Lyle Overbay
Encyclopedia
Lyle Stefan Overbay is an American
professional baseball
first baseman
who is a free agent.
, where he played college baseball
for the Nevada Wolf Pack
baseball team.
in the 18th round of the 1999 MLB draft
. While playing in the farm system, he was named Diamondbacks minor league player of the year. He was briefly called up in , but played mostly in AA and AAA until .
during the off-season.
and Shane Nance
to Arizona for Overbay, Craig Counsell
, Junior Spivey
, Chris Capuano
, Chad Moeller
, and Jorge de la Rosa
.
In 2005, he also played well with the Brewers. He hit a then career high 19 home runs, surpassing his total of 16. On July 23, he had a career high 6 RBI versus Cincinnati
, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam. This feat was also the most in a season by a Brewer. He played very well against the Reds, batting .431 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI. He was traded to the Blue Jays in the off-season.
along with pitching prospect Ty Taubenheim
to Toronto in exchange for outfielder Gabe Gross
and pitchers Dave Bush and Zach Jackson
. Although, the trade was acknowledged as a needed acquisition for the Blue Jays, Overbay has not had the statistical impact hoped for, at least beyond 2006. In 2007 to 2008, Overbay statistically trailed Bush in the Sabermetric categories Wins above replacement player
and Value over replacement player
.
On July 5, 2006, Overbay was named American League Player of the Week after hitting .423 and hitting 4 HR during the week of June 26 to July 2, 2006.
In 2006, he had a career season. He batted .312 with 22 home runs, 92 RBI and 181 hits, which were all career highs. He had 46 doubles, which was tenth among the major leagues. On June 4, 2007, Overbay was hit by a pitch in the 6th inning in a game against the Chicago White Sox
. The pitch was a high and inside fastball that ran in and hit Lyle in the hand, breaking 3 bones in his hand. He was on the Disabled List until July 13, 2007, after which he rejoined the Blue Jays after the All-Star break. Since his return, he has struggled at the plate, especially with hitting for power.
On January 15, 2007, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Overbay to a 4-year contract, buying out his final two arbitration-eligible years, and his first two years of free agency
, with a $24,000,000 contract.
Overbay set a new team record on May 25, 2008 by reaching base in his 12th consecutive plate appearance by 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. Overbay is also one of only 14 players to hit into an unassisted triple play
, serving up Asdrúbal Cabrera
of the Cleveland Indians
on May 12, 2008.
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.
Overbay was named the 2009 American Legion
Graduate of the Year.
. He was designated for assignment
on August 1, 2011 and released on August 5.
On August 13, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks
, replacing the injured Xavier Nady
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who is a free agent.
Amateur career
Overbay attended the University of Nevada, RenoUniversity of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
, where he played college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
for the Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno, consisting of 16 varsity teams. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack...
baseball team.
Minor league career
Overbay was selected by the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the 18th round of the 1999 MLB draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
. While playing in the farm system, he was named Diamondbacks minor league player of the year. He was briefly called up in , but played mostly in AA and AAA until .
2003: Arizona Diamondbacks
Overbay first played with the Diamondbacks as the full-time first baseman in 2003. He struggled, batting .276 with 28 RBI and 4 home runs. He was sent down to AAA Tucson in June, but was called up in September to be part of the 40-man roster expansion. He was traded to the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
during the off-season.
2004–2005: Milwaukee Brewers
Overbay was acquired by the Brewers in the trade on December 1, 2003 that sent Richie SexsonRichie Sexson
Richmond Lockwood "Big Sexy" Sexson is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for five teams from 1997 to 2008...
and Shane Nance
Shane Nance
Joseph Shane Nance is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played parts of three seasons in the majors, from to with the Milwaukee Brewers and in with the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Career:...
to Arizona for Overbay, Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
, Junior Spivey
Junior Spivey
Ernest Lee "Junior" Spivey, Jr. was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. In his five-year major league career, Spivey batted .270 with 48 home runs and 201 runs batted in in 457 games. He made the National League All-Star team in . He batted and threw right-handed.-Career:Spivey attended...
