Éric Gagné
Encyclopedia
Éric Serge Gagné (born January 7, 1976 in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
.
Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers
as a free agent
in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher
. After he struggled in that role, the Dodgers converted Gagné from a starter to a reliever, where for three years (2002–2004) he was statistically the most outstanding closer
in the game, winning the Cy Young Award
in 2003. During that period, he set a major league record by converting 84 consecutive save opportunities. The phrase "Game Over" was heavily used by the Dodgers and the media in connection with his appearances to finish close games.
Gagné played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 due to injury, undergoing elbow surgery in 2005 and back surgery in 2006. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2006, and Gagné started the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers
, where he briefly enjoyed success again as a closer. However, he was less successful in stints with the Boston Red Sox
and Milwaukee Brewers
, and was finally released after the 2008 season.
In December 2007, days after signing a contract for 2008 with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was linked to baseball's steroids scandal after he was named in the Mitchell Report
.
family, grew up in the small town of Mascouche
, near Montreal
, Quebec
. As a boy, he played baseball and ice hockey
at Montreal's Polyvalente Édouard-Montpetit High School, the same high school that Russell Martin
attended.
His Little League teams were coached by his father, Richard. He eventually became a star with Canada's Junior World Championship teams. He was a fan of the Montreal Expos
and Montreal Canadiens
throughout his childhood.
. He taught himself English and became the star pitcher for Seminole's baseball team. He was a 30th-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox
in 1994 (845th overall), but the following year he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
as an amateur free agent.
surgery. He made his Major League debut on September 7, when he started a game for the Dodgers against the Florida Marlins
, working six shutout innings and striking out eight. In his first year in the major leagues, he appeared in only five games as a starting pitcher, with a 1-1 record and 2.10 ERA. Over his first three seasons he won eleven games while losing fourteen in 48 games, 38 of them starts.
At the start of the 2002 season, following the retirement of Dodgers closer Jeff Shaw
, he was converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher
. He picked up his first career save on April 7 against the Colorado Rockies
and soon became the National League
's leading reliever. He saved 10 consecutive games before he suffered his first blown save on May 7 against the Atlanta Braves
. Overall, he earned 52 saves for the season. Gagné had an assortment of pitches he used as a reliever but his most effective were his fastball and change-up. Gagné would set up hitters with his 98 mph fastball and eventually strike them out with his 78 mph Vulcan changeup
.
In 2003, as a closer
, Gagné was called upon 55 times to save a baseball game and converted every one of them en route to becoming both the first pitcher to record 50 saves in more than one season and also the fastest pitcher to ever reach the 100-save plateau. His 55 saves in 2003 also equaled the National League
record set the previous season by John Smoltz
. Between August 26, 2002 and July 5, 2004, he converted 84 consecutive save chances, a major league record. More than half (55%) of the batters he retired during the 2003 season came by strikeout
.
When Gagné entered a game at Dodger Stadium, usually in the eighth or ninth inning with the Dodgers in the lead, the words "Game Over" would flash across the scoreboard and the PA system would play the song "Welcome to the Jungle
" by Guns N' Roses
.
In addition to his 55 saves, Gagné finished the 2003 season with a 1.20 earned run average
and had 137 strikeouts and 20 walks
in 82⅓ innings pitched. This translated into an incredible 1.66 strikeouts per inning pitched. For his performance, he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and became the first relief pitcher in 11 years to win the Cy Young Award
. He and Ferguson Jenkins
are the only two Canadian pitchers to win the most prestigious pitching award in baseball. He is the only pitcher to win the award while having a losing season (his record was 2–3). Despite this, he lost his arbitration case over the winter; he had asked for a 14-fold raise from $550,000 to $8 million but had to settle for $5 million.
On July 15, 2004—just ten days after his saves streak ended—Gagné collected his 130th save as a Dodger in a 5–2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks
at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona
, surpassing Jeff Shaw
for the most career saves in team history. Gagné threw three shutout innings during his first appearance in the playoffs that year, but the Dodgers lost the division series 3–1 to the St. Louis Cardinals
.
