Gagne's streak tops for LA fans

A couple of years ago, baseball fans determined that Cal Ripken's 2,131st consecutive game played was the Most Memorable Moment in Major League Baseball history. Evidently, though, memories at least among Dodger fans are about as short as a typical ninth-inning appearance by Eric Gagne.

Even on the same day as the final episode of "Friends," Gagne notched his 72nd straight save and fans were giving his run the edge in a vote for "the most impressive streak" in MLB history. Votes are still being cast. Gagne was 55-for-55 in save conversions last season and had not skipped a beat through Wednesday.

Even a Dodgers.com message boards poster, with the screen name jctarzan, was a little surprised by the balloting results as of Thursday evening: "The [streak] is cool of course, but many of those were 'easy' saves. It's absolutely incredible that Ripken didn't miss one game in all those years. It's amazing that he didn't get a little injury from sliding or whatever. Ripken should win hands down."

If the magnitude of streaks are measured by the "unbreakability," then it is still kind of hard to fathom Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak of 1941 being an also-ran at this point. You kind of get the feeling that it would be a runaway if the poll appeared on the Yankees' site, don't you? In any case, the votes are in, and so far Eric the Great is impressing you with the greatest streak by a reliever.

Another streak by a Dodger pitcher -- Orel Hershiser's magnificent run of 59 scoreless innings in the club's 1988 championship season -- was also high on the voters' list.

For all the buzz about the last episode of "Friends," alas, it appears that this is and always will be a place for baseball friends to hang out. The cast members stayed together for 230 episodes, but it didn't seem to matter as much as watching Gagne enter a game with the Dodgers on top.

http://mlb.mlb.com

I'll would go with save streak. It is truely an amazing run. With so many blown saves (sometimes feel as tho I am on the receiving end of most of them)for a run like this, one hell of accomplishment. Ripken was a show of endurance, also very impressive. But Ripken will make the Hall of Fame because of the streak and not because of kind of ball player he was. Skill wise he was probally just above an average player. Just mine opinion.

Just to clearify something just an above average ballplayer is still pretty damn good.

Greatest streak ever no contest, he can not make one bad pitch, not one bad hop-no corkssrew hits down the base line, no hangers, i have watched this sreak and he has had runners on third with no outs several times, best arm since Sandy, a hiitting streak you get 4 times a game to get it, no room for error with Gagne, thr amazing thing is he broke the streak a long time ago, he has shattered it and put it out of reach, just like Piazas record for HR for a catcher, tok him 4 seasons less then Fisk, 7 less then benchs numbers and he will hit 150 more, we are living in a age of greatest in baseball with these 2 streaks, never see anything like them again.