North Carolina State University Athletics
Clay Eason Sold To Chicago White Sox
10/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 18, 2001
DURHAM, N.C. - Former NC State All-America righthander Clay Eason, the 2001 Northern League Central Player of the Year, was sold to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, October 19.
Eason, 25, posted a 10-3 record and a 1.70 ERA for the Lincoln Saltdogs in 2001, the second-best single-season ERA since the modern Northern League began in 1993. Eason gave up just 86 hits and 28 walks while striking out 131 in 2001. He threw complete-game shutouts versus Duluth-Superior on June 23 and Winnipeg on August 19. Opposing batters hit .198 versus Eason.
Eason led the Central in ERA (1.70), lowest opposing batting average (.198), shutouts (2) and strikeouts (131). He was especially effective at Haymarket Park, going 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA at home.
A native of Dunn, N.C., Eason pitched for the Wolfpack in 1996 and 1997, earning first-team All-America honors as a senior in '97 when he posted a 10-2 record with a 2.18 ERA and four saves. First-year NC State head coach Elliott Avent used Eason in short, middle and long relief, and in 28 appearances, Eason worked 62 innings allowed 42 hits and 27 walks while striking out 78. Opponents batted just .192 against him, and he had allowed just nine of 37 inherited runners to score.
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Eason in the 38th round of the 1997 June draft, and he broke into the minor leagues at Class A Batavia of the short-season New York-Penn League. After posting a 0.92 in 20 relief appearances, he was promoted to Piedmont of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1998. He started at Piedmont in 1999, but moved to Clearwater of the advanced Class A Florida State League and then to Double-A Reading of the Eastern League.
The Phillies released Eason before the start of the 2000 season, and he signed with the Northern League's New Jersey Jackals. He was 4-1 with a 3.34 ERA with the Jackals in 27 relief appearances that season. Eason signed with Lincoln in the offseason and was used by pitching coach and manager Les Lancaster as a starter for 19 games even though he had made only three career starts in 119 minor league games and 36 college games prior to this season.
Eason is the 35th player sold by Northern League teams to major league organizations since the end of the 2000 season. Considered the pre-eminent independent league in the United States and Canada, the Northern League has moved more than 500 players to big league organization since 1993.
