View Full Version : Lyle Overbay
<b><font size=4>Overbay overdoes it</font>
First baseman gets a breather</b>
San Francisco - When Lyle Overbay got off to a poor start with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, he was benched, then demoted to the minors.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost said that's not going to happen this year.
"He just needs a day off," said Yost, who removed Overbay from the lineup Wednesday for the series finale against San Francisco. "Lyle will be back in there."
Overbay was hitless in his last 13 at-bats, dropping his batting average to .195. Compounding the situation was his failure to hit with men in scoring position out of the No. 5 spot in the lineup (3 for 16, .188).
Overbay also ranked among the league leaders with 10 strikeouts.
"He has been trying to overdo some things," said hitting coach Butch Wynegar. "We've talked about some mechanical things in his approach to the ball.
"Lyle has good hands but he hasn't been trusting them. He's been getting his body out front, ahead of his hands. So, he's been out in front on off-speed stuff."
With Overbay out of the lineup, Wes Helms made his first start at first base for the Brewers. Yost gave Helms two starts at first during exhibition season to prepare for such an assignment.
"Wes played first base a lot with Atlanta," Yost said. "He's very comfortable over there."
Overbay did not sit out the entire game. He replaced Helms at first base in the bottom of the seventh and drew a walk in his only at-bat in the ninth.
Yost also gave Ben Grieve the day off, starting Brady Clark in right field. Grieve was 1 for 8 in the first two games against the Giants, lowering his average to .200.
<b><font size=4>Overbay out to rebound</font></b>
HOUSTON -- Lyle Overbay is off to a slow start in a Brewers uniform -- just like he was last year, when he wore a Diamondbacks uniform.
The difference? This time, Overbay knows he will get a chance to work his way out of it.
Riding an 0-for-13 slide and coming off his first off-day of the season, Overbay was back in manager Ned Yost's starting lineup for Thursday's series opener in Houston. Wes Helms moved from third to first base to take Overbay's spot on Wednesday, though Overbay entered the game in the seventh inning and walked in his only plate appearance.
"Sometimes that gets me locked in more than getting a hit," Overbay said.
Through his first 10 games as a Brewer, Overbay batted .195 (8-for-41) with a home run, four RBIs and a team-high 10 strikeouts, tied for the fifth-highest total in the National League.
But like he did last year, when Helms got off to a slow start in his first full season at third base, Yost will allow Overbay -- a career .342 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons in the Arizona chain -- to keep his starting job. Last year, when Overbay suffered a similar slump during the month of July, he found his way to Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly's bench, then to Triple-A Tucson.
"As the season progresses and you don't play every day, you kind of start playing mind games with yourself and trying to do things that you're not supposed to," Overbay said. "Here, it's nice to relax, take a day and now get back in there."
Yost even dismissed Overbay's slump.
"He may be 0-for-13 or something like that," Yost said, "but five of those have been smoked right at guys. He's not pressing at all. He's just trying to find a hole."
<b><font size=4>Kind words</font></b>
After Lyle Overbay capped an impressive, 10-pitch at-bat Tuesday with his first career grand slam, his Brewers teammates were not the only ones impressed.
"Barry Larkin reached on a hit later on and he said, 'At-bats like that are an art,'" Overbay said. "He said, 'I used to be able to do that. Now I just foul off the good ones and put the bad ones in play.'"
<b><font size=4>First off</font></b>
Melvin pointed out that the Brewers "have the three hottest first basemen in all of baseball."
He may be right. Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay was tied with Cincinnati's Sean Casey and St. Louis' Jim Edmonds for the Major League-lead going into Thursday's games with 12 doubles, and he led all Major League first basemen with 25 RBIs. In the minors, Triple-A Indianapolis' Jeff Liefer was on a tear that upped his average to .338 with six homers and 23 RBIs and Double-A masher Prince Fielder was hitting .333 with a Southern League-best nine home runs and 23 RBIs.
Why stop at three? At Advanced Single-A High Desert, first baseman Travis Hinton was third in the California League with a .357 average to go with three homers and a team-best 20 RBIs.
You have to look to Single-A Beloit to find struggling first baseman. Carlos Corporan and Manuel Ramirez had split time and were batting a combined .215.
<b><font size=4>BOILING OVERBAY</font>
Red-hot hitting speaks loudly for soft-spoken Brewer</b>
New York - When Lyle Overbay was included in the six-player package that arrived from Arizona in the Richie Sexson trade, some considered him a warm body acquired merely to baby-sit first base for the Milwaukee Brewers until minor-league prospect Prince Fielder arrived in the majors.
Don't look now, but the baby-sitter is planning on staying over. And Overbay is hardly a warm body. At present, he's white-hot.
Overbay, who is so quiet that he considers church mice a bit rowdy, is making plenty of noise with his bat these days. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games Saturday in the Brewers' 6-4 victory over the New York Mets, going 3 for 4 with a home run and four runs batted in.
During that 10-game streak, Overbay is batting .500 (19 for 38) with eight doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI.
"Imagine what he'd be hitting if he had somebody hot hitting behind him instead of me," said Wes Helms, struggling along with a .231 batting average and no RBI since April 12.
Actually, Overbay has been swinging a hot bat for a much longer period. On April 18, he was batting .218 with 11 strikeouts in 55 at-bats. In 16 games since, he is hitting .475 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI.
Coincidence or not, Overbay's about-face began against his former club. He went 7 for 11 with three doubles and six RBI in a three-game series against Arizona at Miller Park and never looked back.
"There's always motivation when you play your old team," said Overbay, who was pushed aside last season when he didn't get off to a solid start with the Diamondbacks.
<b>Eye on the ball</b>
"But I actually was starting to see the ball better in Houston (before the Arizona series). I just had to make some minor adjustments. I got some good pitches to hit and started hitting, and got the confidence going."
When the Brewers picked up Overbay, they touted him as a line-drive hitter who would pepper the outfield gaps with doubles, bat .300 and knock in runs.
