The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night, 12-4, but on the bright side, it was also the anniversary of when former pitcher Eric Gagné recorded his 84th consecutive save. Gagné would throw out the first pitch before Wednesday's game and spoke about his career and the record he broke which still has not been touched to this day.
Specifically, it is the 20th anniversary of when Gagné got his record-breaking 84th consecutive save which is why it was surreal for the retired player to be back on the mound at the park he threw heaters all those years ago. He would even say that it was and still is “humbling” to be on the same field as other legends in the Dodgers long history according to ESPN.
“Every time I step on this field, it's like a church to me,” Gagné said. “It's my office on top of that little mound and walking in here with all the history — the Tommy Lasordas, the Don Drysdales, the Sandy Koufaxes of the world — it's humbling.”
Gagné's former Dodgers teammate in Dave Roberts talks streak
Funny enough, one of Gagné's former teammates is the current manger of the Dodgers in Dave Roberts who was approached to catch the celebratory first pitch, but declined. They would share a hug and embrace on the field as Roberts said humorously that he did not want Gagné to “embarrass” him.
“I don't know what he's going to throw and I don't want him to embarrass me,” Roberts said, who played with Gagné from 2002 to '04 with the Dodgers.
In those 84 consecutive saves, Gagné struck out 139 batters and even possibly the most eye opening statistic of all is that he did not allow the 123 runners that were on base to score when he came into the game to score. Roberts was there to witness it all as he said that opposing batters “had no chance.”
“It was like cartoon stuff, guys had no chance,” Roberts said. “I remember being out in center field and I would kind of challenge myself by not having my glove on when the pitch was thrown.”
Gagné credits the defense behind him during the 84-save streak
Gagné was originally a starting pitcher for Los Angeles in 1995, but after struggles in that role, the ball club moved him to be a reliever. Fast forward to the stretch between 2002 and 2004 where he was racking up saves like no other as the Canadian born player was so dominant, he won the 2003 Cy Young award. Even though the record is absolutely incredible, Gagné gives a lot of credence to the teammates around him at the time as he would call the “defense behind” him being “unbelievable.”
“A lot had to go right and the defense behind me was unbelievable,” Gagné said. “People call it a save, I call it more of a preserved win. That's kind of how I went about my whole approach. I didn't feel the pressure that much because I wasn't really focused on me messing up. I was focused on helping the guys.”
Gagné talks losing the streak in 2004
His sensational streak would end on July 5, 2004, funny enough against the Diamondbacks who the Dodgers are currently in a series with. But back then, Gagné let go of a single that tied up the game, ending the record at 84, but still, the crowd was going crazy as the legend told the story according to Cary Osborne of Dodgers Insider.
“Goosebumps,” Gagné said. “It was crazy. I never got a standing ovation for failure. It was an unbelievable atmosphere. Everyone felt it. Everyone knew it. It was the best feeling in the world to get a standing ovation after you fail. That’s unbelievable.”
Even in that 2003 Cy Young award winning season where Gagné recorded 55 saves and was 100 percent in those opportunities, he was not even thinking about the ongoing streak that he started. He said while it “sounds cliche,” he was more “locked in” on the next pitches he was making in striking out each batter.
“I did think about the streak when it was happening, but it wasn’t really something I focused on,” Gagné said. “It sounds cliché, but I was focused on making pitches. I was so locked in.”
Gagné's theme song and the atmosphere of Dodger Stadium
In all of those 84 save opportunities from 2002 to 2004, it was a moment when Gagne walked from the bullpen to the mound as Dodger Stadium would blast the song “Welcome To The Jungle” by the band Guns N' Roses. Plus, the digital board would flash the words “Game Over” which predicted the win for Los Angeles every time the closer stepped out, those are moments that Gagne remembers, especially his theme song.
“Every time I listen to that song today I remember the running in and making sure my face was calm, so I would feel my cheeks drop,” Gagné said. “(Sports psychologist) Ken Ravizza used to teach me to be aware of how I feel. It was unbelievable — the adrenaline I would get. The Dodger fans would get going and go crazy. That’s why I was able to pitch that many games because you get that adrenaline rush and there’s nothing like that.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Gagné continued about the atmosphere. “Every time I went out there, I felt it. I felt the electricity, I felt the positive vibes, I wish some people could feel that just for a minute. Every time I got on the mound I felt like they were lifting me up.”
Has anybody come close to Gagné's record?
No one has really came close to the record, especially not in the 70 and 80 range, but Baltimore Orioles' Zach Britton would have 60 consecutive saves from 2015-2017. While it is a far reality, current Dodgers closer Evan Phillips has 13 saves on the season where he has a 100 percent conversion rate, but he has a long way to go.
The Dodgers currently have a 53-34 record which puts them at the very top of the NL West though it's not to comfortable of a lead with the San Diego Padres (47) and Diamondbacks (43) near. Los Angeles looks to beat Arizona in the rubber match Thursday night.
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