Lyle Overbay filling veteran void with Pirates
At 34 years old and coming off his worst season at the plate since an injury-shortened 2007 campaign, Lyle Overbay wasn’t exactly considered one of the premier free agents available last offseason.
In addition to being a solid defender at first base, though, Overbay’s strong work ethic, 10 years of experience and ability to hit to the gaps were enough to entice clubs to call.
One of those teams was the Pittsburgh Pirates, looking for a veteran presence to replace incumbent first baseman Garrett Jones, who had regressed at the plate from his breakout 2009. With Overbay available, it seemed like a perfect fit, and the Pirates knew they had to act quickly if they were going to sign him.
“[The Pirates] were real aggressive from the start. They were interested, so that goes a long way,” Overbay told The Good Point. “I looked at the situations with other teams, and it just seemed that they wanted different roles, and these guys were saying ‘you’re the everyday first baseman’.”
Overbay’s one-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates was more than just a guaranteed paycheck, though, as it represented a much-needed fresh start for the first baseman after a tumultuous final season with Toronto last year.
After managing a .197/.276/.331 line in his first 49 games with the Blue Jays, Overbay was booed by fans out of frustration even at home games; something that didn’t sit well with him as days passed and eventually showed in select interviews with the media.
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“As far as the fans, they’re going to have their opinions and I certainly understand that,” Overbay said. “I’d rather them cheer for me, but on the same token I’d rather get some hits so they do cheer for me. It all works together.”
It didn’t help that first base prospect Brett Wallace – acquired by the Jays just months prior for one of the players they received in the Roy Halladay trade – was raking in Triple-A and virtually banging on the door to the big leagues, either.
Overbay eventually found his stroke at the plate, though, managing a .274 average and .367 on-base percentage from June to August, with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. Coincidentally, Wallace wound up being traded that summer as well, and the possibility of Overbay returning to Toronto for a sixth season came into the picture.
The Jays wound up going in a different direction this past offseason, though, and it opened the door for Overbay to sign with the Pirates. Having only been with Pittsburgh for roughly two months, Overbay can already notice some differences.
“I was real comfortable [in Toronto], I mean I spent five years there. We had a lot of established guys that weren’t really looking for guidance; they were just looking to bond with each other,” the Washington native said.
“So it’s a little bit different here in that sense, the guys are still getting that experience, and hopefully when things come up, I can be a reassurance for them.”
As the oldest player on the Pirates’ roster, Overbay has the opportunity to provide valuable veteran leadership in a clubhouse that is made up primarily of players in their mid-twenties. On the diamond, he’s constantly working with a young group of infielders, highlighted by 24-year-old third baseman Pedro Alvarez and 25-year-old second baseman Neil Walker.
Alvarez managed to crack the Major League roster in less than two professional seasons, and Walker just started playing second base for the first time in his entire career last season, so Overbay has the ability to provide stability and act as a sounding board for those eager to ask questions.
While it’s likely relieving for young infielders to be able to throw to a veteran first baseman, Overbay knows that chemistry with his teammates won’t come overnight.
“I think I’ve got to earn that trust,” Overbay said. “I think they know my track record so you kind of have that credibility from the beginning, but on the same token you’ve got to do something to get that trust.”
In addition to working hard to earn the respect of his new teammates and develop a rapport, Overbay is looking to bounce back at the plate and return to being the productive left-handed hitter that he has been in the past. After all, he has hit at least 30 doubles in each of the last seven seasons.
Traditionally a slow starter, Overbay didn’t exactly tear the cover off of the ball in his first month in a Pirates uniform, but after continuing to work with hitting coach Gregg Ritchie and manager Clint Hurdle, Overbay understands the adjustments he has to make and seems poised to improve in the coming months.
“The biggest thing is consistency with my game plan and what I’m trying to do,” he said. “I think I really got out of that these last couple of years, just trying to do too much and thinking too much, that kind of stuff.”
“I know if I simplify it and do what I’m supposed to do, then the numbers will take care of themselves.”
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