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Rowand a fan of Eaton's style of play

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- There probably will be a time when Aaron Rowand wants to get back into Major League Baseball as a coach at some level.

Presently, the one-time White Sox center fielder, who represented the franchise's famous "Grinder Rules" with his all-out style of play and made a major contribution to the 2005 World Series championship, is thoroughly enjoying life as a father to his two kids and as a husband. Rowand brought the Las Vegas Aces, his 10-and-under baseball team that includes his son, to Camelback Ranch on Friday between their weekend contests near Chandler.

As his young charges shagged fly balls deep in the outfield, Rowand had the chance to connect with old friends and talk for a few minutes about one new addition in particular. Adam Eaton has not played a single regular-season game for the White Sox, but flashes of his high energy already have drawn comparisons to Rowand and, in turn, earned Rowand's seal of approval.

"He goes about his business the right way, works hard and, obviously, there's a ton of talent," said Rowand. "White Sox fans are going to be excited about watching him play every day. He's going to be one of their own."

That hard-nosed, run-through-the-wall effort exhibited by Rowand and Eaton plays very well on the South Side. Rowand understands the reasoning behind that favorite status.

"It's a hard-working fan base," Rowand said. "I wouldn't expect them to think any different or want to see the guys that they pay good money to go out and watch not go out and play the game the right way.

"That's one of the things that I always loved most about playing in Chicago, is the fans and the city itself. So you know they are going to enjoy watching [Eaton] out there playing."

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.
Read More: Chicago White Sox, Adam Eaton, Aaron Rowand