Éric Gagné

He was a 30th-round draft choice (845th overall) of the Chicago White Sox in 1994 MLB draft, but the following year he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent. Gagne then pitched in the minor leagues but missed the entire 1997 season due to Tommy John surgery.[5]

He made his MLB 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 MLB, 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.[7]

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. He was elected to his first All-Star Game that year, becoming the second player from Quebec to be named an All-Star (the first being Claude Raymond). In the All-Star Game he served up a two-run homer to Alfonso Soriano in the fifth, allowing the AL to cut the NL lead to 4–2. Overall, he earned 52 saves for the season.

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 equalled 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.[8] 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 82+1⁄3 innings pitched. This translated into 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).[9] As a result, in the off-season, during contract arbitration he asked for a 14-fold raise from $550,000 to $8 million but settled for $5 million.[10]

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 95.8%.[7]

Gagné sustained several injuries in early 2005. Although he was still an effective pitcher, 2.70 ERA and 8 for 8 in save opportunities, Gagné was only able to appear in 14 games that season. On June 21, 2005, it was announced that Gagné would undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery 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 unheard of, 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.

Gagné (right) during spring training in 2006

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 discs, and Gagné underwent a season-ending back surgery on July 8.[11]

Gagné with the Texas Rangers in 2007.

The Dodgers declined to extend Gagné's $12 million contract after the season, making him a free agent.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14] In his last minor league game, Gagné retired all three of the batters he faced, and he was activated on April 13.[15]

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.[16] He was reactivated on May 8 and returned to the closer role.[17] 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.

Gagné warming up for the Boston Red Sox before a game in 2007

On July 31, 2007, Gagné was traded to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Kason Gabbard and minor league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltré.[12] 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 Éric Gagné only makes it stronger and helps give us what we hope will be a truly dominant bullpen for the remainder of the year."[18]

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.[18]

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.

Gagné pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers on April 12, 2008

On December 9, 2007, Gagné reached a preliminary agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers.[19] On December 10, he inked the one-year deal to become their new closer. The one-year deal had a base salary of $10 million, with incentives worth up to an extra $1 million.[20] Gagné went back to wearing the number 38 after wearing 83 in Boston.

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. After a few days, Gagné indicated he was ready to return to his role as closer, and a couple of 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 Salomón Torres. Gagné's struggles continued out of the bullpen, however, and he eventually lost his set-up job to Guillermo Mota. He finished the season as a middle relief pitcher, a role in which he still struggled.

Gagné finished 2008 with his worst full season in the major leagues: 10 saves in 17 opportunities, an ERA of 5.41, and 38 strikeouts in 46 innings. He did not convert a save after losing the closer job to Torres. His poor performance on the field coupled with his high salary led to him being considered a "ten million dollar mistake" by many Brewers fans.

Gagné became a free agent following the 2008 season. He re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He was released midway through spring training in part due to a shoulder injury.

On May 26, 2009, Gagné announced he had signed with the Quebec Capitales of the independent Can-Am League as a starting pitcher/coach. Gagné began playing with the team on June 9, 2009.[21] He had been highly praised by Capitales manager Michel Laplante for his hard work and mentorship of other pitchers and hitters on the team.[4] 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.

On February 18, 2010, Gagné agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers 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.[22] Gagné made three Spring training appearances with the Dodgers, allowing six runs on eight hits in 2+2⁄3 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.[23] After appearing in just one minor league intra-squad game after his demotion, on March 21, Gagné asked for and was granted his release from the Dodgers, with the hope that he could find another opportunity with another team.[24] However, he announced his retirement on April 18, 2010.[25]

On August 28, 2015, six years after his last presence in professional baseball, Gagné participated in a game with the Trois-Rivières Aigles of the independent Can-Am League as a starting pitcher. Gagné recorded 2 strikeouts in 4+1⁄3 innings, allowing only 1 run and two hits but gave up 5 walks to the opposite team, the Quebec Capitales, in a 5–3 win for the Aigles.

On September 5, 2016, Gagné pitched for the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League,[26] attracting nearly 8,000 fans.[27]

On January 14, 2017, it was reported that Gagne, along with retired pitcher Ryan Dempster, would be joining the Team Canada pitching staff for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[28]

Prior to the start of the 2017 season, Gagne announced that he was pondering a return to Major League Baseball.[29] After working out with the Dodgers during spring training and pitching in the WBC, he signed a contract with the independent Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[30] He retired again on May 21, 2017.

Gagné, who is Canadian and whose native language is French, served as the pitching coach for the France national baseball team during the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers in September 2012.[31] France failed to win a game and did not qualify for the main tournament.

In the fall of 2013, Gagné was named the head coach of the French national baseball team. The team finished in sixth place in the 2014 European Championships under Gagne. France competed in the 2016 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Panama.

Gagné rejoined the Texas Rangers organization as a coach in 2018, serving as the pitching coach of the Arizona League Rangers of the rookie-level Arizona League.[32] In 2019, Gagné was promoted to bullpen coach of the Nashville Sounds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.[33] Gagné was released by the Rangers organization following the 2019 season.[34]