Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Game Over Not Over Yet?

According to Tony Jackson, The Dodgers are apparently considering signing former Dodger Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne to a minor league contract:

The Dodgers are exploring the possibility of signing former Cy Young Award-winning closer Eric Gagne to a minor league contract for the upcoming season, according to various media reports.

Gagne, 34, last pitched in the majors in 2008 for the Milwaukee Brewers, who released him during spring training last year.

Gagne won the Cy Young as the Dodgers closer in 2003, when he was 55 for 55 in save opportunities, part of a string of 84 consecutive successful save chances that stretched over a three-year period. However, his reputation was somewhat tarnished when his name appeared in the December 2007 Mitchell Report, which offered evidence that he had used human growth hormone. Although Gagne apologized to his Brewers teammates the next spring for "a distraction that shouldn't be taking place,'' he has yet to go into specifics about the allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. [...]

If Gagne were to make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, he likely would fill a middle-innings role. The Dodgers already have a closer in Jonathan Broxton and a primary setup man in George Sherrill, and there probably isn't more than one or two open spots left in a bullpen where Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso and, if he doesn't earn the fifth spot in the starting rotation, James McDonald, all are considered locks to make the club.

The Rockies are also in the hunt for the bespectacled one. Wow.

11 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

My nostalgia seems to be overtaking my strategic bullpen thinking on this one. Those were some good times.

I remember being one section over from Gagne, who was a spectator at one of the NLDS games last season, which was unbeknownst to me at the time. He was announced and they showed him on the jumbotron; people went NUTS. I think I did, too.

Steve Sax said...

And after he waved, did his arm crumble in a heap of agony?

In all seriousness, I think I was there at that game, and I would have cheered, too. Unfortunately I think the memories of Gagne are going to be far, far, far better than any reality we might see in 2010.

Kyle Baker said...

You're probably right Sax. I'm glad we have people like Ned Colletti to make the tough decisions based on potential and not nostalgia.

(and of course that last part was sarcasm)

Steve Sax said...

(arm falls off)

Paul said...

If he does make the team they better make sure he receives his "mail" somewhere other than the Ravine.

If you want to get over the nostalgia just think back to when Gagne was a starter...ehh bad times.

Still the man loved his sushi and the Bonds vs Gagne at bat sure was fun at Phone Park.

Nostradamus said...

In this instance, I'll take my conflicted feelings about past glory over future mediocrity (at best).

I hate to say it, but "Stay out of Malibu, Lebowski"

Alex Cora said...

No steroids = no Gagne.

Gagne's lucky glasses said...

Hi guys

Steve Sax said...

The spectacles speak!

Gagne's lucky glasses said...

The beard and I look forward to being back at the Ravine

Delino DeShields, Sr said...

I can wear my streak-killing / streak-honoring pin again. Yay.