Chalk one up for truth in advertising.
Overbay, 27, not only leads the major leagues in doubles with 15, he is ranked second with 31 RBI - the highest total for any first baseman. He leads the NL with 21 extra-base hits, and thanks to his recent binge, is batting a robust .351.
Overbay was considered a disappointment with the Diamondbacks, but Brewers manager Ned Yost said it was premature to say he wouldn't hit in the majors. Yost pointed to Overbay's stellar minor-league career, during which he batted .342 over 515 games while driving in at least 100 runs in three of four full seasons, with 96 RBI in the fourth.
<b>Stats tell tale</b>
"(Atlanta general manager) John Schuerholz always said, 'Stats don't lie,' " said Yost, a coach with the Braves for 12 seasons.
"You don't hit .340 in 500 minor-league games and all of a sudden you can't hit at the big-league level. If you can hit, it's going to show all the way up.
"You might have one fluke year or even two fluke years, but you don't have five of them. You look at what he did over his minor-league career and you know he's going to take some semblance of that to the big leagues."
<b>It's his job</b>
It didn't hurt that Yost made it clear to Overbay from the beginning that he would be the regular first baseman, in good times and bad. During his 86-game trial with Arizona last year, Overbay had to check the lineup every day to see if he was playing.
"I feel a lot more comfortable than I did all of last year," Overbay said. "That's a big thing for me. Last year, it was kind of overwhelming at times. This is a good atmosphere."
Like all successful hitters, the left-handed-hitting Overbay is at his best when relaxed at the plate. And he is most effective when using an opposite-field approach, stroking shots to left field.
Overbay can knock the ball out of the park when a pitcher makes a mistake, as New York's Tom Glavine did Friday night with a high change-up. But Overbay is the first to admit that he finds nothing but trouble if he allows long-ball thoughts to creep into his head.
<b>Line-drive hitter</b>
"Every time I try to lift the ball, it doesn't work," Overbay said. "That's the difference between me and a home-run hitter. I don't get the lift that those guys do. I end up popping up.
"I've always done better hitting line drives. I try to stay through the ball and hit from left-center to right-center. I try to stay inside the ball as much as I can. As long as you drive in runs and score runs, it doesn't matter how you do it."
<b>Wait on the ball</b>
That's that kind of talk that gives Brewers hitting coach Butch Wynegar goose bumps. Wynegar constantly encourages hitters to stay back, take opposite-field approaches and let the ball come to them.
Not that Wynegar thinks Overbay won't be a reliable home-run hitter one day.
"I told him in spring training, 'Don't go out there and try to hit home runs and take Richie's place,' " Wynegar said. " 'Hit your .300 with 40 doubles and everything will fall in line.'
"But Lyle's still a young hitter. He hasn't played that much up here. Over time, I think you'll see his power numbers gradually increase. It all comes with experience and maturity, knowing the league and your strengths and weaknesses.
"I just don't want him to start upper-cutting and trying to hit home runs. He's better hitting left-center to right-center."
Though it's difficult to blend into the scenery when you're swinging one of the hottest bats in the league, the native of Centralia, Wash., tries his best to do exactly that. And he usually succeeds.
<b>A good dude</b>
The players who came from Arizona with Overbay, a group now known as the "Brewerbacks," have no exciting tales to pass on about the slick-fielding first baseman. Basically, what you see is what you get, on and off the field.
"He doesn't care about a lot of things that other people think are important," catcher Chad Moeller said. "He's an amazingly good dude. There's no fooling around with him."
Who says it's impossible to find a good baby-sitter these days?
A game-by-game look at Lyle Overbay's 10-game hitting streak:
<pre><font size=2>
Date Opponent AB R H RBI 2B HR
April 27 vs. Cincinnati 4 1 1 1 0 0
April 28 vs. Cincinnati 5 1 3 3 1 0
April 30 vs. Pittsburgh 3 1 2 0 2 0
May 1 vs. Pittsburgh 2 0 1 1 1 0
May 2 vs. Pittsburgh 3 0 1 1 0 0
May 4 at Cincinnati 4 1 2 4 0 1
May 5 at Cincinnati 4 0 1 1 1 0
May 6 at Cincinnati 5 1 2 0 1 0
May 7 at NewYork 4 1 3 2 2 1
May 8 at NewYork 4 1 3 4 0 1
Totals 38 7 19 17 8 3
</font></pre>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=37198 target=_blank>Lyle Overbay NL Player of Week Thread</a>
For the First Week of May.
<b><font size=4>Batting Around with Lyle Overbay</font></b>
The Vitals: 6-2, 225
DOB: Jan. 28, 1977 in Centralia, Wash.
Childhood Heroes: "Mark Grace, and Bo Jackson's my ultimate hero. He proved everybody wrong. I like that guy."
Nicknames: "Eli, Obie, not too many nicknames."
Hobbies/Interests: "Love to play golf. Anything with sports, I guess [laughs]."
Favorite Meal: "Besides mac and cheese, probably a filet mignon."
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: "Honey Nut Cheerios."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Lots of them. Probably just chocolate chip."
Early Baseball Memory: "I think, professionally, the biggest moment was winning the Pioneer League championship (in 1999). My first professional season. That's the first time I ever really won anything."
Favorite Movies: "Gladiator. That's my favorite."
Favorite TV Show(s): "Home Improvement. Seinfeld. Can't go wrong with Seinfeld."
Musical Tastes: "Alternative, rock 'n roll, Pearl Jam. Big Pearl Jam fan."
First Job: "I was a clean-up guy for an auto shop -- Twin City Collision Center (in Centralia, Wash., age 14)."
First Car: "First car, oh, wow [laughs]. It was a '70s-something ... Chevrolet Citation. Maroon. The ugliest car I've ever seen. It's the best car I ever had though [smiles]."
Pre-Game Feeling: "Just kinda get focused. Figure out what the pitcher's gonna do and get yourself a gameplan."
Greatest Sports Moment: "Probably winning the [Pioneer League] championship."