Prior to the 2007 season, Gagné had converted 161 saves out of 168 save opportunities for a conversion rate of 96.6%, the highest in Major League Baseball history for a pitcher with at least 100 saves.
to repair a sprained ligament in his right elbow. Recovery would take a year or more; furthermore, a return to major league pitching after a second Tommy John operation (Gagné's first was in 1997) is nearly unprecedented, having since been achieved by another Dodger reliever, the Taiwanese left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo
. However, as surgeons began to perform the operation, they discovered instead a nerve
entrapped by scar tissue and were able to release it with a less invasive procedure. Gagné was still unable to play for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Gagné expressed hope that an accelerated recovery would allow him to pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic
in March 2006, but he eventually decided that it was not worth the risk, and to focus on preparing to pitch in the regular season.
After some encouraging outings in early spring training
, pain in Gagné's pitching elbow forced him to undergo a second surgery, this time to remove entirely the nerve that doctors had previously attempted to stabilize. More recovery time ensued, but Gagné finally pitched in his first regular-season game of 2006 on June 3. He made two appearances for the Dodgers, pitching two scoreless innings and earning one save, but pain from the nerve in his elbow recurred, and he returned to the disabled list
on June 12. A further (and apparently unrelated) setback occurred on July 4, when Gagné awoke with intense pain in his back. An examination revealed two herniated disc
s, and Gagné underwent a season-ending back surgery on July 8.
The Dodgers declined to extend Gagné's $12 million contract after the season, making him a free agent
. On December 12, 2006 Gagné signed a one year deal with the Texas Rangers
worth $6 million, with a possible $5 million in performance bonuses. Gagné had a poor spring training, allowing five earned runs in only three innings of work. For the third consecutive year, Gagné was placed on the disabled list to start the season to let him recover from his injuries. Gagné started to make his recovery by tossing in three minor league games, two of them on consecutive days, allowing a home run and having one loss. In his last minor league game, Gagné retired all three of the batters he faced, and he was activated on April 13.
In his first week back, Gagné pitched three innings, earning one save. But in the middle of his second save situation, Gagné left the game after complaining of leg pain. He said that it would take about a week to recover from the injury, but the Rangers, not taking the risk, placed Gagné on the disabled list with a hip injury. He was reactivated on May 8 and returned to the closer role. During his time with Texas, he was 2–0 with 16 saves and an ERA of 2.16; opposing hitters batted only .192 against him.
On July 31, 2007, Gagné was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for pitcher
Kason Gabbard
and minor league outfielder
s David Murphy and Engel Beltré
. Gagné was expected to serve as a setup man
for closer Jonathan Papelbon
. Theo Epstein was quoted as saying that "I think the bullpen is already a strength of the club, but acquiring a pitcher the caliber of Eric Gagné only makes it stronger and helps give us what we hope will be a truly dominant bullpen for the remainder of the year."
However, Gagné struggled in his new role with the Red Sox. In his first 15 appearances, Gagné allowed 14 earned runs in 14 innings (a 9.00 ERA) with three blown saves and an opponent batting average of over .350.
Gagné seemed to improve down the stretch and was eventually added to the playoff roster. In the playoffs, he was most often used in games in which the Red Sox were winning by a wide margin, including his only World Series
appearance in which he pitched a perfect
ninth inning in a 13–1 Game 1 victory. The only exception to this was his appearance in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series
against the Cleveland Indians
. Brought into a tie game in the top of the 11th inning, Gagné took the loss after allowing the first two runs of a 7-run 11th inning.
In Boston, Gagné wore the number 83, as starting pitcher Curt Schilling
already wore Gagné's usual number 38.
. On December 10, he inked the one year deal to become their new closer. The one year deal has a base salary of $10 million, with incentives worth up to an extra $1 million.
On May 11, Brewers manager Ned Yost
announced Gagné would be removed from the closer's role for a while, after 3 blown saves in 6 attempts. But after a couple days Gagné said he was ready to go, and a couple days later got his 10th save. However, Gagné continued to struggle as the team's closer and ultimately became the set-up man after losing his closer job to the veteran Salomon Torres
. Gagné's struggles continued out of the bullpen, however. He eventually lost his set-up job to Guillermo Mota
, and he finished the season as a middle relief pitcher, a role in which he still struggled.
He finished 2008 with his worst full season in the major leagues: 10 saves in 17 opportunities, an ERA of 5.41, and only 38 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. He did not convert a save after losing the closer job to Torres. His poor performance on the field coupled with the very high salary he was paid by a small market team led to him being considered a "ten million dollar mistake" by many Brewers fans.
Gagné went back to wearing the number 38 after wearing 83 in Boston.
