Andre Dawson

1987: Andre Dawson had five hits and hit for the cycle, leading the Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the Giants.

According to sources, the Cubs are kicking the tires again on Padres closer Heath Bell (left), as they did at the winter meetings. He would strengthen the bullpen, but Lou Piniella would be back to juggling two would-be closers in Bell and Carlos Marmol , who went 11-for-11 in save situations after Piniella gave him the job. … The Brewers are thrilled with shortstop Alcides Escobar . He got to the big leagues with his glove...

Astros: Houston signed free-agent right-hander Xavier Hernandez. Hernandez, 30, pitched for Houston from 1990-93 and had a record of 17-14.Expos: The team record for homers in a month is held by Rusty Staub, who hit 12 in August 1970. . . . Other Expos to homer in four straight games were Andre Dawson (1985 and '86), Mitch Webster (1985) and Moises Alou (1993).Pub Date: 4/25/96

Rich "Goose" Gossage's long wait to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame is finally over, but Mark McGwire's vigil seemingly will go on for years. Gossage, a dominating reliever who in 22 seasons pitched for nine teams including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox, received 466 of the 543 votes (85.8 percent) cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. In his ninth year of Hall of Fame eligibility, Gossage easily eclipsed the 75 percent total required for induction after falling 21 votes short last year, when first-time candidates Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected.

NEW YORK -- Andre Dawson and the Chicago Cubs may be parting. The 38-year-old outfielder was one of nine players who filed for free agency yesterday, increasing the record total to 138. Dawson wanted to sign a contract extension during spring training, before the final season of his $6.6 million, two-year deal, but was rebuffed.Meanwhile, Toronto's total of free agents increased to 12 when infielder Manuel Lee filed.Also filing were 41-year-old Califoria pitcher Bert Blyleven, New York Yankees outfielder Jesse Barfield, Cubs third baseman Luis Salazar, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jay Howell and catcher Mike Scioscia, San Francisco pitcher Scott Garrelts and Boston outfielder Steve Lyons.

Jesse Orosco, Orioles relieverThe five toughest hitters:1. Chili Davis. "He's just absolutely destroyed me. Doubles, singles, homers, whatever it takes."2. Danny Tartabull. "He's hit me very hard. He's the only guy I've allowed three homers to in my career."3. Harold Reynolds. "He's got like eight or nine hits against me in 10 at-bats. He wouldn't try to drive the ball off me. He'd hit it wherever the pitch would be."4. Andre Dawson. "He's always been so aggressive. You can throw him a good pitch, down and in, and he's such a good hitter where he's still going to be able to drive the pitch somewhere."

Now that the Indians' Eddie Murray has reached 3,000 career hits, he can take aim at becoming the 15th player with 500 home runs. Here are the active players with 300 or more homers and their chances of getting their names into the fat part ofth e record book.Players .. .. .. .. .. ...CommentsEddie Murray -- Up -- Murray, 39, has 469. Broken ribs notwithstanding, he's a slam-dunk. Wouldn't it be nice if he did it as an Oriole next season?Dave Winfield -- Sideways-- Winfield, 43, has 464. Injuries have limited him to one this year, but he's still too close to rule out.Andre Dawson -- Down -- Dawson, who turns 41 tomorrow, has 432. At rate of one knee operation per 43.2 homers, won't make it.Lance Parrish -- Down -- Parrish, 39, has 323. He had 304 after 1991.

This week, Indians designated hitter Eddie Murray probably will become the 20th member of baseball's 3,000-hit club, joining teammate Dave Winfield as the only active players in that fraternity. Other major-leaguers near 3,000, and how likely it is that they'll make contact with the milestone:Players .......... ....... CommentsAndre Dawson -- DOWN -- Dawson, 40, has 2,715 hits. Closest numerically but has no chance. Is bit player with .195 average.Wade Boggs -- WHO KNOWS -- Boggs, 37, has 2,436.

BaseballAngels: Signed P Danny Greene; assigned him to short-season Single-A Boise. Signed IF Ray Martinez; assigned him to Triple-A Vancouver.Mariners: Recalled IF Andy Sheets from Triple-A Tacoma. Optioned OF Raul Ibanez to Tacoma.Marlins: Optioned IF Quilvio Veras and P Yorkis Perez to Triple-A Charlotte. Purchased contracts of IF Luis Castillo and P Felix Heredia from Triple-A Charlotte. Recalled P Miguel Batista from Charlotte. Activated 1B Greg Colbrunn from 15-day DL. Placed OF Andre Dawson (inflamed right knee)

CHICAGO -- Three weeks ago, Andre Dawson took his 3 1/2 -year-old son, Darius, to the souvenir shop at Fenway Park to get him a Red Sox cap. Darius protested. He wanted a Cubs cap."I had to buy both caps," Dawson said at Comiskey Park on Friday night, his first visit to Chicago after six seasons with the Cubs."I would have liked to retire here," Dawson said. "I love the city, and I love the people. But the Cubs management is a whole different story."The Cubs' brass, fearful that his knees wouldn't hold up, refused to offer him a contract for more than one year.

