Éric Gagné facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Éric Gagné |
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Gagné with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: January 7, 1976 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| September 7, 1999, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 2008, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 33–26 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.47 | ||
| Strikeouts | 718 | ||
| Saves | 187 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Éric Serge Gagné (born January 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He played for 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gagné started his career as a starting pitcher. He later became a relief pitcher and then a closer. From 2002 to 2004, he was one of the best closers in the league. He won the Cy Young Award in 2003. During this time, he set a major league record. He successfully completed 84 save opportunities in a row.
Injuries affected Gagné's career in 2005 and 2006. He had elbow and back surgeries. After leaving the Dodgers, he played for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers. He retired from MLB after the 2008 season.
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Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Éric Gagné grew up in Mascouche, a town near Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He comes from a Québécois family. As a child, he loved playing baseball and ice hockey. He attended Polyvalente Édouard-Montpetit High School in Montreal.
His father, Richard, coached his Little League baseball teams. Éric became a star player for Canada's Junior World Championship teams. He was a big fan of the Montreal Expos and Montreal Canadiens growing up.
College Baseball Journey
Gagné went to Seminole Junior College in Seminole, Oklahoma. When he first arrived, he knew very little English. He learned to speak English by watching American TV shows, especially the sitcom Kenan and Kel. He soon became the top pitcher for Seminole's baseball team.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Chicago White Sox drafted Éric Gagné in 1994. He was picked in the 30th round of the MLB draft. The next year, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent. He played in the minor leagues for a while. He missed the entire 1997 season because of Tommy John surgery. This is a surgery to repair a ligament in the elbow.
Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1999–2006)
Gagné made his MLB debut on September 7, 1999. He started a game for the Dodgers against the Florida Marlins. He pitched six innings without allowing any runs and struck out eight batters. In his first year, he played in five games as a starting pitcher. He had a record of 1 win and 1 loss, with a 2.10 earned run average. Over his first three seasons, he won 11 games and lost 14. He started 38 of the 48 games he played.
Becoming a Star Closer
At the start of the 2002 season, the Dodgers changed Gagné's role. He became a relief pitcher after their previous closer retired. He got his first career save on April 7 against the Colorado Rockies. He quickly became the top reliever in the National League. He saved 10 games in a row before his first missed save on May 7.
He was chosen for his first All-Star Game that year. He was the second player from Quebec to be named an All-Star. In the All-Star Game, he gave up a two-run home run. Overall, he earned 52 saves for the 2002 season.
In 2003, Gagné had an amazing year as a closer. He successfully saved all 55 opportunities he had. He became the first pitcher to record 50 saves in more than one season. He also reached 100 saves faster than any other pitcher. His 55 saves in 2003 tied the National League record. From August 26, 2002, to July 5, 2004, he had 84 consecutive successful saves. This is a major league record. More than half of the batters he faced in 2003 were out by strikeout.
When Gagné entered a game at Dodger Stadium, the scoreboard would flash "Game Over." The song "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses would play.
Besides his 55 saves, Gagné finished 2003 with a 1.20 earned run average. He had 137 strikeouts and only 20 walks in 82.1 innings pitched. This means he had 1.66 strikeouts per inning. For his great performance, he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award. He also 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 this top pitching award. He is the only pitcher to win the award with a losing record (2 wins, 3 losses).
His incredible streak of 84 saves ended on July 5, 2004. Ten days later, Gagné got his 130th save as a Dodger. This made him the team's all-time saves leader. He pitched three scoreless innings in his first playoff appearance that year. The Dodgers lost the series to the St. Louis Cardinals. By the start of the 2007 season, Gagné had saved 161 out of 168 opportunities, a 95.8% success rate.
Dealing with Injuries
Before the 2005 season, Gagné signed a two-year, $19 million contract with the Dodgers. He had several injuries early that year. He still pitched well, with a 2.70 ERA and 8 saves in 8 chances. But he could only play in 14 games. On June 21, 2005, it was announced he would have Tommy John surgery again. This was to fix a sprained ligament in his right elbow. Recovery usually takes a year or more. During the surgery, doctors found a nerve trapped by scar tissue. They released it with a less serious procedure. Still, Gagné could not play for the rest of 2005.
Gagné hoped to recover quickly to play for Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. But he decided it was too risky and focused on getting ready for the regular season.
After some good practice games in early spring training, pain in Gagné's elbow returned. He had a second surgery to remove the nerve. More recovery time followed. Gagné finally pitched in his first regular-season game of 2006 on June 3. He played in two games for the Dodgers, pitching two scoreless innings and getting one save. But the nerve pain came back, and he went on the disabled list on June 12. Another problem happened on July 4, when Gagné woke up with severe back pain. Doctors found two herniated discs. Gagné had back surgery on July 8, ending his 2006 season.
Playing for Other Teams (2007–2008)
The Dodgers did not offer Gagné a new contract after the 2006 season. He became a free agent. On December 12, 2006, Gagné signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers. He had a tough spring training. For the third year in a row, Gagné started the season on the disabled list. He was activated on April 13.