Most Painful Moment: "Painful ... [laughs]. A lot of them. Gosh. Most painful. Hmmm. I guess they're all ranked about the same. I mean, as far as not winning the championship. I guess that's the most frustrating. You always want to be able to say, 'I won a World Series.'"
Closest Baseball Friends: "I'd say Mark Grace and Doug DeVore."
Funniest Players: "Mark Grace. As far as keeping the clubhouse loose, he does that. The aura around him, it's awesome. You just feel comfortable. And he always makes sure everybody's having a good time. And Carlos Baerga. He's just out of control. So it's fun [laughs]. Just the way he talks and does stuff to little things. You just sit there and, like, think, 'What's going through his head?' I mean, it's funny. He just kinda says the right thing at the right moment to make you start laughing. He's an awesome guy."
Toughest Competitors: "Gosh. There's ... I like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson's competitiveness. They're on that mound ... it's their game. It's unbelievable how they can take over a game. And they do it."
Favorite Uniforms: "You know, I've always liked the Chicago White Sox and how they have their socks (logo) on their (chest). I've always liked that."
Favorite Stadium(s): "Well it's not PacBell anymore, but it's SBC Park. San Francisco's. It's just the atmosphere. They built that stadium to where it's 40,000 fans right on top of you. It's just a great location. I don't know, it's a horrible park to hit in [laughs], but it's a fun atmosphere right there."
Favorite Athletes To Watch: "Albert Pujols. I could sit there and watch him. Todd Helton, Larry Walker, I mean, all those guys, I could just sit there and watch them all day ... take batting practice and learn from 'em. (NBA?) Probably Dirk Nowitzki. I like him. He can shoot it and drive. (NFL?) Brett Favre, John Elway. I like to see them take over a game, it's fun. (Boxing?) I liked Mike Tyson, until he bit Evander Holyfield's ear off. But I still like him. (Tennis?) Ivan Lendl. I grew up watching tennis kind of with my grandmother. She watched it a lot. He was a guy I liked watching. Kind of a no-name guy that did a lot of things (Lendl won eight Grand Slam majors, including three U.S. and three French Opens). Never got credit for it. (Golf?) I like Retief Goosen and Ernie Els. They're just so humble. Nothing changed."
People Qualities Most Admired: "I like ... just humble. People that are humble, that can control themselves. I like people that are in control of themselves at all times."
<a href=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/05/13/9LzJ3z2U.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2004/05/13/9LzJ3z2U.jpg border=0></a>
Lyle Overbay says Honey Nut Cheerios is his favorite breakfast cereal.
<b><font size=4>Overbay: Can't Find A Betterman</font></b>
When the Brewers traded Richie Sexson to the Diamondbacks this winter, the deal was billed as a classic "quality for quantity" swap. Sexson, along with minor leaguers Noochie Varner and Shane Nance, netted Milwaukee six players, including five who made the big league roster. One of those five, Lyle Overbay, took over Sexson's first-base job and even his number 11. The 27-year old was supposed to provide an adequate stopgap until minor league phenom Prince Fielder was ready for the show. After two months with the Crew, the "stopgap" has turned into a legitimate All-Star candidate.
After getting off to a fairly pedestrian start, Overbay got hot against his former team when they visited Miller Park. He went hitless for two consecutive games a few days later against the Cardinals, but since April 27th the sweet-swinging left-hander has hit safely in every contest. His fifteen game hitting streak is one shy of Mark Loretta's National League franchise record.
<pre><font size=2>
Date & Opponent AB H 2B HR BB R BI
---------------------------------------------------------
04-05 at St. Louis 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
04-06 at St. Louis 4 2 0 1 0 1 2
04-07 at St. Louis 4 1 1 0 0 1 0
04-08 at St. Louis 6 1 0 0 0 1 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .211 OBA: .211 SLG: .421--
04-09 vs Houston 5 2 1 1 0 1 2
04-10 vs Houston 4 2 0 0 0 1 1
04-11 vs Houston 5 0 0 0 0 1 1
---------Year to Date - AVG: .242 OBA: .242 SLG: .571--
04-12 at San Francisco 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
04-13 at San Francisco 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
04-14 at San Francisco 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .195 OBA: .216 SLG: .432--
04-15 at Houston 4 1 0 0 0 0 1
04-16 at Houston 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
04-17 at Houston 4 2 1 0 0 1 0
04-18 at Houston 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .218 OBA: .228 SLG: .418--
04-20 vs Arizona 4 3 0 0 0 0 2
04-21 vs Arizona 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
04-22 vs Arizona 6 4 3 0 1 1 4
---------Year to Date - AVG: .288 OBA: .304 SLG: .441--
04-23 vs St. Louis 4 2 1 0 0 0 0
04-24 vs St. Louis 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
04-25 vs St. Louis 3 0 0 0 1 0 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .276 OBA: .296 SLG: .474--
04-27 vs Cincinnati 4 1 0 0 1 1 1
04-28 vs Cincinnati 5 3 1 0 0 1 3
---------Year to Date - AVG: .294 OBA: .319 SLG: .482--
04-30 vs Pittsburgh 3 2 2 0 1 1 0
05-01 vs Pittsburgh 2 1 1 0 0 0 1
05-02 vs Pittsburgh 3 1 0 0 1 0 1
---------Year to Date - AVG: .312 OBA: .343 SLG: .516--
05-04 at Cincinnati 4 2 0 1 0 1 4
05-05 at Cincinnati 4 1 1 0 0 0 1
05-06 at Cincinnati 5 2 1 0 0 1 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .321 OBA: .348 SLG: .547--
05-07 at New York 4 3 2 1 1 1 2
05-08 at New York 4 3 0 1 1 1 4
05-09 at New York 4 2 1 0 1 0 0
---------Year to Date - AVG: .356 OBA: .392 SLG: .636--
05-11 vs Montreal 6 1 0 0 1 1 0
05-12 vs Montreal 4 2 2 0 0 1 2
05-13 vs Montreal 4 1 1 0 0 1 1
---------Year to Date - AVG: .348 OBA: .386 SLG: .621--
05-14 vs Atlanta 3 2 0 0 1 0 0
---------------------------------------------------------
135 48 19 5 11 17 34
</font></pre>
Overbay comes into Saturday's game with a .356 batting average, a .396 on-base average, and a .622 slugging average. He leads the majors in doubles and is second in RBI, sixth in the NL and eleventh in the majors in batting, and eleventh and sixteenth in OPS.
