New York (AFP) — Eight-time All-Star outfielder Andre Dawson was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Wednesday in his ninth try, but Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar fell shy of the honor.

Dawson, one of only three players - along with Barry Bonds and Willie Mays - with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, received 420 of 539 votes in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

That was 15 more than the 75 percent needed for election. He was 44 votes shy last year.

Second baseman Alomar, on the ballot for the first time, received 397 votes 73.7 percent.

"I feel disappointed, but next year hopefully I make it in," Alomar said at his home in New York. "At least I was close."

Blyleven received 400 votes (74.2 percent), up from 338 last year, and the pitcher will likely get in because he has two more tries on the ballot.

Slugger Mark McGwire, whose Hall of Fame chances took a nosedive after he evaded questions from Congress in 2005 about steroid use, received 128 votes (23.7 percent). That was 10 more than last year and matched the total from his first two appearances on the ballot.

Dawson will be inducted July 25 at Cooperstown along with manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, who were elected last month by the Veterans Committee.

Dawson hit 438 homers in a career that spanned from 1976-96. Nicknamed "The Hawk," he was voted National League Rookie of the Year in 1977 with Montreal and NL Most Valuable Player in 1987 with the Chicago Cubs, the first member of a last-place team to earn the honor.

Dawson stayed with the Cubs through 1992, then spent two seasons each with Boston and Florida. He had a .279 career average with 1,591 RBIs and 314 steals, playing through 12 knee operations.