Gagné became a free agent following the 2008 season and re-signed with the Brewers to a minor league deal. However, he was released midway through spring training in part due to a shoulder injury.
of the independent Can-Am League as a starting pitcher/coach. Gagné began playing with the team on June 9, 2009. He has been highly praised by Capitales manager Michel Laplante for his hard work and mentorship of other pitchers and hitters on the team. Gagné helped the team win the League Championship in September 2009. On July 26, 2009, in a game versus the New Jersey Jackals
, he recorded 6 no hit innings in a 7 inning game. He would surrender two straight hits. However, the team would end the game on a triple play
.
with an invite to spring training. Dodgers reliever Ramón Troncoso
, remembering Gagné's mentorship of young pitchers such as himself during Gagné's earlier stint with the Dodgers, "had no problem" releasing to Gagné his old uniform number 38. Gagné made three Spring Training appearances with the Dodgers, allowing six runs on eight hits in 2⅔ innings for a 20.25 ERA. On March 15, he was reassigned to minor league camp, acknowledging that he needed more work to bring his game back to the Major League level. However, after appearing in just one Minor League intrasquad game after his demotion, Gagné asked and was granted his release, on March 21, from the Dodgers, with the hope that he could find another opportunity with another team. However, he announced his retirement on April 18.
—former Senator George Mitchell
's report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. Gagné was identified as a user of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Allegedly, Gagné received the drugs from steroids dealer Kirk Radomski
. At first, Radomski said that Gagné obtained them from Dodgers teammate Paul Lo Duca
, but then Radomski said in the report that he mailed two shipments of HGH directly to Gagné in 2004. Receipts of FedEx and USPS shipments indicate that Radomski received at least one payment from Gagné and two from Dodgers teammate Lo Duca on behalf of Gagné. Gagné declined to meet with Senator Mitchell to respond to the charges before the report was released.
In a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times
, Gagné expressed remorse not only for what he had done, but also for the fact that he could not speak openly about it, likely (according to the Times) due to reluctance to implicate others.
Gagné acknowledged that he has been looked to as a role model, and called himself an example of what one should not do. On the other hand, when asked whether he had given an honest performance to Dodgers fans, he maintained that he had always worked hard to do so.
In a February 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times
, Gagne admitted that he had used HGH, saying that it was to recover from a knee injury.
, played several seasons in the NHL.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. After he struggled in that role, the Dodgers converted Gagné from a starter to a reliever, where for three years (2002–2004) he was statistically the most outstanding closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
in the game, winning the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
in 2003. During that period, he set a major league record by converting 84 consecutive save opportunities. The phrase "Game Over" was heavily used by the Dodgers and the media in connection with his appearances to finish close games.
Gagné played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 due to injury, undergoing elbow surgery in 2005 and back surgery in 2006. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2006, and Gagné started the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, where he briefly enjoyed success again as a closer. However, he was less successful in stints with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and was finally released after the 2008 season.
In December 2007, days after signing a contract for 2008 with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was linked to baseball's steroids scandal after he was named in the Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
.
Early life
Gagné, from a French CanadianFrench Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
family, grew up in the small town of Mascouche
Mascouche, Quebec
Mascouche is a suburban city north of Montreal in southern Quebec, Canada. The city is located on the Mascouche River and has a population of 33,764, ranking 30th among Quebec municipalities.The current mayor is Richard Marcotte.- Infrastructure :...
, near Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. As a boy, he played baseball and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
at Montreal's Polyvalente Édouard-Montpetit High School, the same high school that Russell Martin
Russell Martin
Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin, Jr is a Canadian Major League Baseball catcher for the New York Yankees.Martin became the everyday catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers immediately upon his Major League debut, and continued in that role for nearly 5 years...
attended.
His Little League teams were coached by his father, Richard. He eventually became a star with Canada's Junior World Championship teams. He was a fan of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
and Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
throughout his childhood.
Early career
Gagné, who spoke only French, went to study at Seminole Junior College in Seminole, OklahomaSeminole, Oklahoma
Seminole is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,899 at the 2000 census. Seminole experienced a large population growth in the 1920s due to an oil boom...
. He taught himself English and became the star pitcher for Seminole's baseball team. He was a 30th-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in 1994 (845th overall), but the following year he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as an amateur free agent.