So far, so good for the new number 11.
<b><font size=2>Overbay making Brewers fans forget about Sexson</font></b>
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Lyle Overbay has turned around the question.
When the Brewers sent All-Star slugger Richie Sexson and two others to Arizona last winter for a slew of players that included Overbay, many Milwaukee fans were left wondering, ``Lyle Who?''
Six weeks into the season, Overbay's play has elicited another contemplation in Brew Town, a rhetorical ``Richie Who?''
Overbay hasn't replaced Sexson's power or prestige, but the new first baseman has quickly become a favorite of fans who were angry when the perennially losing Brewers cut payroll again last winter.
``I just want us to get more wins and people will figure out that this was a good trade,'' he said.
Thanks to a 17-game hitting streak, Overbay is batting .369 and leads the majors with 21 doubles, 27 extra-base hits and 38 RBIs.
Sexson, meanwhile, has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a partially dislocated left shoulder.
Overbay is hitting .477 (31-for-65) with 14 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs during his streak, the longest by a Brewers batter in 12 years.
With Overbay leading the way, the Brewers, with the lowest payroll in baseball, are off to a 19-18 start. It took the Brewers 14 more games last year to get their 19th win.
``Obviously it will be tough to keep this up for the whole season,'' teammate Geoff Jenkins said. ``But he's showing that when he swings the bat like he can, he can carry the ballclub.''
Overbay is bound to cool off, but right now he's on pace to chase two of the longest-standing marks in baseball.
At this rate, Overbay would hit 91 doubles -- the major league record is 67 by Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox in 1931. And he's on pace to drive in 166 runs, which would challenge the NL record for left-handed hitters set by Philadelphia's Chuck Klein, who drove in 170 runs in 1930.
Overbay has been exactly what Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin anticipated when he made the trade: a gap-to-gap doubles hitter and a slick fielder in the mold of John Olerud.
He is quickly becoming the best part of the cost-cutting deal that also brought starters Chad Moeller, Craig Counsell, Junior Spivey and Chris Capuano, filling five holes on the roster.
The Brewers were intrigued by Overbay, a career .342 minor league hitter who struggled to a .277 batting average last year and was brushed aside by the Diamondbacks, who sent him to Triple A-Tucson in July.
``Numbers don't lie,'' Brewers manager Ned Yost said, figuring that if Overbay could string together five straight stellar seasons in the minors, he'd also shine in the majors if given the chance.
Melvin put Overbay's mind at ease immediately.
``I told him, 'Don't try to replace Richie Sexson. You're not going to. That's why we got six players,''' Melvin recounted. ``I told him, 'Just go out there and be yourself. We don't think you're going to hit 40 homers. We see a hitter that's going to use the whole field. Your track record was good in the minor leagues. Go out and relax, have a good time.'''
Overbay made an immediate impression on Melvin by agreeing without hesitation to wear Sexson's No. 11.
``I wore 11 in high school,'' Overbay reasoned, ``and I figured if they weren't going to retire his number, I would use it.''
Melvin thinks Overbay could eventually be more of a power hitter by getting better lift out of his line-drive swing, but he's not going to push the issue: ``I wouldn't want to sacrifice what he does now for us for a few more home runs.''
At first, Overbay was bent on making the D-Backs regret the day they gave up on him.
``I love when people doubt me. It was easy to go hit and go lift this offseason because I wanted to prove everybody wrong,'' he said.
<b><font size=4>Another Washingtonian blooms in Milwaukee</font></b>
The Brewers are developing a proud tradition of Washington-bred first basemen, and the latest — Centralia's Lyle Overbay, who is superbly replacing Brush Prairie's Richie Sexson — is a younger version of yet another in the breed.
"Gord Ash (the Brewers' assistant general manager, formerly with Toronto) sees a lot of a young John Olerud in Lyle," Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin said in a phone interview. "John was a well-respected hitter, and so is Lyle — pitch him outside, and he'll shoot it down the left-field line. It's amazing the doubles he's been getting."
Indeed, Overbay's emergence as a frontline run producer has changed the evaluation of last winter's Sexson trade, widely viewed as a desperation salary dump by the Brewers.
It may have been — Sexson will be a free agent after the season, and the Brewers were mandated to cut payroll. Melvin, however, did remarkably well in getting not just Overbay, a career .342 hitter in the minor leagues, but three other starters (second baseman Junior Spivey, shortstop Craig Counsell and catcher Chad Moeller) as well as two pitchers who figure prominently in their future plans, lefties Jorge De La Rosa and Chris Capuano.
"It's helped fill a lot of holes for us," Melvin said. "Obviously, Lyle has made a huge difference."
Entering yesterday, Overbay led the majors with 19 doubles, was second in runs batted in at 34 and was batting .356.
Melvin was impressed when Overbay accepted Sexson's old number 11 in spring training, despite an awareness that it would heighten comparisons between the two.
"He has a quiet confidence in himself," Melvin said. "He never brags about it, but he knows he's a good hitter."
With Olerud talking about retiring when his contract expires after this season, it's intriguing to speculate if he could be replaced by another Washington native.
Many have assumed that Sexson, a 40-homer guy, could be a Mariners candidate next year as a free agent, but Overbay may be a possibility as well, via trade. Why would the Brewers considering trading an emerging star? Because they have a potential superstar who they feel could be ready to play first base next season in Prince Fielder, Cecil's son and the top power-hitting prospect in the minor leagues.
