New shortstop a remodeling project

Adam Everett wants to prove he's a better hitter than his .248 career average suggests.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: February 26, 2008 - 12:38 AM

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REBUILT INFIELD

1B Justin Morneau (2007 starter: Morneau): Slumped late in 2007 season.

2B Brendan Harris (2007 starter: Luis Castillo): Has to beat out Nick Punto.

SS Adam Everett (2007 starter: Jason Bartlett): Slick fielder is not an offensive threat.

3B Mike Lamb (2007 starter: Nick Punto): Decent hitter, adequate defensively.

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FORT MYERS, FLA. — New Twins shortstop Adam Everett wants to be more than someone who gets the bat knocked out of his hands.

While many Twins players had left the Lee County Sports Complex by early Sunday afternoon, Everett was in the batting cage with hitting coach Joe Vavra. The two gestured as they tried to remodel a career .248 hitter with a .299 on-base percentage.

"I know I can hit," said Everett, who agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million contract a day after the Astros nontendered a contract offer to him. "It's just a matter of me going out and doing it."

Vavra said he believes Everett has things to work with, such as his strong hands and excellent hand-eye coordination.

"He wants to feel better about his approach, like he's got a chance on a daily basis," Vavra said. "We're trying to get a positive mental framework going in."

Everett, 31, is looking for a fresh start after spending the previous seven years with Houston. He was selected by Boston as the 12th overall pick in 1998 and traded to Houston the next year before being called up in 2001. Long regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, Everett should more than adequately replace Jason Bartlett, who was part of a six-player trade with Tampa Bay during the offseason.

"He can pick it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "You have to catch the ball there, and he's as good as they get."

The Twins know they're covered there. Plus Everett and third baseman Mike Lamb -- who also signed with the Twins as free agent from Houston, are used to working together.

"He'll let me know when offspeed pitches are coming so I'm not getting killed," Lamb said. "Of course, I'm ready to get killed."

Everett learned early in his career that it's better to use defense to forget about offensive woes than to let his defense slip because he's sulking about what's not happening at the plate.

"It's been tough sometimes, especially whenever you feel like some people may be looking at you and go, 'Here's an automatic out.'" he said. "But when you go out there and save a couple runs it's always nice."

Everett's best season was 2004, in which he batted .273 with eight homers and 31 RBI in 104 games. But he has always been a low-walk, high-strikeout hitter who provides a few extra-base hits. His .239 batting average in 2006 was the third-worst among all shortstops who qualified for the batting title. His .248 average in 2005 was last.

His last season in Houston was his toughest.

He batted .232 with two homers and 15 RBI in 66 games with a .281 on-base percentage. While going out for a pop fly on June 14, Everett looked at left fielder Carlos Lee and decided he better go after the ball. Lee, however, felt the same way. The two collided. and Lee said afterward that he heard a crack -- Everett's right leg breaking. Everett had five at-bats the rest of the season.

By that time, Everett also was overwhelmed by all the hitting advice he was getting.

"One coach after another said, 'This is what you need to do,'" Everett said. "It was like, 'OK. I could only do so much.' It finally got to the point where [they said], 'Well do what you know how to do,' and I was like, 'I don't know how to do that anymore.' That's all it was."

Everett is seeking a change. While no one expects him to become an on-base machine or a power threat, Everett wants to hold his own at the plate.

"I want to clear up some of the clutter, and I want him to be the type of hitter he thinks he can be," Vavra said. "I want him to feel good about what he has within himself, what his body and swing has to offer and we will work with him."

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