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At one time the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, Eric Gagne has signed with the Ottawa Champions.

The Mascouche, QC, native will start the final game of the season on Sept. 5 against the Quebec Capitales. The 40-year-old Gagne was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1995 and made his debut with the team in 1999. He went on to become one of the most dominant closers in baseball, appearing in three all-star games, winning the 2003 NL Cy Young Award and at one point converting 63 consecutive save opportunities.

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“I have been getting ready to pitch for three months and I’m really excited,” says Gagne. “I hope that it helps promote baseball and the Can-Am League in a city where they have a new team and have had a great season. It’s a great way to show appreciation to the fans that came out in Ottawa all summer.”

Gagne finished his major-league career with a 33-26 record, 3.47 earned-run average and a total of 187 saves. His career did include some controversy as he admitted using Human Growth Hormone in an interview in 2010.

Gagne finished his major-league career with a 33-26 record, 3.47 earned-run average and a total of 187 saves.

He played for the Capitales during the 2009 season before attempting a failed comeback with the Dodgers during training camp in 2010. He made a one-game appearance for the Can-Am League’s Trois-Rivieres Aigles in 2015, pitching 4 1/3 innings in a 5-3 victory against Quebec.

The Champions (46-40) are fourth in the 2016 Can-Am League standings, five games behind the first-place New Jersey Jackals.