Levine: Adam Eaton Improving With Time, Experience

By Bruce Levine

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It hasn't been an easy season for White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton, as the 26-year-old has had plenty of scrutiny attached to his game and persona.

The question has never been about Eaton's talent. Tools and hustle have been his calling card as he progressed up the minor league system of the Diamondbacks. The mental side of the long season has been more of a challenge for Eaton. Being too upbeat and overly aggressive has cost Eaton playing time and, in some cases, the true essence of his desire to win.

"For the most part, guys have been great in the clubhouse," said Eaton, who spurred a come-from-behind win against the Twins on Friday with his 13th home run. "I couldn't ask for a better surrounding player and staff support. Have there been little picks here and there? Yeah, absolutely. That is just how a baseball season goes. That is how guys are in the clubhouse. That keeps you grounded and keeps you moving in the right direction. I could not ask for a better group of guys to be with."

The review from his teammates has improved as the season and Eaton have progressed. Some players didn't always understand his penchant for overstating things when interviewed. The T-shirts with Eaton's head shot at the end of a straw while stirring a martini made their way around the Sox locker room earlier this season. Eaton was initially hurt by the mocking of the group. As time has passed, the T-shirts have slowly disappeared.

The skill set has been impressive. He has 13 home runs, eight triples, 24 doubles and 14 stolen bases, a reflection of the multitude of offensive elements Eaton brings to the ballpark with him. He's an unfinished product that reminds you he's still in the player-development mode. He has only played in 345 games and at 26 has much more to learn despite signing a $25-million contract in March.

"You want to be liked and you want to be accepted," Eaton said, admitting the road hasn't always been an easy one for him. "You want to be accepted for who you are. The guys have helped bring me back down to earth at times while helping me learn what I need to learn."

There's a certain toughness that helps Eaton perform. The cockiness part of that has toned down as his game has improved. He pointed out staying healthy and playing most of the games for the first time as a big part of his overall improvement.

"That has been the big part of it," he said. "I have been helped so much by the trainers and Alan (Thomas, strength coach). They have devised some great things to help keep me on the field. I have really enjoyed the process of trying, failing and then improving at this level. I had so much success in the minor leagues I never had to make adjustments. The past two seasons, I failed tremendously at times. I feel I have bounced back nicely. Now learning to stay on an even keel, I hope I have learned that."

The importance of the leadoff man can't be overstated. The straw that stirs this drink has to be Eaton. Defensively, Eaton has progressed as well.

"His defense has definitely improved," manager Robin Ventura said. "He has worked on it and got better, he has more confidence now. It did not start out all that great. I think he was unhappy with it and has turned it around. He has become a much better defender in the second half."

Ventura believes the bar should be set high for Eaton.

"It should be very high," Ventura said about his view of the future for Eaton. "You start looking at the (tools) that he has. He proves you don't have to be big to hit homers. He has hit them to all fields. He has speed, although he hasn't always used it as much as he should. You have, in his case, all the these things that are there. The package is there to do more. For him it is just about playing the game and doing what that game dictates. He is better when is reacting like that, instead of thinking about what he is going to do, before the game dictates you to do that."

The big money was a problem for Eaton to handle internally.

"Signing that contract brought out a lot of different emotions in me," Eaton confided. "I felt I needed to hit 1.000 for everyone. You are making a lot of money so the fan base thinks you will not make any mistakes. That was not realistic for me to take that approach. The guys helped me in the locker room get over that. It was a new wrinkle in my life that I never had before. I battled with that, and I think I am over it."

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