* Hats off to Andre and Whitey

Actually I have a neat little hat rack for most of my baseball caps, but it is lying on top of a bookcase, so I’m gonna count it.

When a Hall of Famer plays for a few teams over his career, there’s always hand-wringing over what hat his plaque will bear.

Several years ago, there was a kerfuffle because the Tampa Bay Rays wanted Wade Boggs to go in wearing one of their caps — and were willing to compensate him for it — even though he had played with them for just one season (although he did notch his 3,000th hit with the Rays).

(For more on the cap controversy, see this interview with the Hall’s president, Jeff Idelson, from ESPN.com’s Page 2 section.)

So When Andre Dawson was voted in earlier this month, the question came up again: WWAW (what would Andre wear)?

Herewith the official announcement from the Hall:

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Wednesday the logo selections for the Hall of Fame plaques of its 2010 inductees.

The plaque of BBWAA-electee Andre Dawson will feature an Expos logo, though the Cubs, Red Sox and Marlins will all be listed as other teams for which he played. Veterans Committee electee Whitey Herzog’s plaque will feature a Cardinals logo, and the Royals, Rangers and Angels will all be listed. The plaque of fellow Veterans Committee electee Doug Harvey will not feature a logo on his cap, as the ninth umpire elected to Cooperstown.

The choice of which team logo appears on a player’s plaque is the Museum’s decision, though the wishes of an inductee are always considered. As the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum, it is important that the logo be emblematic of where the player made his greatest impact. A player’s election to the Hall of Fame, however, is a career achievement. As such, every team for whom he played is listed on the plaque.

“I respect the Hall of Fame’s decision to put an Expos logo on my cap, and I understand their responsibility to make sure the logo represents the greatest impact in my career,” Dawson said. “Cubs fans will always be incredibly important in my heart, and I owe them so much for making my time in Chicago memorable, as did the fans in Montreal, Boston and South Florida, my home. But knowing that I’m on the Hall of Fame team is what’s most important, as it is the highest honor I could imagine.”

Dawson, whose major league career spanned 21 seasons, spent his first 11 years as a major league player in Montreal (1977-1986), recording 1,575 of his 2,774 hits as an Expo, while winning six Gold Glove Awards, finishing in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting three times, collecting seven seasons of 20 or more home runs, stealing 30 or more bases in four seasons and recording three seasons with a batting average of .300 or better. Dawson was named the 1977 N.L. Rookie of the Year in Montreal and led the Expos to their only postseason series win with a five-game victory over the Phillies in the 1981 N.L. Division Series.

Dawson also played six seasons in Chicago (1987-1992), winning the 1987 N.L. MVP while earning five All-Star Game selections, before logging two years with Boston (1993-1994) and two seasons with the Florida Marlins (1995-1996).

“Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame career belongs to every one of his fans, in every city across the country,” said Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “The logo selection is only important from an historical standpoint, as the Museum has a responsibility to properly interpret the game’s history. Every Hall of Fame plaque lists all of the teams where an electee played or managed. Fans of ‘The Hawk’ in every city in which he played should claim Andre as one of their own.”

Herzog managed 18 seasons in the major leagues, recording a .530 winning percentage (822-728) in 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning three N.L. pennants and the 1982 World Series. Herzog also managed parts of five seasons with the Kansas City Royals, leading them to a 410-304 (.574) mark and three consecutive division titles from 1976-1978. Herzog also spent parts of one season as manager in Texas (1973) and California (1974).