Everett closes big week with award

By Chris Ruddick, MLB Contributing Editor

Rangers team report

(Sports Network) - Carl Everett wrapped up a wild week on Monday by nabbing American League Player of the Week honors for the period that ended on Sunday April 20.

Everett hit a major league best six home runs, including homers in a team- record five straight games in which he batted, and drove in eight runs in six games last week. He also scored nine runs.

"It's well deserved," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. "I can't imagine anybody in baseball that plays the game any harder than Carl Everett. He has a real passion to win and he gives himself a chance to have success."

The 31-year-old outfielder started his week last Monday with a 2-for-2 effort against the defending World Series champion Anaheim Angels that included a pair of upper deck solo homers to the seats in right field.

Everett, who posted the 15th multi-homer game of his career, became the fifth player in Texas history to reach the right field uppers twice in the same game and first since Mickey Tettleton in 1996.

After being held without a hit in the second game of the set, Everett closed the series by going 6-for-9 in the final two games with two home runs, four RBI and five runs scored.

Then things took an interesting turn for the volatile Everett, as the Rangers headed to Network Associates Coliseum for a three-game stretch with the Oakland Athletics. Everett was given the day off in the opener of the set on Friday, but responded Saturday with a solo home run. However, the home run is not what the game will be remembered for.

In Saturday's game, Everett was hit in the head with a cell phone during his team's 12-2 loss. The incident occurred prior to the sixth inning when a fan, Juan-Carlos Covarrubias-Serrano, of Palo Alto. in right field tossed the phone into the field of play. Everett was not injured, but did report the incident to umpires. He answered the incident in possibly the best way you can with a home run in the top half of the sixth, much to the dismay of the A's faithful.

"Luckily, I was wearing a hat," Everett said. "If I wasn't, I would have been cut. One fan did the deed. He's going to get what's coming to him."

The very next day Everett blasted his sixth homer of the week, a shot to almost the same exact spot where the 24-year-old fan who threw the phone was sitting. Covarrubias-Serrano, who was allegedly intoxicated, will be arraigned on Tuesday.

"Everyday he comes out here, you know are going to get a good effort and a guy that cares about winning," Showalter said. "Carl is in a good frame of mind and good groove offensively. He welcomes challenges and he responds."

WHO'S HOT

Hank Blalock is hitting .421 with five homers and nine RBI this season. He has recorded multiple-hits in his last five starts and is 11-for-20 in that span with a pair of home runs.

WHO'S NOT

Rangers pitchers have committed five errors this season. They had 12 errors all last season. Alex Rodriguez is just 3-for-14 in his last four games.

COMING UP

The Rangers start a six-game homestand on Tuesday with a pair of three-game sets against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

04/22 14:59:37 ET