April 11--Adam Eaton sat at his locker Monday morning at Target Field video chatting on his phone with a new VIP in his life -- his son.
Eaton rejoined the White Sox for Monday's game against the Twins after a few hectic days in Chicago.
He played in the home opener at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday night before his wife, Katie, went into labor 16 days early and in Chicago rather than near their home in Michigan. Brayden Eaton was born Saturday afternoon, not long after Eaton and his family watched the Sox beat the Indians.
"I don't want to be clich頢ut it definitely puts life in perspective," Eaton said. "I revolve around this game. Everything revolves around baseball.
"It's just amazing. ... You think you've felt every emotion in the book. You think that you loved your wife, and I still love my wife very much, but it's definitely a different love. It's something you created, between a special person and myself. It's emotions I've never felt before."
Brayden's early arrival actually worked out well, even though an unfamiliar doctor delivered him. Family already was in town for the home opener, so they could meet the new addition. Katie couldn't attend her scheduled baby shower Saturday, but she joined via Skype. Eaton called her "very tough."
"Mom is healthy. Baby is healthy. I'm healthy," Eaton said. "I didn't pass out. I kept my knees bent the whole time and made sure I could make it through the process."
Eaton spent Sunday with his family before heading to Minneapolis with the Sox. Because Sunday's game against the Indians was rained out, he only missed one game, and because the Sox have an off day Tuesday, he can fly out to see his family again before returning for Wednesday's game in Minneapolis.
He said he planned to lean on the many other fathers in the Sox clubhouse on how to handle being a new father in the middle of the season.
"I've been trying to keep up with them, but it's back to baseball," he said. "It's difficult but at the same time I think it might be a good distraction for me while I'm away from them. I'm definitely going to try to keep tabs on them as much as I can, and I'm excited to see him whenever I can."
