I think steroids may have had something to do with it

Boo Barry Bonds all you will. Well, last year anyhow. But one thing is very apparent with the Brewers pitcher that often pitches in the 9th inning: steroids made him the "Game Over" best lock-down closer the game of baseball has ever seen back in 2002-2004.

Ever since he was acquired by Boston last season, he has struggled greatly to get three outs in an inning. He walks people, serves up crisply hit singles and often a long ball or two. Gagne threw nasty cheddar as a Los Angeles Dodger, often blowing batters away with a fastball that hit 99 mph, making his low 80's change-up all but impossible to hit. He saved 84 straight games over that two year span, a record that will never even be approached by anyone.

His fastball is still big league ready, usually sitting at 91-94, but batters can catch up to that at the MLB level. Batters can catch up to a 99 mph fastball too, just not as easily. They lay off the change and sit dead red fastball. The sad truth is that steroids, or HgH made this guy as dominant of a closer as we'll ever see again. He is not that pitcher and looks very much so like a pitcher on the cusp of caving completely. The Juice enabled his good low/mid 90's heater and made it a filthy high 90's/triple digits heater.

It now appears he might be hurt once again, and if history has a way of repeating itself, he'll be hurt for a long time.