Los Angeles Dodgers
He then went on to pitch in the minor leagues but missed the entire 1997 season due to Tommy JohnTommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...
surgery. He made his Major League debut on September 7, when he started a game for the Dodgers against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, working six shutout innings and striking out eight. In his first year in the major leagues, he appeared in only five games as a starting pitcher, with a 1-1 record and 2.10 ERA. Over his first three seasons he won eleven games while losing fourteen in 48 games, 38 of them starts.
At the start of the 2002 season, following the retirement of Dodgers closer Jeff Shaw
Jeff Shaw
Jeffrey Lee Shaw is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who had a 12-year career from 1990 to 2001...
, he was converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He picked up his first career save on April 7 against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and soon became the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's leading reliever. He saved 10 consecutive games before he suffered his first blown save on May 7 against the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Overall, he earned 52 saves for the season. Gagné had an assortment of pitches he used as a reliever but his most effective were his fastball and change-up. Gagné would set up hitters with his 98 mph fastball and eventually strike them out with his 78 mph Vulcan changeup
Vulcan changeup
In baseball, the vulcan changeup pitch is a type of changeup; it closely resembles a forkball and split-finger fastball. It is a variation of the circle changeup, and when mastered can be extremely effective...
.
In 2003, as a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
, Gagné was called upon 55 times to save a baseball game and converted every one of them en route to becoming both the first pitcher to record 50 saves in more than one season and also the fastest pitcher to ever reach the 100-save plateau. His 55 saves in 2003 also equaled the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
record set the previous season by John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
. Between August 26, 2002 and July 5, 2004, he converted 84 consecutive save chances, a major league record. More than half (55%) of the batters he retired during the 2003 season came by strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
.
When Gagné entered a game at Dodger Stadium, usually in the eighth or ninth inning with the Dodgers in the lead, the words "Game Over" would flash across the scoreboard and the PA system would play the song "Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle
"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on its 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. It was released as the band's second single on October 3, 1987, and reached number #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number #24 on the UK Singles Chart...
" by Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
.
In addition to his 55 saves, Gagné finished the 2003 season with a 1.20 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and had 137 strikeouts and 20 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in 82⅓ innings pitched. This translated into an incredible 1.66 strikeouts per inning pitched. For his performance, he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award and became the first relief pitcher in 11 years to win the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
. He and Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
are the only two Canadian pitchers to win the most prestigious pitching award in baseball. He is the only pitcher to win the award while having a losing season (his record was 2–3). Despite this, he lost his arbitration case over the winter; he had asked for a 14-fold raise from $550,000 to $8 million but had to settle for $5 million.
On July 15, 2004—just ten days after his saves streak ended—Gagné collected his 130th save as a Dodger in a 5–2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, surpassing Jeff Shaw
Jeff Shaw
Jeffrey Lee Shaw is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who had a 12-year career from 1990 to 2001...
for the most career saves in team history. Gagné threw three shutout innings during his first appearance in the playoffs that year, but the Dodgers lost the division series 3–1 to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
Prior to the 2007 season, Gagné had converted 161 saves out of 168 save opportunities for a conversion rate of 96.6%, the highest in Major League Baseball history for a pitcher with at least 100 saves.
Injuries
Gagné battled injuries of several kinds in early 2005, pitching in only 14 games, though still very well (2.70 ERA, 8 saves in 8 opportunities). On June 21, 2005, it was announced that Gagné would undergo season-ending Tommy John surgeryTommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
to repair a sprained ligament in his right elbow. Recovery would take a year or more; furthermore, a return to major league pitching after a second Tommy John operation (Gagné's first was in 1997) is nearly unprecedented, having since been achieved by another Dodger reliever, the Taiwanese left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo is a Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Kuo made his debut in , he became the fourth MLB player from Taiwan ....
. However, as surgeons began to perform the operation, they discovered instead a nerve
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
entrapped by scar tissue and were able to release it with a less invasive procedure. Gagné was still unable to play for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Gagné expressed hope that an accelerated recovery would allow him to pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
in March 2006, but he eventually decided that it was not worth the risk, and to focus on preparing to pitch in the regular season.
