Oh yeah, you know what that means. You know what that means.
Only one man gets that introduction song. He did it for the Dodgers and
did it better than any other reliever during his Dodger career eight seasons in Dodger
Blue. And on Wednesday Night game Over, Eric Gangne will be back on
the mound celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his eighty fourth consecutive safe. The one
and only National League Cy Young Award winner Eric Gangne joins us on Dodger Talk.
Eric, thanks a lot for taking the time out and can't wait to
see you on Wednesday. I know, I'm really really excited. It's been
twenty years already. It's crazy, but I'm excited that a lot of amazing
memories. You guys play that song. I still get goosebumps. So I'm
really excited and really honored to be a better stadium part of it. It's
gonna be. Yeah. I was wondering, even though it's in this setting,
when you hear that Guns N' Roses song come on, whether you're listening
to your iTunes or you know you're you're somewhere where it comes on, do
you instinctually feel like you have to warm up or you're gonna run through the
gates somewhere. Actually, yeah, exactly. That's it's funny. Because I
listened to it, I do have to turn my brain off a little bit,
so I'm going attacking into a joining. So it's a little bit different,
but it's very cool because it really brings all the memories and when I
do work out, it's great. But when I do walk around people,
it might not be a safe as it should be, but it's good.
Eric, what do you remember the most about that streak eighty four consecutive saves.
I mean, there's there's not really one thing that sticks out that.
There's like three or four plays I remember. I remember Sean Green throwing guys
out a couple of times. I remember all the great players behind me,
Dave Roberts, you know, stealing a home run. I think it was
in Houston center field, and there's a couple of plays like that. But
it's not really one moment. It's a little like the last moment when I
grew that same when I'm understanding relation from the sands after failing, and that
was really really special. But it's not really one moment during the Street,
it was more at the end of it, I started enjoying it a little
more. Even now I still can't believe it happened. And Israel is really
Uh. It was really hard to explain because you know, just when you're
in that zone you're in, that you're locked in, you think about,
you know, all you think about to get one bitch at a time,
getting the guy out, and you don't really get to enjoy it. But
now, since I'm sitting rear, you know, right here on the dock,
right here in Newport Beach, I'm enjoying a little bit more. Eric.
When you look back at your time with the Dodgers and just that entire
phenomenon of game over Eric Gangnie, which began in two thousand and two,
I feel like, obviously LA fans get a bad rap for coming late and
leaving early. But when you emerged as that dominant closer and you had all
the theatrics of coming in from the bullpen with Welcome to the Jungle, it
felt like that it was a period of time where fans stayed just so they
could watch the ninth inning and watch you do your thing. Yeah, I
mean that that, you know, I heard it when I played that changed
the game a little bit about the guys leaving earlier, fans leaving earlier.
They're still coming in late, but being hopefully they don't leave early anymore.
It's a little faster face than everything else. But I was unbelievable, was
special as magical, and you know that rap. I think it's it's gone.
I think you guys talk about it a little bit more, but I
think the Dodger fans are the best man in the game. And you know,
I've got all my best memories is from being a daughter stadium, you
know, from all the fans standing up and sing for me. So it's
it's special. So I can't say anything bad about them. But it was
really cool that I changed that, you know, that culture. That's just
was that way. Eric Ganye is going to be back at Dodger Stadium on
Wednesday night throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, So you do want to get
there early and be able to experience game over on the twentieth anniversary of his
eighty fourth consecutive save. And the Dodgers, as you know, Eric,
you being part of the organization, A long list of great players have played
for them, What does it mean to you that this Dodger ownership group and
the Dodgers today want to honor you and bring you back into the family and
certainly have you celebrate it on a night like Wednesday. It means a world
of me. It's really special just to be part of that team, part
of that you know, amazing history and people talked about the Drysday, all
the Sandy KOFAXX and you all the stories I got from Maury Wills, and
it's a very very special organization. It's something that I was very fortunate coming
from Montreal. There's a lot of history there with Jackie Robinson playing in Montreal.
So I felt like being a Dodger it's something I know, something I
love, something I'm really proud of and really honored to be part of.