<b><font size=4>Overbay sizzles</font></b>
PITTSBURGH -- When the Milwaukee Brewers traded Richie Sexson, Shane Nance and Noochie Varner to the Arizona Diamondbacks they received a bonanza in return.
Infielders Craig Counsell and Junior Spivey have solidified the middle infield in Milwaukee. Chad Moeller has settled in at catcher and Chris Capuano, when he returns from the disabled list, will likely be inserted into the starting pitching rotation.
The former Diamondback who has had the biggest impact so far is first baseman Lyle Overbay. Coming into Saturday night's game at Pittsburgh, Overbay was hitting a robust .360 with five home runs and 38 RBI.
Overbay has had a career-best 18-game hitting streak this season. He leads the Major Leagues with 21 doubles and is on pace to drive in 154 runs and record 85 doubles. The doubles total would shatter the Major League record (67 by Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox in 1931) and the RBI total would challenge the National League record by a left-handed hitter (170 by Philadelphia's Chuck Klein in 1930).
Overbay struggled mightily in his rookie season last year in Arizona. He was the everyday first baseman for the majority of the first half of the season, before winding up back in Triple A in late July. He was recalled in September when the rosters were expanded. He batted .276 in 86 games with four homers and 28 RBIs with the Diamondbacks.
But Milwaukee knew Overbay had a good track record in the minors. Brewers manager Ned Yost expected good things from Overbay.
"You look at a kid like Overbay, and you look at his minor league stats," Yost explained. "He hasn't done anything different than he's done his whole career. He's a lifetime .342 minor league hitter, a run producer and a doubles hitter. He's everything that we thought he'd be."
"I feel a lot more comfortable than I did all of last year," Overbay said. "That's a big thing for me. Last year, it was kind of overwhelming at times. This is a good atmosphere."
Yost handed the job to Overbay from the beginning, indicating that he would be the regular first baseman, in good times and bad. During his 86-game trial with Arizona last year, Overbay had to check the lineup every day to see if he was playing.
Shortstop Craig Counsell isn't surprised that Overbay is putting up big numbers.
"I think he had a bad year last year," Counsell said. "It's just as simple as that. We all have bad years and he had his in his first year in the big leagues. He kind of lost his swing, I think, in Spring Training and then was in a situation where he was a starter, but there was heat on him everyday to produce because of the team he was on and because of the people that were on the bench that weren't playing.
"This year it's a better situation team-wise for him and he's simply swinging the bat like he did when he was in the minor leagues. You look at his numbers in the minors, and this isn't surprising because this is what he did in the minor leagues. He hit .340 every year and drove in a hundred runs and that's what he's going to do this year."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=38205 target=_blank>Sheets and Overbay to be given watches for winning the player of the week award</a>
<b><font size=4>Another hitting streak</font></b>
Lyle Overbay extended his hitting streak to 11 games with three more hits on Sunday, including a pair of doubles. He leads the Majors with 27 doubles and is now hitting .381 this month.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=282697#post282697 target=_blank>D'Back & Forth</a>
<b><font size=4>Streaking again</font></b>
Lyle Overbay extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the first inning. If Overbay can get a hit in each of the next two games, he would join Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Los Angeles' Cesar Izturis as the only players to have two hitting streaks of 14 games or more this season. Overbay had an 18-game streak earlier this season. If he reaches base safely with a hit in 15 straight games, Overbay will become the first Brewer since Daryl Hamilton to have two 15-game streaks in a season.
<b><font size=4>Overbay simply overjoyed</font></b>
MILWAUKEE - Lyle Overbay's dreams aren't this good - and he's had some pretty good dreams over the years.
From a kid playing ball in Centralia to a minor-leaguer who batted .352 to an Arizona Diamondback to being a Milwaukee Brewer to being on the brink of history, it's hard to imagine life getting much better.
"The only thing better would probably be playing with the guys I watched and the team I grew up watching - the Mariners," Overbay said.
At 27, he had to settle for playing against the Mariners for the first time Tuesday - and he beat them with a two-run double that gave him an 18-game hitting streak.
He's now in the top 10 in six National League offensive categories, and with 28 doubles is on pace for 74. That would break the major league record by seven.
Not that long ago, he insisted, he remembered watching Seattle baseball in the Kingdome.
"I remember they gave away these ugly yellow windbreakers one year, and I got mine and wore it until I outgrew it," Overbay said.
A 1995 graduate of Centralia High School, Overbay was in the minor leagues by 1999, and played for Arizona's Class AAA team, Tucson, in 2002.
"We played a series in Tacoma during the week that season and I had about 50 passes I had to leave - and that was just for family," Overbay said. "We had a kangaroo court the next night, and I got fined for having more fans at the game than the Rainiers."
The Diamondbacks called him up three times in three years, including an 86-game stretch last season, and although he batted .276, Arizona traded him in December as part of a multiplayer deal for Richie Sexson, a graduate of Prairie High School.
"I came up here in January as part of their winter caravan, and fans were encouraging me, telling me how well I'd do for the Brewers," he said. "That made the transition easier."
Overbay began the game Wednesday batting .342 with seven home runs and 48 RBI.
What's he learned about hitting in the big leagues?
"The defense takes a lot of hits away from you," he said, laughing. "Up here, everybody is a great defensive player."
Off the field, life is every bit as good. Overbay and his wife of three years, Sarah, just bought a new home - in Centralia. Why not move to a bigger city?
"It's a great place to raise kids, just a wonderful community, and both our families are there," Overbay said. "And if I moved to someplace that was nicer in the winter, I'd just become a golfer."
The pregame ceremony to honor Paul Molitor on Wednesday moved Overbay.
"He's been to the World Series, he's going to the Hall of Fame and his number is retired here," Overbay said. "Imagine staying with one team so long, having your number (4) retired. People come to the park, they may not remember your batting average or how many home runs you hit, but every night they'll see your number.
"I look at Paul's number here every day."
Overbay's at the beginning of his career, yet can't help thinking down the line.
"The best way to end it would probably be playing in Seattle," he said. "What kid doesn't dream of playing for the team he grew up loving?"
