American baseball player (born 1977)
Baseball player
Lyle Stefan Overbay
(born January 28, 1977) is an American former professional baseball
first baseman
. He played in
Major League Baseball
(MLB) for the
Arizona Diamondbacks
,
Toronto Blue Jays
,
Pittsburgh Pirates
,
Atlanta Braves
,
New York Yankees
, and
Milwaukee Brewers
from 2001 through 2014.
College career
[
edit
]
Overbay attended the
University of Nevada, Reno
, where he played
college baseball
for the
Nevada Wolf Pack
baseball team
.
Professional career
[
edit
]
Draft and minors
[
edit
]
Overbay was selected by the
Arizona Diamondbacks
in the 18th round of the
1999 MLB draft
.
[1]
While playing in the farm system, he was named Diamondbacks minor league player of the year in 2001.
[2]
Arizona Diamondbacks
[
edit
]
Overbay made his Major League debut on September 19, 2001. Overbay appeared in two games, getting one hit out of two plate appearances during his brief stint in the majors in 2001.
[3]
He was also part of the Diamondbacks' postseason roster to serve as a backup first baseman and eventually won the World Series over the Yankees.
During the 2002 season, Overbay played mostly in the minors and only played in 10 games in the majors.
[3]
Overbay first played with the Diamondbacks as the full-time first baseman in 2003. He played in 86 games, batting .276 with four home runs and 28 RBI.
[3]
He was sent down to Triple-A Tucson in June, but was called up in September to be part of the 40-man roster expansion. He was traded to the
Milwaukee Brewers
during the off-season.
[2]
Milwaukee Brewers
[
edit
]
Overbay was acquired by the
Milwaukee Brewers
on December 1, 2003, in a trade that sent
Richie Sexson
and
Shane Nance
to Arizona for Overbay,
Craig Counsell
,
Junior Spivey
,
Chris Capuano
,
Chad Moeller
, and
Jorge de la Rosa
.
[4]
During the 2004 season, Overbay batted .301 with 16 home runs, 87 RBI, and a major league-leading 53 doubles.
[3]
In 2005, Overbay hit 19 home runs, surpassing his 2004 total of 16.
[3]
On July 23, he had a career high 6 RBI against the
Cincinnati Reds
, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam.
[5]
This feat was also the most in a season by a Brewer. He played very well against the Reds, batting .431 with six home runs and 18 RBI. He was traded to the Blue Jays in the off-season.
[2]
He was a fan favorite in Milwaukee. When Overbay stepped up to plate, fans would do the "O chant." Fans would raise their hands over their heads in an "O" symbol ? some brought cardboard cut outs of the letter "O" ? and would chant a prolonged "O" sound to honor Overbay. Overbay said of the chant, "The "O" chant doesn't break my concentration. Sometimes it gets me too pumped up because I want to come through and give the fans something to cheer about, instead of just chanting. But overall, I think it's cool that I get that treatment from Brewers fans."
[6]
Toronto Blue Jays
[
edit
]
On December 7, 2005, Overbay was traded from the Brewers along with pitching prospect
Ty Taubenheim
to the
Toronto Blue Jays
in exchange for outfielder
Gabe Gross
and pitchers
Dave Bush
and
Zach Jackson
.
[7]
Although the trade was acknowledged as a needed acquisition for the Blue Jays,
[8]
Overbay did not have the statistical impact hoped for, at least beyond 2006. From 2007 to 2008, Overbay statistically trailed Bush in the
sabermetric
categories
wins above replacement player
and
value over replacement player
.
[9]
[10]
On July 5, 2006, Overbay was named
American League Player of the Week
after hitting .423 and hitting four home runs during the week of June 26 to July 2, 2006.
[11]
In 2006, he had a career season, batting .312 with 22 home runs, 92 RBI and 181 hits, which were all career-highs.
[3]
He also had 46 doubles, which was tenth among the major leagues.
[2]
On January 15, 2007, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Overbay to a four-year contract, buying out his final two arbitration-eligible years, and his first two years of
free agency
, with a $24 million contract.
[12]
On June 4, 2007, Overbay was
hit by a pitch
in the sixth inning of a game against the
Chicago White Sox
. The pitch was a high and inside
fastball
that ran in and hit him in the hand, resulting in a fracture that was estimated to sideline him for four to six weeks.
[13]
He was on the
disabled list
until July 12, 2007, rejoining the Blue Jays after the All-Star break.
[14]
After his return, he struggled at the plate, especially with hitting for power.
Overbay set a new team record on May 25, 2008, by reaching base in his 12th consecutive plate appearance after walking on a full count in the second inning. The previous record holder was
Tony Fernandez
who reached base 11 straight times. That season, he was criticized by fans for his penchant to ground into double plays. He finished 2008 tied for seventh overall in this category, with 24.
