# Zeb Eaton
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{{Short description|American baseball player (1920–1989)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Zeb Eaton
|position=[Pitcher](/source/Pitcher)
|image=
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1920|2|2}}
|birth_place=[Cooleemee, North Carolina](/source/Cooleemee%2C_North_Carolina), U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1989|12|17|1920|2|2}}
|death_place=[West Palm Beach, Florida](/source/West_Palm_Beach%2C_Florida), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 18
|debutyear=1944
|debutteam= Detroit Tigers
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 25
|finalyear=1945
|finalteam= Detroit Tigers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Win–loss record](/source/Win%E2%80%93loss_record_(pitching))
|stat1value=4–2
|stat2label=[Earned run average](/source/Earned_run_average)
|stat2value=4.43
|stat3label=[Strikeout](/source/Strikeout)s
|stat3value=19
|teams=
* [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) ({{mlby|1944}}–{{mlby|1945}})
| highlights = *[World Series champion](/source/World_Series_champion) ({{wsy|1945}})
}}
'''Zebulon Vance Eaton''' (February 2, 1920 – December 17, 1989), nicknamed "'''Red'''", was an American right-handed [pitcher](/source/pitcher). He played professional [baseball](/source/baseball) for 11 seasons between 1939 and 1956, including two seasons in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) with the [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers) in 1944 and 1945.
== Early years ==
Eaton was born in 1920 in [Cooleemee, North Carolina](/source/Cooleemee%2C_North_Carolina).
== Professional baseball player ==
Eaton began his professional baseball career in 1939 playing for the [Cooleemee Cools](/source/Cooleemee_Cools) in the [North Carolina State League](/source/North_Carolina_State_League). He then spent the 1941 season with the [Beaumont Exporters](/source/Beaumont_Exporters) in the [Texas League](/source/Texas_League).[{{cite web|title=Zeb Eaton Minor League Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 22, 2019|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=eaton-001zeb}}]
After the United States entered [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Eaton enlisted in the Army; he played for an Army baseball team at [Camp Wolters](/source/Camp_Wolters). He received a medical discharge in December 1943.[{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34142439/zeb_eaton_discharged_from_the_army/ | title=Zeb Eaton, Discharged From the Army, Joins Detroit Pitching Staff | date=December 5, 1943 | newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch | page=5B | via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}]
Upon being discharged from the Army, Eaton signed with the [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers). He played in six games for the Tigers in 1944 with no decisions and a 5.74 [earned run average](/source/earned_run_average) (ERA).[{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34142944/tigers_take_4th_straight_beating_54/ | title=Tigers Take 4th Straight Beating, 5-4: Yanks Rally After Eaton's 4-Run Blow | date=July 16, 1945 | author=James Zerilli | newspaper=Detroit Free Press | page=12 | via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}] He hit a second home run on August 8, a 400-foot blow to left-center field against the [Boston Red Sox](/source/Boston_Red_Sox).[{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34143249/tigers_whip_bosox_52_then_lose_74/ | title=Tigers Whip Bosox, 5-2, Then Lose, 7-4, in 12th | date=August 9, 1945 | author=Lyall Smith | author-link=Lyall Smith | newspaper=Detroit Free Press | page=10 | via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}}]
Eaton's last major league appearance came as a pinch hitter in Game 1 of the [1945 World Series](/source/1945_World_Series). He pinch-hit for pitcher [Al Benton](/source/Al_Benton) and struck out.