Florida Honors Andre Dawson With Medal of Freedom
Governor Ron DeSantis presents the state's highest civilian honor to the former Major League Baseball star and Hall of Famer.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Baseball
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis awarded Andre Dawson the Governor's Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor a Florida governor can bestow. Dawson gave an acceptance speech after receiving the award.
Why it matters
The award recognizes Dawson's distinguished 21-season Major League Baseball career and his lasting impact on Florida. It also honors his generous support of Florida A&M University and its baseball program.
Dawson hit 438 career home runs and recorded 2,774 hits across 21 Major League seasons, with 1,591 runs batted in and 314 stolen bases. He earned eight All-Star selections, eight Gold Glove Awards, and four Silver Slugger Awards.
The players
Andre Dawson
Andre Dawson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played 21 seasons and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis is the Governor of Florida who presented the state's Governor's Medal of Freedom to Dawson.
The details
Governor Ron DeSantis presented the Governor's Medal of Freedom to Dawson at an award ceremony. Dawson, who was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 1975 MLB Draft, won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1977 and the National League MVP with the Chicago Cubs in 1987.
Timeline
1975: Montreal Expos select Andre Dawson in the MLB Draft.
1977: Dawson wins National League Rookie of the Year.
1987: Dawson wins National League MVP with the Chicago Cubs.
2010: Dawson is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2018: The MLB HBCU event is renamed the Andre Dawson Classic.
Legacy Recognition
The Governor's Medal of Freedom, established as Florida's highest civilian honor, extends Dawson's 2010 National Baseball Hall of Fame recognition into state-level acknowledgment. The award places a Florida-born-era star alongside the state's other top civilian honorees.
The honor draws attention to Dawson's career totals and Hall of Fame credentials for fans tracking baseball history. Readers interested in the sport's legacy players can use Dawson's statistics as a benchmark for comparison.
The takeaway
Dawson's career statistics and Hall of Fame induction give readers a concrete benchmark for evaluating outfielders from his era. The state's Medal of Freedom adds a civilian dimension to his legacy beyond the baseball record books.
Further reading
Explore more Baseball coverage to see how Dawson's career fits into the sport's history.
Source note: This article includes information reported by South Florida Times.