And you know, once a Dodger are always a Dodger. Tommy said the
best, you know, I believe Blue, I'm a Dodger from you know
it through. It's just that's what I do, that's what I am.
It's a it's gonna be very emotional. I think it's when the music turns
on, when the fans get up, when I'm up there still feeling the
you know, the energy that the fans used to give me, feel that
before the game. It's going to be unbelievable. So I'm I'm crazy,
you know. It's it's crazy to think that I've had that time of career
coming from Montreal. But to be honored, to be honored of down the
stadium is me part me part of the great history of the Dodgers. It's
it's very special. Hey, Eric, gan is joining us on Canada Day.
Don't think I don't know that, Ganie. Today is Canada Day.
I know, I got to be better on my social media. I didn't
post anything about it, but it is Canada Day, and uh I'm I'm
in Newport Beach waiting for a four to July. So it's going to be
unbelievable. It's it's gonna be fun. I'm I'm dual citizenship, so I'm
a proud Canadian, prout French Canadian in America now. So it's it is
a great day today, Hey, Eric, speaking of Canada, do I
have the story right? This whole thing may never have happened if the Blue
did not choose Luke Procopek in a trade instead of choosing Eric gangne in a
trade the Dodgers and Blue Jays agreed upon before the O two season. Do
I do I understand that story correctly? I hope so. I hope I
got it right. That's what I heard about it. I think it was
Luke Brokopeg and Chad Ricketts. I think they put in yeah Canadian and was
in the trade? Was in the trade for Caesar's toeurs, Yes, exactly,
And yes, actually I didn't know it was exactly the trade for.
But I remember talking about like where they refuse to trade meet and it was
me and Luke Brook were roommates and we're you know, he was an amazing
starter. It was actually an outfielder before and he became a starter and he,
you know, me and Himmer roommate. We used to go back and
forth like who get called up or not? So it was Luke Brokopec and
Chad Rickett. I think so it was. I'm a Dodger because of that.
Yes, you know, when you talk about a bullpen, it's a
team within a team. Do you remember you know who you were closest to
during those years, because I know there were a few different guys. Giamomoto
Paul Quantrill. They were part of the team. But do you remember who
you spent a lot of time with when you pitch for the Dodgers, Well,
I you know, Joiner Sanchez was part of it. You had Paul
Shoey Martin. We had a lot of guys that came in and out.
But I think the core, like the guy I've learned the most is probably
guys like Jesse her Rosco. I mean, I just to sit next to
him, was Lindsday, Like that guy's just, you know, the best
reliever in all the time. I think he's got so many appearance, so
much, so many, so many memories, so many stories to tell us.
It's amazing with them. To be part of that. Paul Quantrill was
amazing. So we're part of We're the best bullpen I think. I'm not
sure the statistics are right, but we're probably the best bullpen for two or
three years in a row. That I don't think. I think ever.
So it was very special guys like Mota, Quantoll, like everybody. It
was a unit. Everybody worked really well together, and I think that's why
I'm so successful, no doubt. If the Dodgers had the lead by the
sixth inning game was literally over, and Eric Gannie was coming in. Especially
at Dodgers Stadium. Eric Ganne is joining us. He is going to be
throwing out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium before Wednesday Night's game, which is
the twentieth anniversary of his eighty fourth consecutive safe And Eric, the Dodgers just
got back from Oracle Park. Back when you pitched there, it was at
and t you had some good movements as a Dodger team, some bad moments
as a Dodger team. But there is that famous John Suhu photo that hangs
in the hallways of Dodger Stadium. You facing Barry Bonds and that at bat.
That matchup was one of the epic matchups between Dodgers and Giants during that
period of time. What do you remember the most of pitching there and pitching
against Bonds? Well, I remember the most is they hated us and we
hated them back. So not in the negative, not in an aggressive way.
