Eric Gagne guest at Cy Young Days Festival

NEWCOMERSTOWN − Former Major League Baseball pitcher Eric Gagne will be the honored guest and parade marshal for the 2023 Cy Young Days Festival in Newcomerstown.

The 47-year-old from Montreal, Canada, played 10 seasons in the majors from 1999 to 2008. He was with the Los Angeles Dodgers for eight seasons and also had stints with the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. He won a World Series as part of the Red Sox in 2007.

Gagne was a National League All-Star for three straight seasons from 2002 to 2004. He won the Cy Young Award, for the best player in baseball for each division, in 2003. The same year he was also the MLB saves leader with 55 and was the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award, a honor he also received the following season. He's the second Canadian to win the Cy Young, after Ferguson Jenkins. Gagne had 187 career saves and a career earned run average of 3.47 with 718 strikeouts.

Festival events will be June 24 to 26 around the village. Opening ceremonies are 5 p.m. that Friday with introduction of the festival queen and court following at 5:30 p.m. on the Canal Street Stage. A cornhole tournament is at 6 p.m. and The Moonlyterz perform from 8 to 11 p.m.

A luncheon with Gagne will be at 11:30 a.m. that Saturday at Labors Local Hall 134 with the meal at 12:30 p.m. and a bat auction. Parade lineup is at 4:30 p.m. at Newcomerstown High School with the parade at 6 p.m. Gagne will do an autography signing at 7 p.m. at the Olde Main Street Museum. Royaltywill be introduced at 6:45 p.m. at the Canal Street Stage.

The Ron Porcher vintage baseball games start at 10 a.m. that Sunday at Cy Young Park. Registration for the car show is 1 to 3 p.m. on Main Street with awards at 5 p.m. The talent show is at 1 p.m. and the pet show at 3 p.m.

There will be vendors, games and concessions all three days. More events may be added.

The festival annually honors Cy Young, who was born in 1867 in Gilmore, near Newcomerstown. There is a Cy Young memorabilia display in the Temperance Tavern Museum. Young is considered to be one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time with career stats of 511 wins, 2.63 ERA and 2,803 strikeouts.

Past Cy Young winners to attend the festival as special guests have included Len Barker, Kevin Ritz, Rich Rollins, Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, Dean Chance, Jim Perry, Vern Law, Bob Turley, Denny McLain, Mike McCormick, Vida Blue, Bret Saberhagen, Doug Drabek, Jack McDowell, Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Randy Jones.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Eric Gagne guest at Cy Young Days Festival