Adam Thomas Eaton (born November 23, 1977) is an American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB) from 2000 through 2009 for the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
,
Texas Rangers,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
,
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
, and
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...
. With the Phillies, Eaton was a member of the
2008 World Series champions.
Early career
High school
Eaton graduated from
Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...
(ERA) as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
''. He was named to the
All-America First Team by the
American Baseball Coaches Association and
Rawlings. Ranked the No. 1 prospect in the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...
by ''Baseball America'', Eaton was scheduled to attend the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...
, but was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 11th pick in the first round of the
1996 Major League Baseball draft.
Minor leagues
After signing, the Phillies assigned Eaton to their team in the A-level
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
, the
Piedmont Boll Weevils. Though he spent a month on the disabled list during the season,
he posted a 5–6 record with a 4.18 ERA. Though his ERA went up a quarter of a point to 4.43 in , his record was 9–8 as he struck out 89 batters in 132 innings at
Clearwater.
He was also named a mid-season All-Star in the
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A followi ...
.
saw Eaton climbing his way up the rungs of the Phillies' farm system, starting the year at Clearwater, then earning promotions to
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
and
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Between the three levels, Eaton posted an 11–10 record and a combined 3.34 ERA, striking out 127 in 167 innings.
For his accomplishments, Eaton was honored as the recipient of the Paul Owens Award, given to the top Phillies' minor league pitcher each season.
At the end of the season, before his first major league appearance, Eaton was traded with
Carlton Loewer and Steve Montgomery by the Phillies to the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
for
Andy Ashby. He posted a 4–1 record in ten starts for the
Mobile BayBears.
Major league career
2000–01
Eaton made his major league debut for the Padres on May 30, 2000, against the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, and
won his first major league game.
He went 7–4 in the season, striking out 90 in 135 innings, and posting a 4.13 ERA. Eaton did not lose in his first eight starts as a Padre, posting a 1–0 record with a 3.02 ERA. He posted the best day game ERA in the National League (2.34), and became the third Padres pitcher, after
Juan Eichelberger and
Doug Brocail, to
steal
Steal may refer to:
* Theft, the illegal act of taking another person's property without that person's freely-given consent
* The gaining of a stolen base in baseball
** the 2004 ALCS stolen base in Game Four, see Dave Roberts (outfielder)
* Steal ...
two bases in a single season. His
batting average (.289) led all major league pitchers.
Eaton's first full season in the major leagues, , produced mixed results. Eaton suffered a bizarre injury when he accidentally stabbed himself in the stomach while trying to open a
DVD package with a paring knife, and underwent season-ending
"Tommy John" surgery on August 21.
Before his injuries, Eaton posted an 8–5 record with a 4.32 ERA. This season also produced his first two career complete games, and he posted two ten-strikeout games against the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
and the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yo ...
.
2002–03
After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Eaton made six appearances at the end of the season for San Diego, finishing his season with a 1–1 record and posting a 1.71 ERA over his last three starts. He pitched each of his six starts against
National League West opponents.
Eaton's ERA was a career low (4.08), but he only managed a 9–12 record over his second full season. He pitched at least seven innings in ten of his 31 starts, including a season-high eight innings to earn his third complete game of his career against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
. Though he started the season weakly, July was Eaton's top month; he posted a 4–0 record and a 2.81 ERA in the month. His nine wins were a career high.
2004–05
was a career year for Eaton, as he reached new levels in wins, with 11; starts, with 33; innings pitched, with ; and strikeouts, with 153.
He beat the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
, a San Diego rival, four times during the season, posting a 4–1 record and a 2.87 ERA against them. He also won eight games on the road, posting a 2.66 ERA during his seven-game winning streak away from new
Petco Park
Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, and rugby.
The ballpark is located bet ...
.
In a game against the Royals in July he became the eighth different Padre to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but was unable to complete the task.
In his last year as a Padre, Eaton posted a 9–1 record over his first 13 starts.
He pitched his way to a 10–5 record with an ERA of 4.27,
but he went on the disabled list in the middle of June with a strained finger.
He came back at the end of the season and won his final start against the Dodgers, striking out 11.
This win also matched his career high from the previous season.
Offseason trade
On December 20, 2005, Eaton was traded, along with
Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian to the
Texas Rangers for
Chris Young,
Terrmel Sledge, and
Adrián González
Adrián González Savín (born May 8, 1982), also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a Mexican-American former professional baseball first baseman He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, ...
.
2006
After the trade, Eaton was penciled in as the number two starter for the Rangers going into the season. However, during a
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...
game on March 29, Eaton injured his right middle finger, causing him to go on the 60-day
DL and miss the first half of the season.
Eaton made his first start as a Ranger against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
on July 25, going innings and giving up one
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
and three
earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
s.
Signs with Phillies
On November 27, 2006, Eaton signed a three-year deal worth $24 million to re-join the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Phillies.
2007
Eaton made his debut for the Phillies on April 5,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. He pitched innings giving up 7 earned runs and took the
loss
Loss may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''Loss'' (Bass Communion album) (2006)
* ''Loss'' (Mull Historical Society album) (2001)
*"Loss", a song by God Is an Astronaut from their self-titled album (2008)
* Losses "(Lil Tjay son ...
. Eaton was the losing pitcher of record when the Phillies lost their 10,000th game in franchise-history on July 15, 2007, to the St. Louis Cardinals, 10–2, marking the first time a professional sports franchise reached that plateau. Eaton was 10–10 with an earned run average of 6.29, one of the worst in the league; despite this, the Phillies won the National League Eastern Division for the first time since . However, Eaton was not included in the postseason roster.
2008
Eaton's performance with the Phillies in the first half of the season was also decidedly poor; through July 12, he notched a 3–8 record in 19 starts with an earned run average of 5.71. His last two outings before the
All-Star break were a prime example; he yielded a combined 17 hits and 14
runs in 6 innings against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
and
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
. It was announced on July 18 that Eaton would lose his spot in the Phillies' rotation to newly acquired
Joe Blanton
Joseph Matthew Blanton (born December 11, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Kansas City Royals, Pi ...
. Eaton was optioned to the minor leagues on July 28, 2008. He did not return to the majors until he was added to the September callups as a bullpen pitcher. He did not appear in any game after his callup.
2009
Two days after he was released by the Phillies, Eaton signed a minor league contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
on March 1, 2009. In an interview with
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...
after his release from the Phillies, he claimed he was partially responsible for the Phillies' success in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
and
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
: "A lot of things went wrong, but
here were
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here
Television
* Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...
a lot of things that went right, too. I helped them get to the playoffs two years in a row, and obviously we won the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
last year." He was promoted to the Orioles after spending the first week of the 2009 major league season with the
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...
. He was released on May 22 after going 2–5 with an 8.56 ERA in eight starts.
"Orioles release RHP Adam Eaton; RHP Matt Albers recalled from Triple-A Norfolk"
Baltimore Orioles press release, Friday, May 22, 2009
Colorado Rockies
On June 6, Eaton signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...
. On September 9 he was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
.
Eaton was granted free agency on October 6, .
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Adam
1977 births
Living people
Baseball players from Seattle
Major League Baseball pitchers
San Diego Padres players
Texas Rangers players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Baltimore Orioles players
Colorado Rockies players
Piedmont Boll Weevils players
Clearwater Phillies players
Reading Phillies players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
Mobile BayBears players
Portland Beavers players
Frisco RoughRiders players
Oklahoma RedHawks players
Lakewood BlueClaws players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players