's an honor. That's something that you should cherish," he said. "Somewhere along the line, some guys got it in their head that they would rather have the day off. They felt they were burned out and didn't want to participate. But if you are selected ... you should play.

"My advice would be to really enjoy this accomplishment. There's no guarantee, once you make the All-Star team, that you will do it again. That experience, hopefully, will make for a very successful season."

Word on the street

Arch Ward, former sports editor of the Tribune, devised the idea of having the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1933. Originally, the game was going to be a one-time event in connection with the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Since 1962, the All-Star Game's MVP has received the "Arch Ward Trophy."

The first All-Star Game was played in Comiskey Park and won 4-2 by the American League in front of 49,200 fans. Babe Ruth hit the first All-Star Game home run. The game's success made it an annual event. ...

Jen Patterson, who served as the producer of the "Mike North Morning Show," submitted her resignation at WSCR-AM 670 on Monday. "I enjoyed the time that I spent working at the Score, but it's time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life," said Patterson in an e-mail. "I will be working with Mike North, but I'm not at liberty to say where yet! We will be letting everyone know very soon." North parted ways with WSCR last month when they could not come to terms on a new contract.

Local attractions

The Gale Sayers Center, which will include computer classrooms, mentoring and motivational programs and a junior toastmasters program, is scheduled to open in 2009 and provide, at no cost, an accelerated after-school learning environment for children ages 8-12. Architectural drawings of the non-profit facility can be seen at www.galesayerscenter.org. ...

Rare films from the Baseball Hall of Fame that include clips of Cubs Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Billy Williams will be screened July 31 at Northwestern University's Block Cinema in the James B. Pick and Rosalyn M. Laudati Auditorium of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Dr., on the Evanston campus. The screening is free and open to the public.

fmitchell@tribune.com

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