In his first week back, Gagné pitched three innings and got one save. But in his second save situation, he left the game with leg pain. He was placed on the disabled list with a hip injury. He returned on May 8 and became the closer again. With Texas, he had 2 wins and 0 losses, with 16 saves and a 2.16 ERA. Batters hit only .192 against him.
Boston Red Sox
On July 31, 2007, Gagné was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He was expected to be a setup man for closer Jonathan Papelbon. However, Gagné struggled with the Red Sox. In his first 15 games, he allowed 14 runs in 14 innings, with a 9.00 ERA. He also missed three save opportunities.
Gagné seemed to improve later in the season and was added to the playoff roster. In the playoffs, he mostly pitched in games the Red Sox were winning by a lot. He pitched a perfect ninth inning in a 13–1 Game 1 victory in the 2007 World Series. The only time he pitched in a close game was in Game 2 of the 2007 American League Championship Series. He took the loss after allowing runs in the 11th inning. In Boston, Gagné wore number 83.
Milwaukee Brewers
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On December 9, 2007, Gagné agreed to join the Milwaukee Brewers. He signed a one-year deal worth $10 million to be their new closer. He went back to wearing his usual number 38.
On May 11, 2008, Brewers manager Ned Yost removed Gagné from the closer role. This was after he missed three save chances out of six. After a few days, Gagné said he was ready to return. He got his 10th save soon after. However, Gagné continued to struggle as the closer. He eventually lost the job to Salomón Torres and then went on the disabled list with a rotator cuff injury. After returning, his struggles continued. He finished 2008 with his worst full season in MLB. He had 10 saves in 17 chances, an ERA of 5.41, and 38 strikeouts in 46 innings. He did not get a save after losing his closer job.
Gagné became a free agent after the 2008 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers again. But he was released during spring training due to a shoulder injury.
Independent League Baseball
On May 26, 2009, Gagné announced he signed with the Quebec Capitales of the independent Can-Am League. He played as a starting pitcher and coach. He started playing with the team on June 9, 2009. He was praised for his hard work and for helping other players. Gagné helped the team win the League Championship in September 2009. In 17 starts, he had 6 wins and 6 losses with a 4.65 ERA.
On August 28, 2015, Gagné played in a game for the Trois-Rivières Aigles. He is a co-owner of the team. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowing only 1 run and two hits. On September 5, 2016, Gagné pitched for the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League.
Attempted Comebacks
On February 18, 2010, Gagné agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was invited to spring training. He made three appearances, allowing six runs. On March 15, he was sent to minor league camp. He asked for his release on March 21, hoping to find another team. However, he announced his retirement on April 18, 2010.
On January 14, 2017, it was reported that Gagné would join Team Canada's pitching staff for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Before the 2017 season, Gagné thought about returning to MLB. After working out with the Dodgers and pitching in the WBC, he signed with the independent Long Island Ducks. He retired again on May 21, 2017.
Coaching Career
Coaching for France
Gagné, who is Canadian and speaks French, was the pitching coach for the France national baseball team. This was during the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers in September 2012. France did not win a game and did not qualify for the main tournament.
In the fall of 2013, Gagné became the head coach of the French national baseball team. The team finished sixth in the 2014 European Championships under Gagné. France also competed in the 2016 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.
Texas Rangers Coaching Role
Gagné rejoined the Texas Rangers organization as a coach in 2018. He was the pitching coach for the Arizona League Rangers, a rookie-level team. In 2019, Gagné was promoted to bullpen coach for the Nashville Sounds, a Triple-A team. Gagné left the Rangers organization after the 2019 season.
Pitching Style
Gagné used several pitches as a reliever. His main pitches were a four-seam fastball that was very fast (mid-to-upper 90s mph). He also had a Vulcan changeup that was slower (mid-80s mph). He also threw a two-seam fastball, a slow curveball, and sometimes a slider.
His changeup was considered his best pitch. It looked like his fastball when he threw it, but it was much slower and moved sharply. This made it hard for batters to hit. He used this mix of pitches to get many strikeouts. In his Cy Young-winning season of 2003, he had 137 strikeouts but only allowed 37 hits. This was a record for relief pitchers.
Gagné showed a lot of emotion when he pitched. He said, "I like to show my emotion, be real aggressive, and give everything I've got for one-half inning."
Personal Life
Éric Gagné was married to Valerie Hervieux, and they have four children together. His father's cousin, Paul Gagné, played several seasons in the NHL.
Career Highlights
- 3-time All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004)
- World Series champion (2007)
- NL Cy Young Award winner (2003)
- 2-time NL Rolaids Relief Man Award winner (2003, 2004)
- NL saves leader (2003)
- Set a major league record with 84 consecutive save opportunities converted (2002–2004)
- Tied the National League record for most saves in a single season with 55 (2003)
Images for kids
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Gagné with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010
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Gagné during spring training in 2006
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Gagné with the Texas Rangers in 2007
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Gagné warming up for the Boston Red Sox in 2007
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Gagné pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers on April 12, 2008