, Chris Capuano
Chris Capuano
Christopher "Chris" Frank Capuano is an American professional baseball player.-Early life:Capuano graduated from St. Thomas School in West Springfield in 8th grade...
, Chad Moeller
Chad Moeller
Chad Edward Moeller [MOE-ler] is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Colorado Rockies organization. He is the cousin of former MLB first baseman Chris Cron.-College career:...
, and Jorge de la Rosa
Jorge de la Rosa
Jorge Alberto de la Rosa Gonzalez is a starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.-Minor leagues:...
.
In 2005, he also played well with the Brewers. He hit a then career high 19 home runs, surpassing his total of 16. On July 23, he had a career high 6 RBI versus Cincinnati
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, hitting two home runs, including a grand slam. This feat was also the most in a season by a Brewer. He played very well against the Reds, batting .431 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI. He was traded to the Blue Jays in the off-season.
2006–2010: Toronto Blue Jays
On December 7, 2005, Overbay was traded from the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
along with pitching prospect Ty Taubenheim
Ty Taubenheim
Ty Andrew Taubenheim is a pitcher in Major League Baseball in the Texas Rangers organization. He is 6'6", ., and throws and bats right-handed...
to Toronto in exchange for outfielder Gabe Gross
Gabe Gross
Gabriel Jordan "Gabe" Gross is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.His father, Lee Gross, was center for the Auburn Tigers and in the NFL...
and pitchers Dave Bush and Zach Jackson
Zach Jackson
Zachary Thomas Jackson, is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers organization.-Toronto Blue Jays:Jackson was drafted first in the first-year player draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in after completing his Junior year at Texas A&M University. He pitched very well, jumping to Triple-A...
. Although, the trade was acknowledged as a needed acquisition for the Blue Jays, Overbay has not had the statistical impact hoped for, at least beyond 2006. In 2007 to 2008, Overbay statistically trailed Bush in the Sabermetric categories Wins above replacement player
Wins Above Replacement Player
Wins Above Replacement, commonly known as WAR, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic that is used to show how many more wins a player would give a team as opposed to a "replacement level", or minor league/bench player at that position...
and Value over replacement player
Value over replacement player
In baseball, value over replacement player is a statistic popularized by Keith Woolner that demonstrates how much a hitter contributes offensively or how much a pitcher contributes to his team in comparison to a fictitious "replacement player," who is an average fielder at his position and a below...
.
In 2006, he had a career season. He batted .312 with 22 home runs, 92 RBI and 181 hits, which were all career highs. He had 46 doubles, which was tenth among the major leagues. On June 4, 2007, Overbay was hit by a pitch in the 6th inning in a game against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. The pitch was a high and inside fastball that ran in and hit Lyle in the hand, breaking 3 bones in his hand. He was on the Disabled List until July 13, 2007, after which he rejoined the Blue Jays after the All-Star break. Since his return, he has struggled at the plate, especially with hitting for power.
On January 15, 2007, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Overbay to a 4-year contract, buying out his final two arbitration-eligible years, and his first two years of free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, with a $24,000,000 contract.
Overbay set a new team record on May 25, 2008 by reaching base in his 12th consecutive plate appearance by 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. Overbay is also one of only 14 players to hit into an unassisted triple play
Unassisted triple play
In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play, without any teammates touching the ball . In Major League Baseball , it is one of the rarest of individual feats, along with hitting four home runs in one game and the...
, serving up Asdrúbal Cabrera
Asdrúbal Cabrera
Asdrúbal José Cabrera is a switch-hitting infielder for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.After coming up through the Seattle Mariners organization, he was acquired by the Indians on June 30, 2006, in exchange for Eduardo Perez...
of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
on May 12, 2008.
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.
Overbay was named the 2009 American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Graduate of the Year.
2011: Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 14, 2010, Overbay signed with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
on August 1, 2011 and released on August 5.
On August 13, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, replacing the injured Xavier Nady
Xavier Nady
Xavier Clifford Nady VI is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is a free agent.-Amateur career:The St. Louis Cardinals originally drafted Nady in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft after he was named Northern California Player of the Year in his senior...
.