Shortstop Adam Everett considers Detroit his second hometown

A visitor has arrived through the side door to say hello to Everett, who plays shortstop for the Tigers. Everett is spending the day before that night's game at the Sterling Heights home of Betty Thaxton, grandmother of Everett's wife, Jennifer, and great-grandma to Everett's two daughters, Peyton, 4, and Paisley, who turns 2 in September.

"Adam, you've met Dave, our neighbor?" Thaxton asks.

"Yes," says Everett, shaking his hand with a smile.

"Good game Sunday," the neighbor says, referring to Everett's three hits in the Tigers' 11-7 win over Oakland on May 17.

The neighbor can't stay for lunch -- just visiting -- but he slips Thaxton a note on his way out. She nods at the request.

The Red Sox are coming to town next month; any chance of scoring a few tickets?

His wife's hometown team

When Everett learned late last year that the Tigers were interested in signing him to a one-year contract, the infielder embraced the news for reasons both professional and personal -- and not necessarily in that order.

Although eager to prove he could return to being a regular contributor after appearing in just 114 games over the last two years (with Houston and then Minnesota) because of injuries, Everett, 32, knew hitching up with the Tigers offered something extra: a chance to play for the hometown team.

Not Everett's; his wife's.

"Growing up in Atlanta, I always dreamed about playing for the Braves," said Everett, who spent seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2001-07) and is known as one of the game's best defensive players despite never having won a Gold Glove. "But playing here for Detroit, it's everything I could have imagined as far as playing in front of your hometown -- and I really consider Detroit as my second hometown.

"It's been a dream come true. Jennifer's grandparents (both sets) are within 20 minutes. Then we've got aunts, uncles, cousins -- you name it -- all within, like, 30 to 40 minutes."

Everett pauses. He catches himself: "Well, Uncle Paul is from Grand Rapids. He's the furthest."

In 1998 -- after playing baseball at North Carolina State (for one season) and then South Carolina -- he was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 12th pick of the draft.

That December he flew to Detroit for the first time to meet Jennifer's relatives for Christmas Eve. He and Jennifer were dating at the time.

Jennifer was born in Birmingham but moved with her parents, Richard and Sue Thaxton, to suburban Atlanta when she was 6 months old. She and Everett had been going out since high school; they married in January 2001.

Everett said of his first trip to Michigan: "Got that stamp of approval from everybody. We went to Grandma Thaxton's house, then to Aunt Carol's to meet Jennifer's mother's side -- the Lewandowskis. So obviously, all these years later when I signed to come here, you can imagine how excited everybody was."

For Everett, there has been no downside to being among so much family. His wife tries to accommodate as many ticket requests as she can ("Call me Ticketmaster," Jennifer Everett, 31, joked).

Shortly after the Everetts moved to Michigan -- they're renting a house in Bloomfield Hills -- one of his first commitments was to accompany Thaxton to a Meijer in Fraser where she shops. She wanted to introduce him to the store manager.

"The manager wasn't in that day, but he got to meet Julie, the cashier manager, and Sue and Marsha -- and everyone else working that day," Thaxton said with a smile.

Thaxton, who declines to reveal her age, is sitting with her sister, Babe Maroon, 74, at her kitchen table while Adam and Jennifer play with the kids on the front lawn.

Peyton, who had a tumor removed from her spine when she was 8 months old, is on her tiptoes on the front porch, dancing in a pink ballerina outfit. Thaxton and Maroon -- the sisters live together -- keep a stash of costumes for the kids.

"We've just been so happy this year because they're finally close now, and we get to see them."

Thaxton turns to her sister.

"Remember when Adam hit that grand slam?"

"Oh, yes," Maroon said, recalling the Tigers' 9-7 victory over Cleveland on May 2 at Comerica Park.

"When Adam hit it, everyone cheered," Thaxton said. "But we jumped higher than anybody."

A new family with the Tigers

The Texas Rangers were in town this past week. An hour before the first game of their three-game series -- which the Tigers would sweep -- Everett emerged from the clubhouse sipping a cup of coffee.

"It's been fun so far; a great group," Everett said. "We all mesh, just all get along well together. I think more than anything, that's been the biggest part of us playing well."

Before batting practice earlier that afternoon, Brandon Inge gushed over his new teammate. Everett has gotten the majority of starts at shortstop over utility infielder Ramon Santiago. There's no doubt in Inge's mind that Everett -- along with Inge's move to third base -- has strengthened the left side of the infield for the Tigers.

"He's such a great addition to this ballclub, and it's showing," Inge said.

Everett and his family will return in the off-season to their home near Acworth, Ga. One of their neighbors is acclaimed artist Thomas Arvid, a native Detroiter.

But for now, Everett is steadfast in his commitment to make what might be his only season with the Tigers a memorable experience for his wife, his daughters and his wife's family.

"Not many players have an opportunity to do what I've done," he said. "It's been one of those life experiences for all of us."

Inge said: "I'd certainly love to see him stay here a lot longer than one year."

He's not alone.

Contact JO-ANN BARNAS: 313-222-2037 or jbarnas@freepress.com.

Additional Facts

Meet Adam Everett

Age: 32.

Birthplace: Austell, Ga.

Bats/Throws: R/R

Ht, wt.: 6 feet, 180 pounds.

MLB debut: 8/30/2001 with Houston.

College: South Carolina.

How acquired: Signed a one-year deal as a free agent in December.

BY THE NUMBERS

YR TM G HR RBI SB AVG E FLD%

2001 HOU 9 0 0 1 .000 2 .667

2002 HOU 40 0 4 3 .193 5 .962

2003 HOU 128 8 51 8 .256 17 .970

2004 HOU 104 8 31 13 .273 10 .977

2005 HOU 152 11 54 21 .248 14 .978

2006 HOU 150 6 59 9 .239 7 .990

2007 HOU 66 2 15 4 .232 8 .973

2008 MIN 48 2 20 0 .213 7 .967

2009 DET 27 1 16 3 .311 4 .959

Career 724 38 250 62 .248 74 .976

Quick hits

* Drafted in the first round (12th overall) in 1998 by Boston.

* Won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.

* His wife, Jennifer, is originally from Birmingham.

* In 2006 had the fourth-highest fielding percentage (.990) in National League history for a shortstop.

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