Andre Dawson tells how he almost signed with the New York Mets in 1987

Andre Dawson announced Tuesday that he would be going into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Montreal Expos. Dawson was in New York this week for the 21st annual Baseball Assistance Team dinner, which works to support former baseball players who are experiencing financial and medical hardships. His support for the organization goes back to his playing days, when in 1992 he was cited in a Sports Illustrated article as one of only a handful of Major League players that contributed to the BAT to support the legends of the Negro Leagues.

Andre Dawson / N. Diunte

Former New York Mets manager Davey Johnson told how the team courted the newly minted Hall of Famer during the 1986 off-season.

"First of all, I pleaded with Frank Cashen to sign Andre Dawson," Johnson said. "I said, 'It's not going to be expensive, I think he'll play for $500,000, we could really use him.' It wasn't in our policy to sign free agents. We never signed a free agent; Cashen wouldn't do it, as long as I was there anyway. I really tried to get him, I thought he was a heck of a player and I would have found playing time for him."

Dawson said that he found playing in New York to be a riveting experience.

"Early on in my career facing, Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, playing against Darryl Strawberry, it was exciting," Dawson said. "[New Yorkers] were a different type of fan; very competitive. They had teams that for some reason would always find a way in the late innings [to win]. They would call it that Mets magic, I didn't believe it, but they would make it happen in the late innings. They had some stellar athletes that made the game enjoyable."

Imagine the Hawk in the same outfield as Darryl Strawberry, both MVP candidates in their prime. Would Dawson have been the piece that made the Mets repeat or three time champions? Unfortunately for Mets fans, it didn't happen. Dawson signed with the Cubs for $700,000 prior to the 1987 season, and won the MVP that season for the cellar dwellers.

Read More

Mets acquire Gary Matthews Jr. - Will the second time around be a charm?

MLB.com reports that the New York Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. from the Los Angeles Angels for relief pitcher Brian Stokes. In addition to paying off a $500,000 obligation for trading Matthews, the Angels will pick up $21.5 million of the $23.5 million remaining on his contract. Matthews signed an albatross of a contract after having a breakout season in 2006 with the Texas Rangers, batting .313 and earning a spot on the American League All-Star team. He has hit .252, .242. and .250 in the three seasons he played with the Angels after signing the $23.5 million dollar contract in the 2006 off-season.

This is Matthews' second tour of duty with the Mets, as he was signed in December of 2001 from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in two games for the Mets in 2002, going hitless in 1 at-bat before being traded to the Orioles for pitcher John Bale. Matthews was acquired to fill the centerfield void left by Carlos Beltran who will be out until May following knee surgery. He will be in competition with Angel Pagan for the starting centerfield spot throughout spring training.

Matthews initially spurned most trade requests this year because he couldn't be guaranteed playing time. Mets GM Omar Minaya said Friday during a conference call that Beltran's injury provided an opening for Matthews, "There's an opportunity for him to come into New York and hopefully be able to get more playing time," Minaya said. "I think the key for him is going to be playing time."

The Mets have taken a low risk option in acquiring Matthews, as the Angels have picked up most of his salary. They say things are better the second time around, but with Matthews' recent performance and his age (35), signs point to Matthews offering the Mets very little in terms of power and average.

Read More

Bobby Bragan, 92, Former Brooklyn Dodger, 1917-2010

Former player and manager, Bobby Bragan has passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday in Fort Worth, TX.. Dubbed "Mr. Baseball" for his long time association with the game, Bragan became a manager for the Pirates and Braves after he retired as an active player with the Phillies and Dodgers. He later went on to start the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, which provided scholarships to youngsters from the Dallas / Fort Worth area.

Read More

Satchel Paige: The Story Of An American Baseball Legend

NPR program Fresh Air recently conducted an interview with Larry Tye, the author of the biography, "Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend." Tye's book was a New York Times best-seller in 2009 and gives great insight into the life and career of one of baseball's greatest players and characters, Leroy "Satchel" Paige. Click here to listen to the audio of the interview.

Read More

Update: Jose Offerman banned for life from Dominican winter league

ESPN.com reports that the Dominican Winter Baseball League has suspended Jose Offerman for life after he tried to hit umpire Daniel Rayburn during an argument last week. Due to the incident, Rayburn and three other American umpires working in the Dominican league resigned and left the country, forcing the league to use native umpires in the league's finals that start Monday between Cibao and the Escogido Lions.

Read More