Bruce Sutter's Hall of Fame wait finally ended yesterday. For most baseball fans here, and maybe nationally, however, the true anticipation began after Sutter learned he had finally received enough votes to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on his 13th try. Now, Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn and -- perhaps most curiously -- Mark McGwire are on the yearlong clock. Sutter, who saved 300 games for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, was named on 76.9 percent of the ballots -- 400 of a record 520 -- returned by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez has a big credibility problem. Everything he does is unbelievable. He just won American League Player of the Month honors for the second month in a row. He leads the major leagues with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. He is the best all-around player in the game, the highest-paid athlete in the history of professional team sports and - by most accounts - a pretty decent human. So why isn't he the runaway candidate for AL Most Valuable Player? There is no dispute he is putting together one of the greatest individual performances in baseball history.

1987: Andre Dawson had five hits and hit for the cycle, leading the Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the Giants.

BaseballAngels: Signed P Danny Greene; assigned him to short-season Single-A Boise. Signed IF Ray Martinez; assigned him to Triple-A Vancouver.Mariners: Recalled IF Andy Sheets from Triple-A Tacoma. Optioned OF Raul Ibanez to Tacoma.Marlins: Optioned IF Quilvio Veras and P Yorkis Perez to Triple-A Charlotte. Purchased contracts of IF Luis Castillo and P Felix Heredia from Triple-A Charlotte. Recalled P Miguel Batista from Charlotte. Activated 1B Greg Colbrunn from 15-day DL. Placed OF Andre Dawson (inflamed right knee)

Astros: Houston signed free-agent right-hander Xavier Hernandez. Hernandez, 30, pitched for Houston from 1990-93 and had a record of 17-14.Expos: The team record for homers in a month is held by Rusty Staub, who hit 12 in August 1970. . . . Other Expos to homer in four straight games were Andre Dawson (1985 and '86), Mitch Webster (1985) and Moises Alou (1993).Pub Date: 4/25/96

BaseballAngels: Agreed to terms with P Dennis Springer on a minor-league contract and invited him to major-league camp.Astros: Signed P Anthony Young (3-4, 3.70 ERA) to minor-league contract that would pay him $275,000 if he makes the major-league team. Invited OF Ken Ramos and C Jimmy Gonzalez to camp.Expos: Re-signed OF James Buccheri to Triple-A contract.Marlins: Re-signed free-agent OF Andre Dawson (.257, 8 HRs) to minor-league contract that would pay him $500,000 if he makes major-league team.

BaseballAngels: Agreed to terms with P Dennis Springer on a minor-league contract and invited him to major-league camp.Astros: Signed P Anthony Young (3-4, 3.70 ERA) to minor-league contract that would pay him $275,000 if he makes the major-league team. Invited OF Ken Ramos and C Jimmy Gonzalez to camp.Expos: Re-signed OF James Buccheri to Triple-A contract.Marlins: Re-signed free-agent OF Andre Dawson (.257, 8 HRs) to minor-league contract that would pay him $500,000 if he makes major-league team.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- He didn't have a chance to think about th racial climate in Boston, the little nooks and crannies of the right-field corner at Fenway Park, or coming to a league he's never played in before and all the little things, other than money, that go into a decision to move from the comfort of one city, one league, one lifestyle, to an uncharted area.He didn't have an opportunity to consider his next homer will be his 400th and he's a mere 75 RBI from the usual Hall of Fame qualifier, 1,500.

Now that the Indians' Eddie Murray has reached 3,000 career hits, he can take aim at becoming the 15th player with 500 home runs. Here are the active players with 300 or more homers and their chances of getting their names into the fat part ofth e record book.Players .. .. .. .. .. ...CommentsEddie Murray -- Up -- Murray, 39, has 469. Broken ribs notwithstanding, he's a slam-dunk. Wouldn't it be nice if he did it as an Oriole next season?Dave Winfield -- Sideways-- Winfield, 43, has 464. Injuries have limited him to one this year, but he's still too close to rule out.Andre Dawson -- Down -- Dawson, who turns 41 tomorrow, has 432. At rate of one knee operation per 43.2 homers, won't make it.Lance Parrish -- Down -- Parrish, 39, has 323. He had 304 after 1991.