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=39191 target=_blank>Campaign trail</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=289321#post289321 target=_blank>A star among many stars</a>
<b><font size=4>Pitcher's a hit</font></b>
In seven innings, Overbay was the only Brewers hitter who did any real damage to Pittsburgh starter Kris Benson, who had one victory in his previous six starts. Overbay singled in a run in the first and knocked in another in the sixth with his major league-leading 33rd double.
But Brewers starter Wes Obermueller was unable to protect either of the leads Overbay provided.
Craig Wilson, mired in a monthlong slump that dropped his batting average from .360 to .292, leaned into a hanging breaking ball from Obermueller with two down in the fourth and crushed it over the left-field wall for his 16th homer.
After Overbay's second RBI put Milwaukee up 2-1 in the sixth, Obermueller (3-4, 6.82 ERA) completely caved in the bottom of the inning, failing to retire any of the four hitters he faced.
<b><font size=4>Overbay still in all-star running</font>
McKeon to pick Casey's fill-in</b>
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay was not among the five players placed on the Internet ballot for the final berth on the National League all-star team.
But he isn't totally out of the running for a trip to Houston next week.
Cincinnati first baseman Sean Casey was placed on the disabled list Sunday with a strained right calf. The Brewers are hoping Florida's Jack McKeon, the NL manager, will consider Overbay as a replacement.
"We've got our fingers crossed," said Brewers manager Ned Yost, whose club will be represented by pitchers Ben Sheets and Dan Kolb.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Overbay, who is batting .340 and leads the major leagues with 35 doubles, would be a good fit on the team.
"With Lyle's stroke, he'd be a nice guy to pinch hit," Melvin said. "He's leading all first basemen in RBIs (61) and doubles.
"The thing you have to remember is that he doesn't have the offensive lineup that some of the other guys have around him, either. He doesn't have (Scott) Rolen hitting in front of him and (Jim) Edmonds hitting behind him like (NL starter) Albert Pujols does (in St. Louis).
"When you think about that, it makes what he's done even more impressive."
Besides Pujols and Casey, the NL team also has first basemen Todd Helton of Colorado and Jim Thome of Philadelphia. It seems unlikely that McKeon will take another first baseman.
He might opt to add the second-place finisher in the Internet ballot, which includes Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu, Arizona's Steve Finley, Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall, Florida's Juan Pierre and Chicago's Aramis Ramirez. Or he could add outfielder Carlos Beltran, who was a shoo-in for a spot on the American League roster until a trade sent him from Kansas City to Houston.
"There are so many good players and so few spots," Melvin said.
<b><font size=4>Houston eluding Overbay</font>
Near-capacity crowds expected for series with Cubs</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Glad to be sending a pair of representatives to the All-Star Game for the third straight season, Brewers players are holding out hope for a third.
First baseman Lyle Overbay has All-Star numbers but no invitation, and no place on the Ameriquest All-Star Final Vote ballot. At least until the Reds' All-Star backup first baseman Sean Casey decides the status of a calf injury that landed him on the disabled list Sunday, Overbay will be making other plans for his three-day break.
"That's terrible," said Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who got his first All-Star nod last season thanks to the Final Vote. "He so deserves it. There are always guys who get snubbed. But you can't leave him out."
Overbay leads the Majors with 35 doubles and he went into Monday's game tied for second in the NL with 103 hits (trailing All-Star Jack Wilson and knotted with All-Star Mark Loretta). He ranked third in the NL with 61 RBIs and fifth with a .343 batting average.
Some around the club are still holding out hope. Following Sunday's victory over the Indians, the Reds announced that they were placing Casey on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 28 with an upper right-calf strain.
"If I can't help this team, then I don't know If I can help an All-Star team," Casey said. "If I can't play I'll go there and enjoy the festivities."
NL manager Jack McKeon, then, would name a replacement. But Overbay still has obstacles.
McKeon may not announce a replacement until after Final Vote tallies are announced Wednesday night, and some wonder if he would simply choose the player who finished second. Or, McKeon may choose someone from his own club, the Marlins. And even without Casey, the NL squad already has two backup first basemen for a game played at Minute Maid Park in Houston without a designated hitter.
There is also the Carlos Beltran case. Beltran made the American League All-Star team in player balloting, but was traded to the NL Astros on June 25. The Commissioner's office and the Players' Association gave Beltran a special designation as an All-Star who could not compete in All-Star events. With Casey out, perhaps that will change.
Overbay is not sweating it.
"We got two guys and that was the big thing for me," said Overbay, referring to Brewers All-Stars Ben Sheets and Dan Kolb. "I don't want to take anything away from those guys. If it happens, it happens."
Border battle: The carnival came to Miller Park on Monday, and almost everyone was wearing Cubs gear.
Brewers officials were expecting near-capacity crowds for all three games with the Cubs, the first meetings between the teams this season. Last year, the Cubs won all seven matchups at Miller Park but the Brewers won six of nine at Wrigley Field.
Brewers manager Ned Yost said Brewers-Cubs could become a marquee rivalry in future seasons.
"We're a team that's getting better and they're a marquee organization," Yost said. "It could be a fun series. There's something to be said for the Cubs playing three games here and all three are almost sold out."
<b><font size=4>Houston eluding Overbay</font></b>
MILWAUKEE -- Glad to be sending a pair of representatives to the All-Star Game for the third straight season, Brewers players are holding out hope for a third.
First baseman Lyle Overbay has All-Star numbers but no invitation, and no place on the Ameriquest All-Star Final Vote ballot. At least until the Reds' All-Star backup first baseman Sean Casey decides the status of a calf injury that landed him on the disabled list Sunday, Overbay will be making other plans for his three-day break.
"That's terrible," said Brewers outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who got his first All-Star nod last season thanks to the Final Vote. "He so deserves it. There are always guys who get snubbed. But you can't leave him out."
