Vallie Ennis Eaves (September 6, 1911 - April 19, 1960) played pro baseball from 1935 to 1957. From 1935 through 1942, Eaves pitched in the majors, playing for the Philadelphia Athletics (1935), the Chicago White Sox (1939-1940), and the Chicago Cubs (1941-1942). The remainder of his career was spent in the minors, where he pitched 537 games, posting a 227-172 record with a 3.90 ERA in 3,258 innings. Eaves won 26 games for the Lufkin Angels in 1950 and led the 1947 Big State League with 25. Eaves' alcoholism caused great difficulty for himself and those around him throughout his career.
Vallie Eaves was the Roswell Rockets' pitching coach in 1954, when Joe Bauman set a professional record for most homeruns in a single season. He was the only member of the Rockets who had ever played in the majors.
When Pat Stasey wondered about the logic of sending the team to Texas and then back to New Mexico, Eaves responded that if Stasey wanted things to make sense, he shouldn't have played baseball.