After some encouraging outings in early spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, pain in Gagné's pitching elbow forced him to undergo a second surgery, this time to remove entirely the nerve that doctors had previously attempted to stabilize. More recovery time ensued, but Gagné finally pitched in his first regular-season game of 2006 on June 3. He made two appearances for the Dodgers, pitching two scoreless innings and earning one save, but pain from the nerve in his elbow recurred, and he returned to the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
on June 12. A further (and apparently unrelated) setback occurred on July 4, when Gagné awoke with intense pain in his back. An examination revealed two herniated disc
Spinal disc herniation
A spinal disc herniation , informally and misleadingly called a "slipped disc", is a medical condition affecting the spine due to trauma, lifting injuries, or idiopathic, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion A spinal disc herniation...
s, and Gagné underwent a season-ending back surgery on July 8.
Texas Rangers
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. On December 12, 2006 Gagné signed a one year deal with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
worth $6 million, with a possible $5 million in performance bonuses. Gagné had a poor spring training, allowing five earned runs in only three innings of work. For the third consecutive year, Gagné was placed on the disabled list to start the season to let him recover from his injuries. Gagné started to make his recovery by tossing in three minor league games, two of them on consecutive days, allowing a home run and having one loss. In his last minor league game, Gagné retired all three of the batters he faced, and he was activated on April 13.
In his first week back, Gagné pitched three innings, earning one save. But in the middle of his second save situation, Gagné left the game after complaining of leg pain. He said that it would take about a week to recover from the injury, but the Rangers, not taking the risk, placed Gagné on the disabled list with a hip injury. He was reactivated on May 8 and returned to the closer role. During his time with Texas, he was 2–0 with 16 saves and an ERA of 2.16; opposing hitters batted only .192 against him.
Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Kason Gabbard
Kason Gabbard
Kason Ronald Gabbard is a starting pitcher who is a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed.-High school:Gabbard played high school baseball at Royal Palm Beach High School in Royal Palm Beach, Florida...
and minor league outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
s David Murphy and Engel Beltré
Engel Beltré
Engel Manuel Beltré is a Outfielder who is currently on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster....
. Gagné was expected to serve as a setup man
Setup pitcher
In baseball, a setup pitcher is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the 7th and/or 8th innings, with the closer pitching the 9th....
for closer Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005-2011....
. Theo Epstein was quoted as saying that "I think the bullpen is already a strength of the club, but acquiring a pitcher the caliber of Eric Gagné only makes it stronger and helps give us what we hope will be a truly dominant bullpen for the remainder of the year."
However, Gagné struggled in his new role with the Red Sox. In his first 15 appearances, Gagné allowed 14 earned runs in 14 innings (a 9.00 ERA) with three blown saves and an opponent batting average of over .350.
Gagné seemed to improve down the stretch and was eventually added to the playoff roster. In the playoffs, he was most often used in games in which the Red Sox were winning by a wide margin, including his only World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
appearance in which he pitched a perfect
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
ninth inning in a 13–1 Game 1 victory. The only exception to this was his appearance in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series
2007 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Friday, October 12, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn Game 1, the Cleveland Indians took the lead when Travis Hafner hit a home run to deep right field in the first inning against Josh Beckett. Beckett retired the next ten batters in a row, finishing by striking out seven while...
against the Cleveland Indians
2007 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians' 2007 season saw the Indians win the AL Central title for the first time since 2001 and play for American League title before losing to the Boston Red Sox in seven games....
. Brought into a tie game in the top of the 11th inning, Gagné took the loss after allowing the first two runs of a 7-run 11th inning.
In Boston, Gagné wore the number 83, as starting pitcher Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
already wore Gagné's usual number 38.
Milwaukee Brewers
On December 9, 2007, Gagné reached a preliminary agreement with the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. On December 10, he inked the one year deal to become their new closer. The one year deal has a base salary of $10 million, with incentives worth up to an extra $1 million.
On May 11, Brewers manager Ned Yost
Ned Yost
Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals. He is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.-Playing career:...
announced Gagné would be removed from the closer's role for a while, after 3 blown saves in 6 attempts. But after a couple days Gagné said he was ready to go, and a couple days later got his 10th save. However, Gagné continued to struggle as the team's closer and ultimately became the set-up man after losing his closer job to the veteran Salomon Torres
Salomón Torres
Salomón Torres Ramirez is a former Major League Baseball player. He began his career in with the San Francisco Giants, and also played for the Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Brewers.-San Francisco Giants:Torres is best known for starting the last game of the...
. Gagné's struggles continued out of the bullpen, however. He eventually lost his set-up job to Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
, and he finished the season as a middle relief pitcher, a role in which he still struggled.