Overbay leads the Majors with 35 doubles and he went into Monday's game tied for second in the NL with 103 hits (trailing All-Star Jack Wilson and knotted with All-Star Mark Loretta). He ranked third in the NL with 61 RBIs and fifth with a .343 batting average.
Some around the club are still holding out hope. Following Sunday's victory over the Indians, the Reds announced that they were placing Casey on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 28 with an upper right-calf strain.
"If I can't help this team, then I don't know If I can help an All-Star team," Casey said. "If I can't play I'll go there and enjoy the festivities."
NL manager Jack McKeon, then, would name a replacement. But Overbay still has obstacles.
McKeon may not announce a replacement until after Final Vote tallies are announced Wednesday night, and some wonder if he would simply choose the player who finished second. Or, McKeon may choose someone from his own club, the Marlins. And even without Casey, the NL squad already has two backup first basemen for a game played at Minute Maid Park in Houston without a designated hitter.
There is also the Carlos Beltran case. Beltran made the American League All-Star team in player balloting, but was traded to the NL Astros on June 25. The Commissioner's office and the Players' Association gave Beltran a special designation as an All-Star who could not compete in All-Star events. With Casey out, perhaps that will change.
Overbay is not sweating it.
"We got two guys and that was the big thing for me," said Overbay, referring to Brewers All-Stars Ben Sheets and Dan Kolb. "I don't want to take anything away from those guys. If it happens, it happens."
<b><font size=4>No hard feelings</font></b>
The Brewers' Lyle Overbay, passed over in his final chance to be named to the all-star team, reacted with a shrug and a smile.
Overbay, who entered play Friday among the NL leaders in batting (.337) and RBI (61) and the major-league leader in doubles (36), lost out in voting by fans and players to four other first basemen: Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, Jim Thome and Sean Casey.
Casey now is on the disabled list with a calf injury, but NL manager Jack McKeon chose Los Angeles catcher Paul Lo Duca as his replacement.
Although admitting to some disappointment, Overbay said, "It just seemed like he didn't need another first baseman. And he only had two catchers, so it didn't surprise me."
<b><font size=4>Passed Overbay</font></b>
It turns out that Milwaukee first baseman Lyle Overbay will not join teammates Sheets and Kolb at the All-Star Game next week in Houston.
Los Angeles catcher Paul Lo Duca was named Thursday to replace Cincinnati first baseman Sean Casey, who is on the disabled list with a strained right calf.
Lo Duca, who was an all-star last season, is hitting .308 with six homers and 35 RBI. Overbay, who had been mentioned as a candidate, entered play Thursday hitting .337 with nine homers and 61 RBI.
<b><font size=4>RBI machine</font></b>
Lyle Overbay finished the first half of the season with 62 RBI. Only eight Brewers have had more RBIs at the all-star break. Last season, both Geoff Jenkins (69) and Richie Sexson (70) had more than 60 runs batted in prior to the all-star game.
<b><font size=4>Overbay won't be All-Star</font>
McKeon tabs Lo Duca to replace Casey</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Lyle Overbay won't be going to the All-Star Game, and that's final.
National League squad skipper Jack McKeon named Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca on Thursday as the replacement for injured Reds first baseman Sean Casey, who officially made it clear that he would not be healthy enough to participate in the 2004 Midsummer Classic.
Though Overbay has been widely considered one of the roster's biggest omissions, McKeon took Casey's injury as a chance to add a third catcher, rather than another first baseman with Philadelphia's Jim Thome and Colorado's Todd Helton already on the team backing up starter Albert Pujols.
"Even with three first baseman, two of them are going to pinch hit," Overbay said. "There's only two catchers, and they needed three. If you're a catcher, you don't want to catch nine innings of a ballgame that doesn't count.
"Either way, you're not going to make everybody happy."
Overbay, who said he would spend the break in Milwaukee with his wife and four-month-old son, also said the media attention as a "snub" softened the news a little bit.
"I think I got more publicity on the All-Snub team than the All-Star team," Overbay said. "It's just one of those things where I'm in the wrong position."
As for the Brewers that are going to Houston on July 13, manager Ned Yost said he hoped both Ben Sheets and Dan Kolb got into the game, and no limits would be placed on Sheets for either Saturday's start in Milwaukee or the All-Star game itself.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Yost said. "He's going to pitch his game and be ready to pitch an inning or two in the All-Star Game.
"I never knew what the All-Star Game was about until Bobby [Cox, Braves manager] invited me to be an All-Star coach," Yost added. "I was an All-Star coach three times, and I never dreamed what I was missing. And I was just a nothing coach. It was one of the most fun things I've done in my life. It's every bit as fun as being in the World Series."
traVis y2a
07-20-2004, 04:41 PM
He is one of my favorite players in the game. I am glad to see him doing very well in his first real shot to play everyday in the big leagues.
<b><font size=4>Overbay owns the Reds</font>
Slugger's .468 mark vs. Cincy surprises even him</b>
CINCINNATI -- Lyle Overbay obliterates Reds pitching, and he doesn't believe the Reds are doing anything in particular to prevent him from continuing to do so.
In 13 games played against Cincinnati, the Brewers first baseman is batting.468 with 22 hits, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Overbay is batting .389 at Great American Ball Park with a grand slam and five RBIs. He even collected two more hits against the Reds on Monday.
"It seems like they haven't figured out how to get me out consistently," he said. "I look forward to playing teams that I've had success against. It works the other way too, where you are not looking forward to playing the other teams."
There are few teams that Overbay has not looked forward to playing this season. He ranks second in the NL with a .345 batting average and leads the league with 37 doubles. He is among the National League leaders in hits (119), multi-hit games (35), total bases (188) and runs batted in (62).
Against Cincinnati especially, the baseball appears to be the size of a watermelon to Overbay.
"It just seems like I see the ball better against these guys," he said. "It's weird sometimes that it works out that way. Then there are other teams you don't see the ball that well off of."
Overbay suggested that the Reds have not made adjustments in the way they pitch to him, despite his record against them.
"I kind of have a better idea of how they are going to pitch me," he said.
