This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MIAMI -- It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae and high stakes of Major League Baseball, particularly when a ballclub isn’t performing well.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough isn’t immune to that.
In those times, McCullough can count on his mother, Eva, to be his biggest supporter. That hasn’t changed since Clayton was a kid, the only child of Eva and Howard.
“I'll get a colorful list of emojis after games, and she'll know and understand [whether] we're going through a tough spell or not, and maybe just offer some words of encouragement,” McCullough said. “I make sure I catch myself that they won't always be coming, make sure that I still appreciate that I still get the chance to get those from her.”
An elementary school teacher for over 30 years, Eva often acted as mom and dad for a young Clayton. Once February rolled around, Howard was full speed ahead on the baseball grind.
Mom would drag Clayton to baseball fields for practice or to the pool in the summer. When Howard left his pitching-coach job at the University of North Carolina and moved the family to Greenville, N.C., for a professional scouting position, Eva served as the assistant coach to Clayton’s third-grade Little League team.
In the backyard, Eva was the one playing catch and throwing Wiffle Balls when Howard wasn’t available. She never pushed Clayton into sports and allowed him to make his own choices. Years later, Eva would attend all of Clayton’s games at their alma mater, East Carolina University.
“She was always my biggest cheerleader, and I could always count on her, good or bad,” McCullough said. “She was going to be in my corner and always give a lot of support. Sometimes in the moment, you don't quite realize how impactful that is, and I think now as I look back, she was always there and how important that is. I try to do that as best I can for my kids.”
As a father of three, Clayton learned compassion and kindness from his parents. His mother, especially, was a decades-long role model while working with children.
Take away the in-game decisions that get dissected on a daily basis. This week alone, McCullough and his coaching staff have had to navigate informing multiple disappointed players that they were being sent down to the Minors. His consideration and professionalism extend beyond them to everyone he encounters.
“She always was looking to do things for others,” McCullough said. “Some of her students that had a tougher situation, she wanted to make sure that if it was getting them to experiences that maybe they couldn't get, that she would do that. I was just along for the ride. But I think by seeing someone that's always looking to serve others and care about others, just be a good person all the time -- I hope those are some traits that I've taken from her.”