He finished 2008 with his worst full season in the major leagues: 10 saves in 17 opportunities, an ERA of 5.41, and only 38 strikeouts in 46 innings of work. He did not convert a save after losing the closer job to Torres. His poor performance on the field coupled with the very high salary he was paid by a small market team led to him being considered a "ten million dollar mistake" by many Brewers fans.
Gagné went back to wearing the number 38 after wearing 83 in Boston.
Gagné became a free agent following the 2008 season and re-signed with the Brewers to a minor league deal. However, he was released midway through spring training in part due to a shoulder injury.
Québec Capitales
On May 26, 2009, Gagné announced that he has signed with the Quebec CapitalesQuebec Capitales
The Québec Capitales are a professional baseball team based in Quebec City, in Canada. The Capitales are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the independent Can-Am League as a starting pitcher/coach. Gagné began playing with the team on June 9, 2009. He has been highly praised by Capitales manager Michel Laplante for his hard work and mentorship of other pitchers and hitters on the team. Gagné helped the team win the League Championship in September 2009. On July 26, 2009, in a game versus the New Jersey Jackals
New Jersey Jackals
The New Jersey Jackals are a professional baseball team based in Little Falls, New Jersey, in the United States. The Jackals are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, he recorded 6 no hit innings in a 7 inning game. He would surrender two straight hits. However, the team would end the game on a triple play
Triple Play
A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...
.
Attempted comeback with Los Angeles Dodgers
On February 18, 2010, Gagné agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
with an invite to spring training. Dodgers reliever Ramón Troncoso
Ramon Troncoso
Ramón José Troncoso is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-Los Angeles Dodgers:...
, remembering Gagné's mentorship of young pitchers such as himself during Gagné's earlier stint with the Dodgers, "had no problem" releasing to Gagné his old uniform number 38. Gagné made three Spring Training appearances with the Dodgers, allowing six runs on eight hits in 2⅔ innings for a 20.25 ERA. On March 15, he was reassigned to minor league camp, acknowledging that he needed more work to bring his game back to the Major League level. However, after appearing in just one Minor League intrasquad game after his demotion, Gagné asked and was granted his release, on March 21, from the Dodgers, with the hope that he could find another opportunity with another team. However, he announced his retirement on April 18.
Use of HGH
On December 13, 2007, Gagné was listed in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
—former Senator George Mitchell
George J. Mitchell
George John Mitchell, Jr., is the former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration. A Democrat, Mitchell was a United States Senator who served as the Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995...
's report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. Gagné was identified as a user of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Allegedly, Gagné received the drugs from steroids dealer Kirk Radomski
Kirk Radomski
Kirk J. Radomski is a former batboy and clubhouse employee for the New York Mets Major League Baseball team from 1985–1995, who on April 27, 2007 pleaded guilty in United States district court to money laundering and illegal distribution of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol,...
. At first, Radomski said that Gagné obtained them from Dodgers teammate Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
, but then Radomski said in the report that he mailed two shipments of HGH directly to Gagné in 2004. Receipts of FedEx and USPS shipments indicate that Radomski received at least one payment from Gagné and two from Dodgers teammate Lo Duca on behalf of Gagné. Gagné declined to meet with Senator Mitchell to respond to the charges before the report was released.
In a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Gagné expressed remorse not only for what he had done, but also for the fact that he could not speak openly about it, likely (according to the Times) due to reluctance to implicate others.
Gagné acknowledged that he has been looked to as a role model, and called himself an example of what one should not do. On the other hand, when asked whether he had given an honest performance to Dodgers fans, he maintained that he had always worked hard to do so.
In a February 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Gagne admitted that he had used HGH, saying that it was to recover from a knee injury.
Personal life
Gagné and his wife Valerie (née Hervieux) have four children, two daughters, Faye (born 2000) and Bluu (born 2005), and two sons, Maddox (born 2004) and Harley (born 2008). His father's cousin, Paul GagnéPaul Gagné
Paul L. Gagné is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 390 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders. He is the cousin of the father of MLB closer, Éric Gagné. He is married to beautiful...
, played several seasons in the NHL.
Career Highlights
| Record | |
|---|---|
| Regular season | |
| Most consecutive save opportunities converted | 84 (2002–04) |
| Most consecutive save opportunities converted at home | 51 |
| Most single season saves in National League | 55 (2003) |
See also
- List of MLB individual streaks
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report