About Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné (French pronunciation: [ɡɑɲe]; born January 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher. After he struggled in that role, the Dodgers converted Gagné from a starter to a reliever, where for three years (2002–2004) he was statistically the most outstanding closer in the league, winning the Cy Young Award in 2003. During that period, he set a major league record by converting 84 consecutive save opportunities. Gagné played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 due to injury, undergoing elbow surgery in 2005 and back surgery in 2006. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2006, and Gagné started the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers, where he briefly enjoyed success again as a closer. However, he was less successful in stints with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, and was released after the 2008 season. In December 2007, days after signing a contract for 2008 with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was linked to baseball's steroids scandal after he was named in the Mitchell Report. In his first year in MLB, he appeared in only five games as a starting pitcher, with a 1–1 record and 2.10 ERA. At first, Gagné knew very little English; he became proficient in English by watching American TV while in college, mainly the sitcom Kenan and Kel.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.