[15]
Overbay is also one of only 15 players to hit into an
unassisted triple play
, serving up
Asdrubal Cabrera
of the
Cleveland Indians
on May 12, 2008.
[16]
On June 8, 2009, Overbay was again named American League Player of the Week after leading the Major League in both batting average and slugging.
[17]
He was also named the 2009
American Legion
Graduate of the Year.
[18]
Pittsburgh Pirates
[
edit
]
On December 14, 2010, Overbay signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the
Pittsburgh Pirates
.
[19]
After batting .227 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs in 103 games, he was
designated for assignment
on August 1, 2011,
[20]
and released on August 5.
[21]
Second stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks
[
edit
]
On August 13, Overbay re-signed with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
, replacing the injured
Xavier Nady
.
[22]
The Diamondbacks paired Overbay with
Paul Goldschmidt
, who Overbay mentored.
[23]
On December 8, 2011, Overbay signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks.
[24]
He was used mostly as a pinch hitter. On July 30, Arizona designated Overbay for assignment.
[25]
They then released him on August 6.
[26]
Atlanta Braves
[
edit
]
On August 20, 2012, the
Atlanta Braves
signed Overbay to a minor league contract. He was called up when the rosters expanded on September 1, 2012.
[27]
Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees
[
edit
]
On January 13, 2013, the
Boston Red Sox
announced that Overbay had been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
[28]
He was released by the Red Sox on March 26, 2013, and signed by the
New York Yankees
to a minor league deal later that day.
[29]
[30]
On March 31, the Yankees added Overbay to their 25-man active roster.
[31]
On May 10, 2013, Overbay went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a two-run home run, 5 RBI, and two runs scored in an 11?6 win over the
Kansas City Royals
at
Kauffman Stadium
.
[32]
On June 3, he made his first career start in right field.
[33]
On June 26, the Yankees announced that
Mark Teixeira
was going to undergo season-ending wrist surgery, allowing Overbay to be the everyday first baseman for the remainder of the season.
[34]
After the team signed
Mark Reynolds
on August 15, who had been released by the
Cleveland Indians
several days prior, Overbay and Reynolds platooned at first base for the remainder of the season, with the left-handed hitting Overbay usually starting against right-handed pitchers.
Second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers
[
edit
]
On January 20, 2014, Overbay agreed to a minor league contract with the
Milwaukee Brewers
that contained an invite to spring training.
[35]
Overbay made the Brewers regular season roster, announced March 23, and will play first base for the Brewers alongside Mark Reynolds, the team's other first baseman. Coincidentally, these same two players played for the Yankees at the same time in the previous season. Manager
Ron Roenicke
cited Overbay's good defense skills at first base and his veteran status in making his decision.
[36]
On May 19, 2014, Overbay made his first career pitching appearance against his old team, the Atlanta Braves. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 9?3 game, he was called upon to get the final out. He faced only one batter (
Ryan Doumit
), getting the needed out on a popup to the shortstop
Jean Segura
.
[37]
Overbay finished the 2014 season batting .233 in 121 games, with four home runs and 35 RBI.
[3]
On October 1, he told MLB Radio Network that he was "99.9 percent sure" he would retire.
[38]
Career statistics
[
edit
]
In 1587 games over 14 seasons, Overbay posted a .266
batting average
(1,355-for-5,102) with 645
runs
, 356
doubles
, 12
triples
, 151
home runs
, 675
RBI
, 638
bases on balls
, .347
on-base percentage
and .429
slugging percentage
. He finished his career with a .995
fielding percentage
as a first baseman and also played several games at right field.
[3]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Overbay and his wife Sarah have six children.
[39]
Overbay is a
Christian
.
[40]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"18th Round of the 1999 MLB June Amateur Draft"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
December 26,
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Lyle Overbay: Biography and Career Highlights"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
August 24,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
"Lyle Overbay Stats"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
December 26,
2021
.
- ^
"D-Backs acquire Sexson, ship six to Brewers"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. December 1, 2003
. Retrieved
October 10,
2021
.
- ^
"Lee takes over NL RBI lead with 82"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. July 23, 2005
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"Overbay chats with fans online"
.
Milwaukee Brewers
.
MLB.com
. June 2, 2005. Archived from
the original
on March 4, 2016
. Retrieved
April 21,
2012
.
- ^
"Blue Jays trade for Lyle Overbay"
.
CBC.ca
. December 12, 2005
. Retrieved
August 24,
2011
.
- ^
Blair, Jeff (May 11, 2007).
"Time to Open the Mailbag"
.
The Globe and Mail
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Lyle Overbay Player Card | Baseball Prospectus"
.
Baseball Prospectus
. Retrieved
April 4,
2014
.
