You are bidding on an Official Major League Baseball autographed by 2003 Cy Young Award Winner, Eric Gagne #38, relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The baseball is signed in blue ink on the "sweet spot". ~~~~
One of the top stories in 2002 was the emergence of Eric as one of the best closers in the game. Despite a successful career in the minors as a starter, where he compiled a 36-18 mark, Eric was just 9-12 with a 5.01 ERA in 43 starts in the majors. Given the opportunity to anchor the Dodgers' bullpen, Eric responded with an All-Star season in which he finished 2nd in the National League with 52 saves.
A very hard thrower, Eric's fastball reaches into the upper 90s. He complements his heater with a top-notch curve and a changeup. One of his strengths is his outstanding control. In 2002, Eric posted a strikeout: walk ratio of better than 7:1 while fanning nearly 12.5 batters per nine innings. He set the Dodgers' record for saves last year and blew just four save opportunities all season.