Eric Gagne, baseball player, 1999-2008

Eric Gagne

Born: 1/7/1976 in Montreal, QC, CAN

MLB Debut: 1999-09-07 | Final Game: 2008-09-25

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: Eric Serge Gagne

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Biography

Eric Gagne, born in 1976, was a prominent relief pitcher whose career spanned from 1999 to 2008. He played a crucial role in the bullpen during an era marked by the emergence of dominant closers and the evolving strategies of late-inning pitching. Gagne finished his career with a record of 33-26 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.47, showcasing his effectiveness and reliability in high-pressure situations. Over his career, he recorded 718 strikeouts and secured 187 saves, establishing himself as one of the premier closers of his time. Gagne's accolades included being awarded the prestigious Cy Young Award and earning three All-Star selections, reflecting his impact on the game and his peers' recognition of his talent. Known for his powerful fastball and devastating slider, he played a vital role in the Los Angeles Dodgers' success during the early 2000s, where he became the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to save 50 games in a single season without blowing a save. Gagne's contributions to baseball and his ability to dominate in the late innings left a lasting impression on the sport, solidifying his legacy as one of the great closers of his era.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
33 26 402 48 0 0 187 643.7 518 248 76 226 718 3.47 0

Career ERA 3.47 vs. league average 4.47 across their career seasons — 22.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1999 LAD NL 1 1 5 5 0 0 0 30.0 18 7 15 30 2.10 4.71 (+55%) -
2000 LAD NL 4 6 20 19 0 0 0 101.3 106 58 60 79 5.15 4.77 (-8%) -
2001 LAD NL 6 7 33 24 0 0 0 151.7 144 80 46 130 4.75 4.42 (-7%) -
2002 LAD NL 4 1 77 0 0 0 52 82.3 55 18 16 114 1.97 4.28 (+54%) -
2003 LAD NL 2 3 77 0 0 0 55 82.3 37 11 20 137 1.20 4.40 (+73%) -
2004 LAD NL 7 3 70 0 0 0 45 82.3 53 20 22 114 2.19 4.46 (+51%) -
2005 LAD NL 1 0 14 0 0 0 8 13.3 10 4 3 22 2.70 4.29 (+37%) -
2006 LAD NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 2.0 0 0 1 3 0.00 — -
2007 TEX AL 2 0 34 0 0 0 16 33.3 23 8 12 29 2.16 4.47 (+52%) 858.8
2007 BOS AL 2 2 20 0 0 0 0 18.7 26 14 9 22 6.75 4.47 (-51%) 678.2
2008 MIL NL 4 3 50 0 0 0 10 46.3 46 28 22 38 5.44 4.32 (-26%) -2114.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
402 86 5 12 2 1 1 3 0 1 25 0.140 0.149 0.221 0.370 0.0

Career AVG .140 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 47.6% below league average.

Career OBP .149 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 55.5% below league average.

Career SLG .221 vs. league average .425 across their career seasons — 48.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.370 vs. league average 0.761 across their career seasons — 51.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1999 LAD NL 5 10 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0.200 — — — — 0.0
2000 LAD NL 20 28 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.143 — — — — 0.0
2001 LAD NL 33 44 3 6 2 1 1 2 0 1 13 0.136 — — — — 0.0
2002 LAD NL 77 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2003 LAD NL 77 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2004 LAD NL 70 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2005 LAD NL 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2006 LAD NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 TEX AL 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 BOS AL 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 MIL NL 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2008 NLDS2 MIL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 ALCS BOS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 ALDS1 BOS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 WS BOS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2004 NLDS1 LAN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 1 9 0 0 9.3 6 3 3 10 2.89

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2008 NLDS2 MIL 0 0 2 0 0 2.0 1 0 0 1 0.00
2007 ALCS BOS 0 1 3 0 0 2.3 3 2 2 4 7.71
2007 ALDS1 BOS 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 1 1 0 1 9.00
2007 WS BOS 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 0.00
2004 NLDS1 LAN 0 0 2 0 0 3.0 1 0 1 3 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 402 48 38 64 1 4

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1999 LAN P 5 5 2 0 0 0
2000 LAN P 20 19 6 8 0 1
2001 LAN P 33 24 10 11 1 0
2002 LAN P 77 0 4 10 0 1
2003 LAN P 77 0 4 11 0 0
2004 LAN P 70 0 5 6 0 1
2005 LAN P 14 0 2 4 0 0
2006 LAN P 2 0 0 0 0 0
2007 TEX P 34 0 0 6 0 0
2007 BOS P 20 0 2 2 0 0
2008 MIL P 50 0 3 6 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 402

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2004 Reliever of the Year Award
2003 Cy Young Award
2003 MLB Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher
2003 Player of the Week Week of 2003-08-09
2003 Reliever of the Year Award
2003 TSN All-Star RHP
2003 TSN Pitcher of the Year
2003 TSN Reliever of the Year
2002 Pitcher of the Month June

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2008 MIL NL $10,000,000
2007 TEX AL $6,000,000
2006 LAN NL $10,000,000
2005 LAN NL $8,000,000
2004 LAN NL $5,000,000
2003 LAN NL $550,000
2002 LAN NL $300,000
2001 LAN NL $220,000
Total Career Earnings $40,070,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Seminole State College Seminole OK 1995

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2004 Cy Young Award NL 7th 3.0 160 0
2004 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 30.0 448 0
2003 Cy Young Award NL 1st 146.0 160 28
2003 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 143.0 448 0
2002 Cy Young Award NL 4th 8.0 160 0
2002 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 44.0 448 0