Levine: Adam Eaton Admits New Contract Got To Him

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Adam Eaton saw his batting average drop as low as is self-esteem before he got rolling on Monday evening. The White Sox center fielder finally broke out of a season-long slump with two walks and a crucial ninth-inning base hit, a single off of Indians closer Cody Allen that was a major part of the turnaround, helping his team score four times in a big come-from-behind victory.

The White Sox's energy bunny, Eaton was rewarded with a five-year, $23.5-million contract in spring training. This was a response by management of their belief in his importance to the franchise moving forward. Eaton was moved by the gesture, to the point of distraction as the big league season began.

Through 13 games, Eaton is batting just .176 with a .236 on-base percentage, numbers not befitting of a lead-off man or lineup regular.

"Yeah, you are right about the distraction," Eaton said. "It is human nature. You sign a contract and with all the new faces in here, I wanted to prove to them I was worthy of leading off at the top of a very good batting order. I want the others like Jose (Abreu) to have a great year. In order for them to do that, they need to have men on base. That is my job. I take it very personal when we don't have a lot of hits starting off. When it starts to rumble the wrong way, sometimes I try harder than I should. After a couple of wins, I can fall into place and get the job done."

Eaton hasn't been the only player on the White Sox in a slump. The team has averaged just 3.4 runs per game after Tuesday's 6-2 loss to Cleveland.

"He is a very aggressive player," manager Robin Ventura said of Eaton. "You have to learn to slow things down, just to be able to play. You can't worry about a contract or anything like that. The trust is certainly there that he is a good player. Going through it (the big contract) the first time, sometimes it can be difficult to go through with expectations like that. You must learn to put all of that aside. You have to play the game like you have been playing it all along."

Eaton had a solid 2014 season, hitting .300. He was hampered by numerous injuries that cut his playing time to 123 games. A rugged offseason workout regimen was part of his plan to stay in the lineup for 150 games in 2015.

"Adam is a team player," Ventura said. "He puts a lot of pressure on himself being in the leadoff spot. We got into this situation (offensive slump) not just because of him. He just needs to do his part and not try to do too much."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.