But you know, I was always taught that even if you have a
losing season, you got to be the Giants. And I think it's you
know, it's very uh, they feel the same way, and going there
very hostile territory, which I loved. And I remember one day they played
the game over. They actually played my game over song and they try to
kind of reverse it and everything else. But I think the greatest moment I've
ever had really was not my career. The best memory I ever read is
probably facing Barry Bonds at I can't remember. It was a tag Beile back
in the day, and just just the emotions and you know, the whole,
the whole. That was unbelievable because we had to talk that we had
in Japan that we agreed. I can't remember exactly the words, but I
watched a I think it was Fox Sports at a Fox Sports. I'd like
a special about it. They talked about like where we had an agreement about
not throwing off speed or I thought it was changed job. But I loved
that I talked to him. But it was unbelievable, as I think,
because it was the best guy in the world I think best probably want probably
the best player that ever played baseball so far other than Otani, And for
me to face him, I'm the peak of my career was was unbelievable.
And you know, I remember coming off and I used to I came in
to dug out and I looked at Casey Diskins was a video guy, and
I was smiling. He was wondering why I was smiling because he took me
deep plice in that one of bet and I was just like, man,
this is unbelievable. I just faced the best player I've ever seen in my
life. And you know, I'm not supposed to be here. You know
this. I'm just a French Canadian hockey player and just you know, I
was doing that and it was very special. It's always going to be a
special, you know, special time in my life other than when I got
standing ovation at Daughter State, and it was a pretty pretty special moment.
Hey, Eric, you mentioned Otani and Barry Bonds. Uh do you feel
like when show Hey Otani steps in the batter's box, he has a certain
mistique that Bonds had when he was at his peak during that period of time.
He definitely has that aura. I would love to face him because I
would not be able to say, yes, he's better because to me,
Barry Barry Bonds just changed the game from the approach we had with all the
other hitters. So I don't I've never seen anything I've never had to face
anything like it. I would love to be able to say yes so toany
does. But the presidence that Barry had in that lineup was just nothing I've
ever seen before. Because two or three or four hitters before you sitting the
dug out, Look, okay, this is this guy coming up, this
guy coming up. You know, I got to really cancel. All these
guys are amazing hitters. But I mean what very in the you know,
in the game, was very different. So you know, I was just
fortunate to face him, And I would love to face with Tani because I've
never seen anything like it. To dominate the way he does from hitting and
pitching, it's pretty special. Okay, Eric Ganner, let's say it's the
ninth inning, and let's just say Otani still on the Angels, Eric Gangne
comes through the gates at Dodger Stadium. How would you sequence show hey,
Otani? Would you go fastball inside to back him off and then throw in
that famous change up? Well, I love to go. I actually love
to face some an Anaheim when you have that rally monkey going and going over
on top of it. I would love to face him there. That would
be like my perfect scenario. Those guys in facing there that a little crazy
rally monkey go, that would be amazing. But I would go fast well
up in and just to start with oh man, that's get him off my
dish, and then go change up all day. Oh I love it,
love it, love it. Eric Ganie, Hey, it's gonna be great
to see you on Wednesday. Can't wait for all of us to celebrate your
cy young in two thousand and three and also the twentieth anniversary literally on Wednesday,
one of your eighty fourth consecutive save and can't wait to see you also
during the grand reunion with a bunch of former Dodgers and you being part of
it. It's it's really special to bring back all of you guys, but
you definitely deserve your shine on Wednesday. Thank you so much. It's the
privilege and it's just be a part of the Dodger family is just a great
honor. Maybe we'll go back to the speakeasy after you throw out that first
pitch. I'm not gonna say no. Okay, sounds good. They miss
you down there, and yeah, it was awesome seeing you a couple of
years ago, and it'll be great to see you on Wednesday, Eric,
enjoy Newport Beach game over down there and we'll see you on Wednesday. All
right, guys, thank you. There he goes the great Eric gangne two
thousand and three National League Say Young Award winner, and it's great. The
Dodgers are going to recognize him for still the record eighty four consecutive saves.
That is still a Major League record. Kennley Jansen obviously has the most saves
in Dodger history, but Eric Gangnier holds that distinction for the most consecutive saves
in Dodger history eighty four. And on July third, it will be the
twentieth anniversary. So looking forward to Wednesday night at Dodgers Stadium.