Eric Gagne -- Pitching with a hockey mentality

He wears a goatee and is very intimidating when he steps on the pitcher's mound.

His nickname is "Goon" and he should have been playing hockey with his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens. But, he isn't.

He's the National League Pitcher of the Month for June, and he happens to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eric Gagne made his first appearance as an All Star at this year's game in Milwaukee. You remember that one? The one that ended in a tie, just like a hockey game.

Gagne (pronounced Gahn-yay) was born and raised in Montreal, and like most Canadian children, dreamed of a career in hockey. He wouldn't have given Mario Lemieux a run for his money scoring-wise. Team security would be more like it.

In two years, Gagne has gone from, "Why don't the Dodgers trade this bum?" to "The Dodgers' BETTER NOT EVEN THINK about trading this guy."

Dodger Blue fans never thought that Gagne, who a few years ago didn't speak a word of English, would suddenly become the second coming of Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman.

When he was a starting pitcher, it seemed as though he couldn't get anybody out. But last year, former Dodger pitching coach, Dave Wallace saw something in Gagne that other pro scouts obviously missed. He would make one terrific closer. The rest, as they say, is history. Wallace, who is now the senior vice president, knew a good thing when he saw it. Gagne has become one of the best closers in the business. Not bad for a baseball player with a hockey mentality.