It’s not as if Eric Eadington didn’t have an assortment of options.
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The 28-year-old left-hander has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard. He interned at Merrill Lynch after the first of his two Tommy John surgeries, and also interned at a small hedge fund.
Eadington worked at a bigger hedge fund after his second surgery two years ago. He also interned with the Los Angeles Dodgers while he was a student.
But even after the two elbow reconstructions, Eadington continues to pursue his dream of playing baseball.
“It’s been tough to keep going at times,” Eadington said. “But once I committed to the second surgery, I really was committed to taking it all the way. I owe it to myself to give it one more shot and see what happens. I still feel like I belong out there.
“I got a little exposure to what else is out there. It’s good to get experience and build your resume. But it doesn’t compare to being out there.”
After five seasons in the Dodgers’ organization — including parts of the 2012, ’13 and ’14 seasons in Class AA — Eadington wants to be on the mound for the RailCats.
The 6-2, 220-pounder from Newport Beach, Calif., pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the RailCats’ 3-1 exhibition loss Tuesday to Schaumburg. He had five strikeouts and two walks, extending to 55 pitches, five more than the original target.
“My first game in a while, it felt good,” Eadington said. “I stretched it out a little. I just have to get a little better timing, and cut down on those walks.”
Manager Greg Tagert liked the outing from Eadington, who consistently hit 92 mph with his fastball. Even after Eadington’s two surgeries, the RailCats envision him competing for a spot in their four-pitcher rotation, even though he has been a reliever as a pro.
“You can see the flashes of what got him signed out of Harvard,” Tagert said. “He had some of that electricity. You also saw some things that got him in trouble in his career in terms of lack of control.
“Eric’s a special arm. It’s worked out for both of us. He was looking for somebody willing to give him an opportunity after where his career has gone and some of the setbacks, and we were in a situation where we had a lot of openings.”
Eadington contacted independent teams after nothing materialized with affiliated organizations, largely because of ongoing concerns about his elbow. He had tryouts with the Anaheim Angels and Oakland Athletics, as well as a Korean team.
“It was tough because I was pretty optimistic I’d sign for spring training,” Eadington said. “But now I just have to prove I’m healthy.”
Eadington pitched five games in April 2014 before needing to undergo his second Tommy John surgery. He started throwing simulated games and live batting practice last July before pitching one inning on Aug. 27 in rookie ball in Arizona.
But shortly after the season ended, the Dodgers released him.
In March of 2008, following a promising freshman season, Eadington suffered his first elbow injury two games into his sophomore season at Harvard. Upon medical advice, he attempted to rehab, but wound up having surgery that August.
Eadington missed all of the 2009 season before returning to pitch for the Crimson in 2010 and ’11. He went undrafted, but his persistence paid dividends, resulting in a free-agent contract with the Dodgers.
That attitude has served him well.
“Physically, everything’s 100 percent,” Eadington said. “I feel like I’m stronger than before. I just have to take advantage of this opportunity. It just feels good to be back out and playing again.”
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