XM MLB Chat: Getting in Hall of Fame worth $1 million+ as Andre Dawson will find out even if he goes in as an Expo

Bill Madden: "Goose Gossage went from getting $3,000 an appearance as a perennial also-ran on the Hall of Fame ballot

to $25,000 an appearance after he was elected, as his autograph increased from $10 to $50....

Word is Andre Dawson wants to go into the Hall of Fame as a Chicago Cub, for whom he won the 1987 NL MVP and earned five All-Star nominations,

but the Hall of Fame, which reserves the right to make the call, had

wanted him to go in as a Montreal Expo,

for whom he played his first 11 seasons and won 1977 Rookie of the Year honors.

So Dawson doesn't know whose hat will be adorning his Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if a

compromise is reached such as the one the Hall managed with

Catfish Hunter, who is portrayed on his plaque with a cap that
has no team logo.

But here's what Dawson does know about being a newly minted Hall of Famer: His value just increased threefold and he can count on making millions in autograph signings for the rest of his life.

"I've always said making the Hall of the Fame is worth a minimum of a million dollars," said Alan (Mr. Mint) Rosen, the renowned "Million Dollar Dealer." "To begin with, guys who were getting $10 per autograph, as Dawson was, immediately jump to $40 ...

It doesn't matter what uniform you're in on your plaque. All that matters is you're in."

If he hasn't already, Dawson will quickly find out from his fellow Hall of Famers how the road to Cooperstown intersects with Easy Street. For example: Goose Gossage went from getting $3,000 an appearance as a perennial also-ran on the Hall of Fame ballot to $25,000 an appearance after he was elected, as his autograph increased from $10 to $50."...

Important fact from Bill--no Expo stats in Nats' press guide: