There may not be a more important player to his team than Eric Gagne has been for the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers in the first half. If I were choosing an NL Cy Young Award winner so far, Gagne would be my choice. I could even make an argument for him as the first-half MVP.

	Eric Gagne Closer Los Angeles Dodgers Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS IP W-L ERA SV BB K 42.2 0-0 1.27 30 4 60

The closer role was always an Achilles' heel for the Dodgers. Jeff Shaw, who retired after last season, was the best they had in my years with the Padres, but he also seemed to make mistakes that would let an opposing team back in the ballgame.

When the season started, the Dodgers were unsure who their closer would be. But Gagne was a great find and seems to have found his niche as a closer. He has been lights out, shutting the door in 30 of 31 games. When the Dodgers have the lead going into the ninth inning, the game is over; the Dodgers can chalk up another "W."

I never faced Gagne as a closer, but I don't remember him throwing as hard as he is now when he started. He also used to tip his pitches; we always knew what was coming. However, I never got a hit off him in six at-bats -- three of them coming last year.

One Eck of a closer

Dennis Eckersley was the best closer I ever faced. He wasn't the toughest, but it was always a challenge going up to the plate against him because he had a 90-plus mph fastball to go with a slider, a sinker and a changeup. And Eck had location. Two at-bats against Eckersley stand out the most. In the 1996 NL Division Series, he came in. I was up against him with runners on second and third and two outs. We were down one run. He threw me a good sinker, and I hit a bullet up the middle. He fielded it and threw me out for the last out of the game. And he gave me the fist pump -- and I remembered that. The following year in San Diego, he came in in the same situation late in the game. He tried to work me away, and I doubled to the gap in left-center to bring in the tying run. And I gave him the fist pump. As a hitter, that's what you do -- you remember. Although the situation wasn't as big, it was just as important. -- Tony Gwynn

One difference I have noticed is that he has dropped his arm angle to three-quarters. When he started, Gagne threw straight over the top. The three-quarters style has allowed him to get more movement on his fastball, and it seems he's no longer tipping his pitches because his release point has changed.

Gagne has electric stuff -- a 95-mph fastball to go with a sinker, a slider, a changeup and what I think is a splitter. When I hit against him, he threw me a changeup. He also threw me a good, quick-breaking slider. The pitch didn't tumble; he started it out over the middle of the plate, and it dive-bombed down and in on me.

As a starter, his control would get him into trouble, but Gagne has thrown nothing but strikes this season. He is working ahead in the count and has shown command of all his pitches. He is raring back and going after hitters. Starters try to pace themselves over the course of a game, but he knows for one inning he can let it all hang out.

At the same time, Gagne seems to enjoy what he is doing. When he started, he could get flustered sometimes. Now he looks composed and enthusiastic, showing some emotion at the end of games. The more success a player has, the more confident he feels -- and it shows. Gagne goes out in the ninth inning fully expecting to get the job done.

Maybe he has matured in the last year. Regardless, it is uncanny how Gagne has adapted to the closer's job and has had tremendous success. It looks like the Dodgers have found themselves an All-Star closer for this year and for years to come.

Tony Gwynn, who will take over as the head baseball coach at San Diego State next year, is working as an analyst for ESPN.