wilkerson_rulz-06
06-13-2006, 07:51 AM
I saw them play, I saw the great Steve Rogers deliver a great speech in front of this ecstatic crowd, Willie Cromartie sung ''Take me out to the ballgame'' during the stretch, but best of all, I got to see the Hawk pinch hit late in the game.
Andre Dawson had arived here with the intention of being the ''Legends'' coach, we weere obviously dissapointed as we wxpected him to play, I guess his knees would not allow, as I soon found out.
With the Legends trailing by a run in the late innings, Andre ''The Hawk'' Dawson, sent himself to the plate to pinch hit with the game on the line.
As he dug into the batter's box, digging deep into the dirt, there was a sense of expectancy in the well-packed crowd, in respect, the outfielders, led by once Expos pitcher Derek Aucoin, retreited, as if the Hawk was goign to hit one of his memorable home runs.
Dawson stared into the pitcher's eyes, the pitcher delivered, and the pitch fell into the dirt, Ball one, the Hawk had just seen the first pitch delivered to him in more than a decade and it fell helplessly into the dirt.
The next pitch was different, Dawson stepped in and swung mightely and mightely missed too, strike one to the Hawk, PA announce Rodger Brulotte, was calling out and congratulating the Hawk for swinging like that.
A pitch later, the Hawk was down 1-2, he looked deeply into the pitcher's eyes, the crowd rose, the usual fans started to chant ''Dawson, Dawson, Dawson'', the pitch was coming, and fortunately for Dawson, the umpire and Brulotte were in a good mood, it looked as if the once great player had swung on strike three but apparently, the umpire waved his hands while saying ''foul tip'' even though everyone knew it was strike 3.
Everyone again, was cheering loudly, then it came, a line drive to deep left field into the corner was the Hawks first ''hit'' since his Cubs days, Rosie Edehm was his ''designated runner'' and she slid in safely at third with a jaw-dropping triple.
The crow went nuts as Dawson waved his hat and returned to the away dugout.
And the highlights of the game:
Derek Aucoin, big strong man, once a pitcher for the Expos, hit a fly ball over the center-field fence...''Crow'' got a single and a double, both were elegant line drives to center-field and right-field (Vincent Damphousse happened to play there)...''Aaron'', from Aaron and Tasso in the morning, hit two deep fly balls to left field but flew out twice...Alain Chantelois struck out nicely :D...Sugar Sammy was picked off second base and started to run into the outfield.
That was all last night, at outdoor Jarry Park, during the now annual ''Celebrities Softball Game'' and boy was it worth it.
I wanted to stay to meet Rogers and Crow and Dawson even Jim Fanning who was there, but there must've been hundreds of people waiting in line.
I got the oppertunity to see legends bat, and now I understand, how truly good baseball was back then and that baseball belongs in Montreal, regardless of what they say.
To answer the thread's title...I saw him...Andre Dawson.
That made my life, to see these legends play, and it was one of the best games I'd been to.
The score did not matter, the presence of Crow, Hawk and Rogers did.
Andre Dawson had arived here with the intention of being the ''Legends'' coach, we weere obviously dissapointed as we wxpected him to play, I guess his knees would not allow, as I soon found out.
With the Legends trailing by a run in the late innings, Andre ''The Hawk'' Dawson, sent himself to the plate to pinch hit with the game on the line.
As he dug into the batter's box, digging deep into the dirt, there was a sense of expectancy in the well-packed crowd, in respect, the outfielders, led by once Expos pitcher Derek Aucoin, retreited, as if the Hawk was goign to hit one of his memorable home runs.
Dawson stared into the pitcher's eyes, the pitcher delivered, and the pitch fell into the dirt, Ball one, the Hawk had just seen the first pitch delivered to him in more than a decade and it fell helplessly into the dirt.
The next pitch was different, Dawson stepped in and swung mightely and mightely missed too, strike one to the Hawk, PA announce Rodger Brulotte, was calling out and congratulating the Hawk for swinging like that.
A pitch later, the Hawk was down 1-2, he looked deeply into the pitcher's eyes, the crowd rose, the usual fans started to chant ''Dawson, Dawson, Dawson'', the pitch was coming, and fortunately for Dawson, the umpire and Brulotte were in a good mood, it looked as if the once great player had swung on strike three but apparently, the umpire waved his hands while saying ''foul tip'' even though everyone knew it was strike 3.
Everyone again, was cheering loudly, then it came, a line drive to deep left field into the corner was the Hawks first ''hit'' since his Cubs days, Rosie Edehm was his ''designated runner'' and she slid in safely at third with a jaw-dropping triple.
The crow went nuts as Dawson waved his hat and returned to the away dugout.
And the highlights of the game:
Derek Aucoin, big strong man, once a pitcher for the Expos, hit a fly ball over the center-field fence...''Crow'' got a single and a double, both were elegant line drives to center-field and right-field (Vincent Damphousse happened to play there)...''Aaron'', from Aaron and Tasso in the morning, hit two deep fly balls to left field but flew out twice...Alain Chantelois struck out nicely :D...Sugar Sammy was picked off second base and started to run into the outfield.
That was all last night, at outdoor Jarry Park, during the now annual ''Celebrities Softball Game'' and boy was it worth it.
I wanted to stay to meet Rogers and Crow and Dawson even Jim Fanning who was there, but there must've been hundreds of people waiting in line.
I got the oppertunity to see legends bat, and now I understand, how truly good baseball was back then and that baseball belongs in Montreal, regardless of what they say.
To answer the thread's title...I saw him...Andre Dawson.
That made my life, to see these legends play, and it was one of the best games I'd been to.
The score did not matter, the presence of Crow, Hawk and Rogers did.