Dawson writes of his treasured time as a Cubs player, his favorite moments and the chronic pain from injuries that he had to deal with on a day-to-day basis in his brand-new autobiography, If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball.
After growing up in Miami, the biggest dilemma that Dawson faced was getting major league baseball teams to even give him a look. When the Montreal Expos finally afforded him that opportunity, Dawson seized the moment and made a splash into Major League Baseball that would leave an indelible mark on his eventual legacy. Dawson shares many of these early stories and the most memorable of his baseball career, including:
How a serious injury at a young age affected the rest of his baseball career
Becoming the unlikely National League Rookie of the Year in 1977
Finishing runner-up for the National League MVP in 1981 and 1983
The intriguing story of how he eventually signed with the Chicago Cubs
The 2010 call to tell him that he was inducted into the Hall of Fame after nine years on the ballot
This endearing story of perseverance and determination in If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball sheds a new light on both the memorable performances he achieved as a ballplayer and the trials and tribulations Dawson faced day in and day out all while maintaining an outstanding level of production. As an eight-time all-star, Dawson hit 438 career home runs while collecting 1,591 RBIs. The Hall of Fame slugger certainly holds an incredible individual record of excellence over the course of his 21-year career.
Dawson, with his notable humble personality, lays it all on the line and shares stories and insights about playing through the pain and what goes on between teammates as they played together for months at a time each season. Dawson lived out his dream by playing baseball and doing it at an exceptionally high level. He accomplished many remarkable goals, fought through the hard times and inspires others to do the same in If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball.
About the Co-author:
Alan Maimon is a journalist, author and researcher whose newspaper work has included a series about the court system in Kentucky that was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. He started his professional writing career as a news assistant and sportswriter in the Berlin bureau of The New York Times. He is a Philadelphia native, a graduate of Brown University and the author of Shane Victorino: The Flyin' Hawaiian.
WHAT: Book signing with Andre Dawson
WHERE: The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka, Ill.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. CT
WHY: To sign his new autobiography If You Love This Game: An MVP's Life in Baseball
