Eric Gagne has retired, reports Martin Leclerc of Rue Frontenac (English translation here). Gagne explained that he feels great physically, but has lost the desire to pitch. The 34-year-old was released by the Dodgers a month ago.
Gagne's run of dominant closing for the Dodgers resulted in a 1.79 ERA, 13.3 K/9, and 152 saves over 2002-04, spanning 247 innings. Each of those years, he made the All-Star team and received Cy Young and MVP votes. He won the Cy Young in '03, saving 55 games with a 1.20 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 82.3 innings. Gagne earned about $40MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.
The blemish: Gagne appeared in the Mitchell Report for using human growth hormone in 2004. He later explained to T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times that he thought it'd help with a knee injury.
FINALLY
HOF first ballot
really? he had 2 or 3 good seasons and once he got off the roids his body really shut down.
HOF first ballot? Seriously? Based on 3 seasons?
Not bloody likely.
I’m reasonably certain that was sarcasm based off the fact someone brings up a hall of fame debate every single time someone retires. I think Sean Casey had a HOF debate on here when he retired.
Ah, Sarcasm. I get it.
I get jokes…
hahah
yeah watch out for trollers, haha
The guy did post the most dominant closer season ever, juice or no juice.
Just saying.
Mark McGwire had one of the most dominant seasons as a hitter in 1998, juice or no juice.
Just saying.
Mark McGwire had one of the most dominant seasons as a hitter in 1998, juice or no juice.
Just saying.
LOL @ “Lost the Desire”…
I think it was more of teams “Lost the Desire” to have him on the roster!
Yeah, I don’t think he lost the desire. I think he lost his HGH provider’s number.
(Not that I want to turn this post into a big string of steroid jokes)
Hey, it’s important to inject a little humor from time to time…
Gange should be in thr HOF, but he most likely wont come close until his last year of eligibility due to his HGH use and such
lol
Gagne’s career long numbers are not those of a Hall of Fame pitcher, regardless of drug use or which inning he pitched. He and Nomar Garciaparra share that fate: talented players who peaked and fell off a cliff without sustaining the level of greatness needed for the Hall.
Gagne had three legendary years and six deeply mediocre-to-awful years.
You should really utilize BR’s hall of fame predictor, its not perfect, and doesn’t factor in popularity blemishes (HGH, or a bad attitude in ganges case) but stat wise it provides a comparison on many levels to all HOF’ers and uses that info to project the chances one has of making it.
As a Dodger fan and a Gagne fan I can tell you right now 3 years does not make a hall of fame career.
From Cy Young to Sayonara! Its about time.
Some retire…some have retirement thrust upon them.
Not only was he connected to HGH, but he was one to have steroid rumors floating around him as well, though his name wasn’t on any report. I’ve maintained that steroids help pitchers as much as it did hitters, maybe more, as it kept them strong, and allowed a pitcher to throw harder, longer, and recover faster between outings.
I agree, I think it REALLY helped pitchers a LOT.
Looks at Clemens after he left Boston,he should have been thrust on the scrap heap….he was done. Then *POOF* just like magic,he was back.
roids probably helped pitchers more than hitters at least with hitters there is a combination of strength+timing+bat speed+pitch recognition…to be a great hitter you still have to be able to put the bat in just the right place to hit the ball, and you have to hope you guess the right pitch in the right area…Yes roids and HGH help pitchers and hitter equally in terms of recovery but they helped pitchers get stronger IE allowing them to throw harder and for longer…pitchers were helped more if only slightly more than hitter were…but it equals out because for every pitcher that used roids there was one hitter and for every hitter who used riods there was a pitcher who did as well
roids probably helped pitchers more than hitters at least with hitters there is a combination of strength+timing+bat speed+pitch recognition…to be a great hitter you still have to be able to put the bat in just the right place to hit the ball, and you have to hope you guess the right pitch in the right area…Yes roids and HGH help pitchers and hitter equally in terms of recovery but they helped pitchers get stronger IE allowing them to throw harder and for longer…pitchers were helped more if only slightly more than hitter were…but it equals out because for every pitcher that used roids there was one hitter and for every hitter who used riods there was a pitcher who did as well
Yeah, and I could have stolen Minka Kelly away from Derek Jeter, but I lost the desire.
Blemish #2-He accepeted Milwaukee’s 10 Million Dollars.
Game over.
LMFAO!
I wonder if he ever used steroids?
LMAO
If the reports are correct, he took them after his Cy Young year in 2003. I’d like to hope that is true, because it a magical season from him. I have honestly never seen anyone so hittable.
Yeah and Bonds didn’t start taking roids till AFTER his 73 year! 😛
Hey, after all these years of Giants fan’s delusions I thought I’d give it a shot 😉
I tried on a size 8 ball cap once to see the difference….Holy C!@#! that is a melon head!!
Hey, I’m 7 3/4 🙁
Lol.
Then again, it’s a bit big on me. If I want to fit into it I’ll see if Bonds can tell me his ‘workout techniques’ 😛
Hey, I’m 7 3/4 🙁
Lol.
Then again, it’s a bit big on me. If I want to fit into it I’ll see if Bonds can tell me his ‘workout techniques’ 😛
I’m a legit 7 7/8″. No HGH. 🙁
I’m a legit 7 7/8″. No HGH. 🙁
Steroids or not, this was one of best at-bats I’ve ever seen.
http://www.wretch.cc/video/son112222&func=single&vid=6016398
101 mph fastball PULLED foul!!
An announcement that is years overdue. It was just pathetic to watch him when he clearly had no chance of competing successfully at an ML level. He should take solace in knowing that he was the best there was in that 3-year period of ’02-’05. A Cy as a closer is almost unheard of. It is a shame that physical skills often depart very quickly, but it must be accepted. Denying it creates only more pain.
Another product of the steroid ERA.
6 years ago, If I had told people that Gagne would retire first than Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, they would have called me nuts.
6 years ago, If I had told people that Gagne would retire first than Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, they would have called me nuts.
In the words of an old friend of mine, “It’s not retiring if no one wants to hire you.”
In the words of an old friend of mine, “It’s not retiring if no one wants to hire you.”
He might make the Hall of fame. There is still hope…of course it will be the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, but it is a Hall of Fame!
If they make a comedy movie of the 2007 Red Sox’s, Seth Rogen should play Eric Gagne.
..well, steroids or not, he sure gave us Dodger fans some of the most exciting and memorable moments in Dodger baseball ever…being at a game that was close, in the ninth, and anticipating Gagne….then hearing his theme song being played “Welcome to the jungle!!!” as he made his way to the mound….crowd cheering cuz we KNEW the game was ours! best thrill ever…THANK YOU GAGNE for these awesome memories! 🙂