Minor-league closers have always had a difficult time being taken seriously. But that reality may only become a little grimmer in the bullpens of the American Association and Pacific Coast League given the success that Eric Gagne and John Smoltz continue to have.

No one in the minors has more saves the last three seasons than the White Sox's Edwin Almonte. Even though his success has come in the high minors, he remains on the outside looking in as Gagne and Smoltz dominate in a specialist's role.

	Eric Gagne averaged 15 strikeouts per nine innings.

Over the last two seasons, Smoltz and Gagne lead the majors with 82 and 81 saves, respectively. They've blown only 10 saves between them over the last two seasons, giving them a combined success rate of 94 percent.

That's as automatic as it comes.

Smoltz, like Dennis Eckersley before him, had such success as a front-line starter that his run in the bullpen will earn him serious Hall of Fame consideration once his career is over. But Gagne's story illustrates how a switch to the bullpen can be all some talented but frustrated starters need.

In most other organizations, Gagne would probably still be a starter. He wound up as Los Angeles' closer only because new general manager Dan Evans did a terrific job accumulating pitching talent for the 2002 season.

Gagne, who had made his big-league debut as a starter in 1999, failed to establish himself in the rotation. He had 19 starts in 2000 and 24 more in '01, but had been wildly inconsistent. His struggles were partly why Evans added Hideo Nomo, Odalis Perez, Kaz Ishii and Omar Daal before the spring of 2002.

Gagne went to camp to compete for the fifth starter's job. He was given a chance to fill the vacancy at closer after it became clear that he would not fit in the rotation. No one truly knew how well the move would suit Gagne, although manager Jim Tracy gives Evans credit for helping him see the possibilities.

In his first season as a closer, Gagne earned a trip to the All-Star Game while setting a Dodgers record with 52 saves. He'll go back to the All-Star Game again this year.

	“	He's throwing that Bugs Bunny changeup on these guys, where they're looking for 97-mph heat. It's almost like you have no chance. It's just unfair. ”
		— Brian Jordan, Dodgers outfielder, on teammate Eric Gagne

If anything, Gagne is getting better.

"I'm older, more mature and more confident,'' Gagne said earlier this season. "There's always fear of failure, but I can manage that a little better this year. I don't worry about it. I know it's normal, I know it's not a big deal."

Gagne suffered a loss when Tracy brought him into a 2-2 tie against San Francisco on Monday night, but leads the majors with 29 saves. He's working on an astonishing streak, converting his last 37 chances. He hasn't blown a save since Aug. 26, 2002, which was one of the few times Tracy has asked him to work more than one inning.

With a high-90s fastball and a changeup that shows why so many pitchers love gravity, Gagne has plenty of stuff to blow away hitters. But he's become even more overpowering since becoming confident in also throwing his curveball.

"He's mixing it up now, which makes him more dangerous," Dodgers outfielder Brian Jordan said. "He's throwing that Bugs Bunny changeup on these guys, where they're looking for 97-mph heat. It's almost like you have no chance. It's just unfair."

This season, Gagne has held National League hitters to a .141 batting average and an absolutely ridiculous .178 slugging percentage. He has faced 148 batters and struck out 69 of them. His ratio of 15.8 strikeouts per nine innings is better than any major-leaguer ever with a minimum of 35 innings.

	Wagner

Over an entire season, that distinction belongs to Houston's Billy Wagner, but perhaps not for much longer. Wagner averaged 14.95 strikeouts per nine innings in 1999, his best season.

Working primarily as a starter in 2000, Gagne allowed an opponents' batting average of .270 and had 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Those numbers were marginally better in 2001 -- .251 OBA and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Gagne bounced back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A those two seasons, teasing the Dodgers but seldom satisfying them. Scouts said he lacked command and perhaps confidence as he ran up high pitch counts by nibbling with his pitches. He also may have been caught in the trap that many young starters face -- getting beat while trying to pace themselves so they have something left later in games.

Those concerns went out the window when Gagne was shifted to the bullpen. Almost immediately he began to attack hitters.

Gagne's fastball picked up a couple feet, jumping from about 92 mph to 97 mph. The improved velocity also showed up in his hard changeup, which now drops sharply. The wicked combination between those two pitches have caused some hitters to try to attack his curveball, frequently chasing pitches out of the strike zone.

Like Eckersley before them, Gagne and Smoltz have become an inspiration for others. Montreal's Rocky Biddle and Kansas City's Mike MacDougal are converted starters currently enjoying success in their first year as closers.

Gagne is getting the biggest payoff of all from the switch.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a Web site at www.chicagosports.com.