Eric Gagne will save 40 games this year

[Fatter than Joey]

Yeah -- I think DM tried to sign Cordero -- unlike Lee, which I think he threw a contract at Lee that DM knew wasn't going to cut it.

[zzzmanwitz]

I know that we know the situation... that's the issue. People that do other things for a living being more knowledgable than the people paid to deliver the news.

[JimH5]

Following his inclusion in the Mitchell report, and his "apology", I wish Eric Gagne was off this team. I want nothing to do with him.

 

I thought that once the season began, I'd feel differently. . .but I don't.

[RyDogg66]

Following his inclusion in the Mitchell report, and his "apology", I wish Eric Gagne was off this team. I want nothing to do with him.

 

I thought that once the season began, I'd feel differently. . .but I don't.

So we should release him then?

 

[zzzmanwitz]

We already knew he had a history of PEDs, he was all but gauranteed to be in the report.

[cubfan1126]

I think that Gagne just wanted to get the win. just kidding

 

Don't over analyze the situation

Both Starters were excellent

The set -up guys were excellent

Both closers sucked

Your bats were a little better than ours

You won a strange, close game - end of story

Has anybody ever seen a guy from each team picked off second - in the same inning no less?

 

Congrats on the win -

[southpaw121505]

I've heard multiple times from different "experts" that are shocked and dismayed that the Brewers let Cordero go and then signed Gagne for 10 million. It was practically the same money for both of them! Will we ever have an analyst that I can enjoy listening to because they actually understand the game? If I had as little knowledge about my area of expertise as these guys do, I would have been fired a long time ago.

 

I hear ya, I heard this last night during the SD-Houston game. I forget the guys name, bigger Mexican guy?...He was saying how he didn't understand why the Brewers let Coco Cordero go for Gagne, like we just picked Gagne over him because he's a better pitcher and there's nothing more to it. Pay attention

[BrewCrewForever]

I think that Gagne just wanted to get the win. just kidding

 

Don't over analyze the situation

Both Starters were excellent

The set -up guys were excellent

Both closers sucked

Your bats were a little better than ours

You won a strange, close game - end of story

Has anybody ever seen a guy from each team picked off second - in the same inning no less?

 

Congrats on the win -

I pretty much agree with that. I'm just glad we won and you guys didn't get to fly that "W" flag in your avatar.

 

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm listening to Jim Rome right now and people are straight attacking Gagne through e-mails to Jim. Just really giving it to him. Sad.

[zzzmanwitz]

I'm going to smile a lot when he leads the league in saves this year.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm going to smile a lot when he leads the league in saves this year.

Me to, that would be cool. I dunno about leading the league, but I he will be fine and this will all be forgotten.

 

[southpaw121505]

What is the deal with him pumping the fastballs? It sounds like he settled in once he mixed in more off-speed.

[splitterpfj]

Has anybody ever seen a guy from each team picked off second - in the same inning no less?

 

That's a great point, and in a scoreless tie, when runners are crucial.

[Tbadder]

The blown save doesn't really faze me at all, if and only if Gagne learned something. Fastball, fastball, fastball, fastball, fastball, fastball, is not a pitching strategy. After he gave up the three runs he threw a first pitch curveball to the next batter and just made him look silly. Then he began mixing in the change up--bingo, out of the inning. I think he'll be fine. I'll say 37 saves and 7 blown. I think Riske will chip in 5. Someone else will get a 3 inning save, that totals 43 for the Crew this year.

[BrewCrewForever]

What is the deal with him pumping the fastballs? It sounds like he settled in once he mixed in more off-speed.

I was wondering this as well. He has a good fastball, but his change and curve are his pitches that make that fastball even better. Most people feel his change is his best pitch. He needs to keep mixing the pitches, when he does that I think he will be fine.

 

[dpapo]

Was Gagne sick or not feeling well yesterday. He didn't look comfortable and I think I also saw him bend over once before the home run as well, but as someone mentioned, maybe it was after. He also keep trying to cool himself off which looked strange after a while and kept moving around and just didn't look comfortable out there.
It's hard to really get a good feel about him as he didn't pitch much in spring training with the major league team and according to Tom Haudricourt, wasn't around with the team much. Spending more time working on things and pitching with the minor league team.
However, I would agree, it's too soon for anyone to bury him. Let's hope the next time he comes out, he settles down and pitches well.

