Eric Gagne Consecutive Saves Record
Eric Gagne made his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 7, 1999, two years removed from having Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. He spent the next three years as a mediocre starter until the Dodgers converted him to the role of closer in 2002. The hard throwing righty, he is a member of the "100+ MPH Club", has since become one of the games best closers. He reached one-hundred career saves in only his second season of relief, making him the fastest ever to do so. He also has the highest strikeout ratio ever for a closer, in 2003, he struck out one-hundred thirty-seven men in only eighty-two innings, a season in which he did not blow a single save chance; however, that season would not be remembered for his strikeouts.
In 2003 Eric Gagne recorded fifty-five consecutive saves, two fewer than the record for non-consecutive saves in a single season. When added to the eight consecutive saves he made at the end of the 2002 season, Gagne had sixty-three consecutive saves, a new Major League record. Jerome Holtzman, the inventor of the save statistic and official historian for Major League Baseball had this to say in reference to Gagne: "A great closer is a weapon you can use almost every day." Here is the great streak of Eric Gagne.
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"It used to be when anyone asked who the best relievers were that I ever saw, I always said Goose Gossage and then Dennis Eckersley. Now I'm tempted to add Eric Gagne and John Smoltz to that list. And another who doesn't get enough credit is Bruce Sutter. Considering what Gagne and Smoltz are doing, you'd have to give them serious Hall of Fame consideration. Of course with Gagne, he'd have to do it a little longer. But based on what they've done so far, if they continue on this pace, they should be considered." - Jerome Holtzman
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