Adam Eaton

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Adam Eaton
position=Starting pitcher
team=Philadelphia Phillies
number=21
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1977|11|23
debutdate=May 30
debutyear=2000
debutteam=San Diego Padres
statyear=July 27, 2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=68-63
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.80
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=820
teams=
*San Diego Padres (by|2000-by|2005)
*Texas Rangers (by|2006)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2007-present)

Adam Thomas Eaton (born November 23, 1977 in Seattle, Washington) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Though he was demoted to the Reading Phillies early in mlby|2008, he is currently on the Phillies roster as a September call-up.

Early career

High school

Eaton graduated from Snohomish High School in 1996 where he went 8–0 with a 0.67 earned run average (ERA) as a senior, and earned second team High School All-America honors from Baseball America. [cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28] Ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Pacific Northwest by Baseball America, Eaton was scheduled to attend the University of Washington, but was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. [cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=1996|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (1996)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28]

Minor leagues

After signing, the Phillies assigned Eaton to their team in the A-level South Atlantic League, the Piedmont Boll Weevils. Though he spent a month on the disabled list during the by|1997 season,cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=1997|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (1997)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] 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 by|1998, his record was 9–8 as he struck out 89 batters in 132 innings at Clearwater.cite web|url=http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=19740|title=Adam Eaton Statistics (Minor Leagues)|publisher=Baseball Reference|accessdate=2008-07-29] He was also named a mid-season All-Star in the Florida State League. cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=1998|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (1998)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] by|1999 saw Eaton climbing his way up the rungs of the Phillies' farm system, starting the year at Clearwater, then earning promotions to Reading and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Between the three levels, Eaton posted a 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.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=1999|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (1999)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] 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 for Andy Ashby. He posted a 4–1 record in ten starts for the Mobile BayBears.

Professional career

2000–01

Eaton made his major league debut for the Padres on May 30, 2000, against the Milwaukee Brewers, and won his first major league game.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2000|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2000)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28] He went 7–4 in the by|2000 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 two bases in a single season. His batting average (.289) led all major league pitchers. Eaton's first full season in the major leagues, by|2001, 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, [cite web|lastname=Harris|firstname=Chris|title=Top 10 Bizarre baseball injuries|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/top10/baseball_injuries.html#5|publisher=CBC Sports Online|accessdate=2008-07-29] and underwent season-ending "Tommy John" surgery on August 21.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2001|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2001)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] 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 and the San Francisco Giants.

2002–03

After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Eaton made six appearances at the end of the by|2002 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.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2002|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2002)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] Eaton's by|2003 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. 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.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2003|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2003)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29]

2004–05

by|2004 was a career year for Eaton, as he reached new levels in wins, with 11; starts, with 33; innings pitched, with 199⅓; and strikeouts, with 153.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2004|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2004)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-29] He beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 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. He also became the eighth different Padre to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Royals in July, 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,cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/e/eatonad01.shtml|title=Adam Eaton Statistics|publisher=Baseball Reference|accessdate=2008-07-29] 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, by|2005, Eaton was traded, along with Akinori Otsuka and Billy Killian to the Texas Rangers for Chris Young, Terrmel Sledge, and Adrian Gonzalez.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2005|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights (2005)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28]

2006

After the trade, Eaton was penciled in as the number two starter for the Rangers going into the by|2006 season. However, during a spring training 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 on July 25, going 3⅔ innings and giving up one hit and three earned runs.cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=284566&y=2006|title=Adam Eaton: Biography and Career Highlights 2006)|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28]

igns with Phillies

On November 27, by|2006, Eaton signed a three-year deal worth $24 million to re-join the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Phillies.cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061130&content_id=1748236&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp|title=Phillies make it official, sign Eaton|last=Mandel|first=Ken|date=2006-11-30|publisher=Major League Baseball|accessdate=2008-07-29]

2007–08

Eaton made his debut for the Phillies on April 5, by|2007 against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched 4⅔ innings giving up 7 earned runs and took the loss. That season, Eaton was 10–10 with an earned run average of 6.29, one of the worst in the league; [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=phi&playerID=284566|title=Adam Eaton's career statistics|publisher=Major League Baseball|accessdate=2008-07-28] despite this, the Phillies won the National League Eastern Division for the first time since by|1993. However, Eaton was not included in the postseason roster. Eaton's performance with the Phillies in the first half of the by|2008 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 1/3 innings against the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks. It was announced on July 18 that Eaton would lose his spot in the Phillies' rotation to newly acquired Joe Blanton. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080718&content_id=3147814&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|title=Blanton expected to debut Tuesday|date=2008-07-18|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-18] Eaton was optioned to the minor leagues on July 28, 2008. As of August 23, 2008 he is 0-3 with the Reading Phillies with a 7.71 ERA. [cite web|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080728&content_id=3211875&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|title=Eaton accepts Minor League assignment|last=Mandel|first=Ken|date=2008-07-28|publisher=Philadelphia Phillies|accessdate=2008-07-28] Eaton was included in the September call ups as bullpen pitcher.

External links

* [http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=284566 Adam Eaton - mlb.com]
*baseball-reference|id=e/eatonad01

References