Sneed exclusive: Dawson says he’ll miss his MVP award when it sells

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Sneed exclusive . . .

Why is Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Andre “Hawk” Dawson putting all his treasures on the auction block?

Why is the baseball legend selling his 1987 National League MVP award, his 1982 Gold Glove award and his 1987 Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat Crown with other memorabilia in an auction at the National Sports Collectors Convention in July?

Here’s why:

“I sat with my family a couple years ago to do some estate planning and decided to finally move forward with downsizing and putting my daughter through law school,” Dawson said in an exclusive interview with Sneed via phone from Miami.

“I’ve collected so much stuff over the last 20 years and didn’t want to put in all in boxes and store it and wait until I am dead and gone and have my family worry about what to do with it.

“So we all sat down and knew the route we wanted to take,” Dawson said.

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Goldin Auctions in West Berlin, N.J., is selling the collection.

Ken Goldin, the company’s founder, estimated the MVP award could bring in more than $100,000 in the auction.

“Typically treasures like this come out when someone passes away,” Goldin told Sneed.

“I kept the MVP award in our game room and it will be what I miss the most. It’s the award I’m the most fond of. I’d be proud and very, very happy if the Cubs got it,” Dawson told Sneed.

“But now is the time to let things go. We have had a pretty big place with the kids and all, but the kids are pretty much on their way . . . and when my daughter finishes law school, she will be gone.”

So how did Dawson get the nickname “Hawk”?

“My uncle gave me the nickname because he said I had the scowl of a hawk when playing baseball,” he said. “That I wasn’t afraid of the ball.”

Dawson, who now works for the Miami Marlins in public relations and player evaluation, plans to attend the sports memorabilia convention being held in July.

“I get back to Chicago very once in a while and I think of Ernie Banks. He was a guy you had to love. He always talked about the family and life’s lessons. He is dearly missed not only in Chicago, but in the entire baseball arena.”

Palace problems . . .

Blimey! Illinois has one thing in common with the UK: mansion repairs!

• Brit bit: Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, may have to move out of Buckingham Palace while renovations — totaling around $237 million buckeroos — take place.

• State grate: Renovations to the dilapidated old Springfield executive mansion, including some major roof repairs, are estimated to cost $8.8 million.

• Common ground: None. The state’s old pile will be paid with private funds. Buckingham Palace will be paid for with public funds! Imagine!

I spy . . .

Legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson took a break from filming the new Spike Lee film, “Chiraq,” to dine at Rosebud on Rush Wednesday night. . . .  Actor Thomas Haden Church stopped by Gibsons on Rush Wednesday for lunch . . . NCAA basketball champion (and new first-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers) Jahlil Okafor was seen dining at Giordano’s Gold Coast location over the weekend. . . . Chicago Blackhawks centerman Andrew Shaw ordered dinner from Chicago Cut Steakhouse last weekend, which was delivered personally by Matt Moore, managing partner of Chicago Cut, C Chicago and The Local Chicago. . . . And former Bull Dennis Rodman was spotted at Chicago Cut Steakhouse on Monday evening . . . ditto Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling.

Sneedlings . . .

Friday’s birthdays: Chris Isaak, 59; Nick Offerman, 45, and Ariana Grande, 22.

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