Gagne's comeback bid comes to an end
Eric Gagne's attempt to revitalize his pitching career is over.
The 41-year-old former Cy Young winner retired just 16 days after signing a contract with the Long Island Ducks, an independent league club.
"He spoke to (Ducks manager) Kevin Baez and said that he gave it everything he had, his body wasn’t responding the way he hoped it would and he decided to call it a career," said Ducks president and general manager Michael Pfaff, according to Jordan Lauterback of Newsday. "He was a pro. We appreciated having him here and the effort he gave. We wish him nothing but the best."
Gagne, who won the National League's Cy Young award with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003 after saving 55 games, posted a 12.27 ERA across five appearances for the Ducks.
"I’m sure the results weren’t what he had hoped for, but he wanted to give it one last shot to get back to the big leagues and we were happy to give him that opportunity,” Pfaff said.
After appearing for the Canadian national team in the World Baseball Classic and touching 93 mph with his fastball, Gagne drew some interest from big league clubs before signing with the Ducks.
He initially retired from baseball after 10 years in the show, amassing 402 appearances, while saving 187 games.