- ^
"Dave Bush Player Card | Baseball Prospectus"
.
Baseball Prospectus
. Retrieved
April 4,
2014
.
- ^
Wagner, Greg (June 30, 2006).
"Overbay earns AL Player of the Week"
.
Toronto Blue Jays
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on August 13, 2016
. Retrieved
August 24,
2011
.
- ^
"Blue Jays ink Overbay to long-term deal"
.
Toronto Blue Jays
.
MLB.com
. January 15, 2007. Archived from
the original
on March 3, 2016
. Retrieved
August 24,
2011
.
- ^
Bastian, Jordan (June 3, 2007).
"Fractured hand lands Overbay on DL"
.
Toronto Blue Jays
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on June 6, 2007
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"Overbay activated from DL"
.
Toronto Star
. July 12, 2007.
ISSN
0319-0781
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"2008 Major League Baseball Batting Leaders"
.
Baseball-Reference.com
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Bastian, Jordan (May 13, 2008).
"Jays snap scoring drought in victory"
.
Toronto Blue Jays
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on May 17, 2008
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Wills, Todd (June 8, 2009).
"Overbay wins AL Player of the Week"
.
Toronto Blue Jays
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on April 5, 2012
. Retrieved
August 24,
2011
.
- ^
Callaghan, Marty (June 8, 2009).
"Lyle Overbay named graduate of year"
.
American Legion
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Gleeman, Aaron (December 14, 2010).
"Pirates sign first baseman Lyle Overbay to one-year contract"
.
NBC Sports
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"Derrek Lee, Ryan Ludwick to debut"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. August 1, 2011
. Retrieved
August 1,
2011
.
- ^
"Transactions"
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
August 7,
2011
.
- ^
Axisa, Mike (August 13, 2011).
"Diamondbacks Sign Lyle Overbay"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
August 13,
2011
.
- ^
McCalvy, Adam (May 24, 2018).
"D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt credits Lyle Overbay's early mentorship"
.
MLB.com
. Retrieved
February 3,
2019
.
- ^
"Arizona Diamondbacks re-sign Lyle Overbay to one-year deal"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. December 9, 2011
. Retrieved
February 3,
2019
.
- ^
"Arizona Diamondbacks designate Lyle Overbay for assignment"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. July 30, 2012
. Retrieved
February 3,
2019
.
- ^
Nicholson-Smith, Ben (August 6, 2012).
"Diamondbacks Release Lyle Overbay"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Nicholson-Smith, Ben (August 20, 2012).
"Braves Sign Lyle Overbay"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
September 1,
2012
.
- ^
Moore, Jack (January 13, 2013).
"Red Sox invite Lyle Overbay to spring training"
.
CBS Sports
. Retrieved
January 31,
2013
.
- ^
Dierkes, Tim (March 26, 2013).
"Red Sox Release Lyle Overbay"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
January 20,
2014
.
- ^
Hoch, Bryan (March 26, 2013).
"After getting released, Lyle Overbay signs with Yankees"
.
New York Yankees
.
MLB.com
. Archived from
the original
on March 28, 2013
. Retrieved
January 12,
2014
.
- ^
McCarron, Anthony (March 29, 2013).
"Lyle Overbay makes Yankees as first baseman after three-day tryout"
.
New York Daily News
. Retrieved
January 12,
2014
.
- ^
"HRs from Lyle Overbay and Ichiro Suzuki power Yankees past Royals"
.
ESPN
.
Associated Press
. May 10, 2013
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"Lyle Overbay Starting in Right-Field"
.
NJ.com
. June 3, 2013
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Lacques, Gabe (June 26, 2013).
"Mark Teixeira to have season-ending wrist surgery"
.
USA Today
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
Adams, Steve (January 23, 2014).
"Brewers sign Lyle Overbay"
.
MLB Trade Rumors
. Retrieved
February 24,
2014
.
- ^
Rosiak, Todd (March 23, 2014).
"Defense helps Mark Reynolds, Lyle Overbay make Brewers"
.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
. Retrieved
March 26,
2014
.
- ^
Haudricourt, Tom (May 20, 2014).
"Lyle Overbay volunteered to pitch"
.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
. Retrieved
December 27,
2021
.
- ^
"MLB Radio Network on Twitter"
.
Twitter
. October 1, 2014
. Retrieved
October 2,
2014
.
- ^
"Brewers put OF Schafer on DL, reinstate Overbay"
.
WLUK-TV
.
Associated Press
. April 20, 2014. Archived from
the original
on May 5, 2014
. Retrieved
May 4,
2014
.
- ^
Schacher, Chenea' (March 17, 2014).
"Brewers find fine line between superstition and faith"
.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
. Retrieved
February 3,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]