[mothershipconnection]

To replicate his best season, Gagne must now allow just 8 runs in 81.3 IP.

[bork]

Was Gagne sick or not feeling well yesterday. He didn't look comfortable and I think I also saw him bend over once before the home run as well, but as someone mentioned, maybe it was after. He also keep trying to cool himself off which looked strange after a while and kept moving around and just didn't look comfortable out there.

One of the game reports indicated that he was having trouble with his footing, with mud in his cleats.

[Fatter than Joey]

I would like to think if he was at all ill, they could have sent in Riske earlier with the off-day tomorrow.

[RU Rah Rah]

Has anybody ever seen a guy from each team picked off second - in the same inning no less?

No, but I did see Tippy Martinez retire the side on three pick-offs.

 

[polwonks]

couple things (have'nt read through the whole thread so apologizre for duplication)

 

1. Hershisher's take on Gagne yesterday on ESPN: in better days, the differential between his fast ball speed (95-96) and his off-speed pitches was intimidating to hitters, i.e. which am i going to get?. Now his speed is down to maybe 91 and is only 8-10mph faster than the off-speed- hence batters are "teeing off on him.." (In addition to pitching from behind...)

 

2. Watching him yesterday, I wondered whether there was something clinical going on- the bouncing around, the odd self-fanning bit (I actually thought initially he was motioning the outfield in during Pie's AB), attack-pawing the mound like a feisty stallion- surely he's not nervous after all these years? Mannerisms maybe, but almost looked like some obsessive behavior. And what was that intervention by the plate ump about concerning the back of his pants? I thought maybe he had a waiter's notebook crammed in his belt. Odd. Maybe an Ipod.

 

I used to think Turnbow was a case- maybe it's the bullpen water.

[Ennder]

1. Hershisher's take on Gagne yesterday on ESPN: in better days, the differential between his fast ball speed (95-96) and his off-speed pitches was intimidating to hitters, i.e. which am i going to get?. Now his speed is down to maybe 91 and is only 8-10mph faster than the off-speed- hence batters are "teeing off on him.." (In addition to pitching from behind...)

 

Fastballs - 93, 93, 94, 94, 93, 92, 93, 93, 92, 91, 92, 92, 91

Changeups - 84, 82, 83, 83, 85, 83

Curve - 69, 70, 69

 

The velocity wasn't too bad on the fastball. Last year his FB averaged 92.3 and changeup 83.5 and he was successful though not great. I don't think we'll see 95-96 since he hasn't thrown like that since at least 2004.

[Fear The Chorizo]

According to the baseball guru Dayn Perry, Gagne's already done for the season...I happen to love the fact that Perry mentions that jumping to any kind of conclusions after ONE game is stupid in the first paragraph of his story, and then proceeds to jump to conclusions immediately after that. I wonder sometimes if most of these baseball writers have their jobs because they have pictures of their bosses doing something embarrassing.

 

If that's his opinion, put me down for Gagne getting at least 35 saves this season. I'll chalk it up to weather, footing, etc...i think the reason he was grooving fastballs was because he wasn't throwing it for a strike until Fukudome took him yard - with a three run lead, the worst thing he could have done was walk another guy and have the potential winning run at the plate.

 

I'm more miffed at Gagne for his poor coverage of 1st on Pie's grounder than his pitching performance...

 

Coco was supposed to be a washed up, retread closer when the Brewers traded for him, too - that turned out pretty well if you ask me.

[MillerParkSouth]

is anyone else a little concerned that Gagne bolted the clubhouse before talking to reporters? Isn't that kind of bush league? I was hoping to hear his side of what happened out there. Besides, Counsell and TGJ got him off the hook so he should be happy.

[Jimbo]

And a side note after the HR he did lean over like he was sick.

Watching the game live at home, after that HR *I* had to lean over because I was sick.

 

edit: I tuned in the ninth inning. Looked to me Gagne was squeezed on a couple of pitches to Lee and one to Fukudome. To anyone who watched the whole game, was that a squeeze job or was the ump being consistent?