When told of his .468 average against the Reds, even Overbay was a bit surprised about the extent of his success against Cincinnati.
"I didn't know it was anywhere near that good," he said. "It's definitely a confidence builder."
<b><font size=4>Overbay might get a day off</font>
Yost plans to give first baseman a rest</b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay has started 97 of the Milwaukee Brewers' 100 games this season, including 76 in a row since May 1.
Manager Ned Yost has considered giving Overbay a day to rest in the past few weeks, but it's hard to sit your best hitter when the offense is struggling.
"I came close to giving Lyle a day off last week, but then he hit a double and a home run and I didn't want to do it," Yost said.
"I talked to Lyle about it just to be sure he was feeling good. Lyle said he feels good, feels strong. Right now, like some of our guys, he's just off at the plate. He's just a little uncomfortable getting settled."
Overbay is in a 4-for-33 slump and struck out in all three of his at-bats Wednesday night (he walked once). But he is batting .330, tops on the team.
"If a day off would help him, we'd do it," Yost said. "We play Pittsburgh on Sunday, so I might give him an off day to get him two in a row (with a scheduled day off Monday."
Said Overbay, "I'm just not feeling comfortable right now. My timing is off. But I don't really feel tired. I'm going to have to talk to him about that.
"I'd rather have Saturday off, play Sunday and take Monday off. Sometimes when you take two days off, you lose everything."
Overbay has appeared in all but one of the Brewers' games this season. The man he replaced, Richie Sexson, played every inning of every game last year. Wes Helms has started three games at first this year
<b><font size=4>No rest for Overbay</font>
Brewers run into tough pitching; weather improves</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Lyle Overbay may have worked harder than usual on what was supposed to be his day off.
Granted his first hiatus from the Brewers starting lineup since May 1, Overbay took more than his regular number of swings in the batting cage before the Brewers were routed by the Mets on Tuesday night. He thinks he detected a mechanical flaw that explains his recent batting slump.
"I was going forward with my hips too soon," Overbay said. "The outside pitch was looking farther away than ever, and I was never able to get anything on it. It seems like I was not set up to hit them at all."
Overbay earned the nickname "Nintendo" earlier this season because hits came so easily. He took over for popular slugger Richie Sexson and batted .344 before the All-Star break with 10 home runs, 62 RBIs and a Major League-best 37 doubles, on pace to shatter the all-time doubles record.
But in his first 18 games after the break, Overbay batted .234 with one home run, five RBIs and just one double. He is batting .206 in his last 10 games.
As Overbay has slumped, so have the Brewers. The team is 6-13 since the break, while scoring three or fewer runs in 12 of those losses.
Hitting coach Butch Wynegar first noticed Overbay's mechanical flaw, but it took a trip to the video room to confirm it.
"I was moving [six inches] with my hips before I ever swung the bat," Overbay said. "You want your hands to start your swing. With me, my body was starting it. Usually I can feel it if I am doing that. I wasn't feeling it, but I saw it on videotape."
So he took extra hitting before Tuesday's game, then spent every other inning in the batting cage underneath the ballpark's main concourse.
"Now you try to make it part of muscle memory," Overbay said.
<b><font size=4>Long grind</font></b>
At the all-star break, first baseman Lyle Overbay was one of the leading hitters in the NL with a .344 batting average. Since the break he is hitting .235.
"He may be wearing down a little bit," Yost said. "This is his first time playing every day at the big-league level. It takes a lot out of you.
"It's a learning process; how to deal with it."
<b><font size=3>Overbay back in Arizona</font></b>
PHOENIX -- Lyle Overbay spent five seasons hitting his way through the Arizona farm system, but even he needed a program to identify some of the faces in the Diamondbacks' dugout Monday.
"I was in the minors with a couple of those guys, but there are guys that I don't even know," Overbay said during a group interview upon his initial return to Bank One Ballpark following a nine-player deal last winter.
"It's tough. To go through that many guys in one year -- I'm thankful I'm over here, to tell you the truth.''
The Brewers obtained Overbay, Craig Counsell, Junior Spivey, Chad Moeller, Chris Capuano and Jorge De La Rosa in a nine-player deal with the D-Backs, sending Richie Sexson, Shane Nance and Noochie Varner to Arizona.
While Sexson was the biggest name in the deal, Overbay has had the biggest season, breaking Robin Yount's franchise record with 50 doubles, while keeping his average over .300.
Sexson played only 23 games -- he had nine homers -- before suffering a left shoulder injury on a check swing that required season-ending surgery on May 23.
Overbay was the D-Backs' starting first baseman in 2003, but tapered off after a good start. He eventually lost his job and was returned to Triple-A Tucson despite already proving he could handle that level.
He hit in the sixth and seventh spots with the D-Backs, but settled in at the 3-4-5 holes in Milwaukee and took off.
"I got the opportunity that any big leaguer wants, to get that chance to play every day,'' Overbay said.
"The Diamondbacks wanted to win and didn't really have time to develop [younger players], and that's one of those things that happens. You can't fault anybody.
"Spring Training, Butch [hitting coach Wynegar] and I talked, and said 'Don't go out and be Richie Sexson, just go out and hit 50 doubles.' We didn't know that was the record.''
Overbay had two of his best minor league seasons under D-Backs manager Al Pedrique, one at Double-A El Paso and the second at Triple-A Tucson.
"I'm happy for him,'' Pedrique said. "That kid will hit. He has a short, compact swing and he covers the whole field. The power will come. He's a big, strong kid.''
"It's good that he has the opportunity to manage a little bit and be up there with them,'' Overbay said.
"We're having a tough year, too. It's depressing for us right now. I couldn't imagine going through that.''
Counsell and Moeller still maintain homes in the Phoenix area, and Counsell plans to spend some time in Arizona this winter. Among the perks: an In-N-Out Burger franchise less than a mile away.
"It's awesome to be back here. I got to sleep in my own bed last night,'' Moeller said. "You miss a lot of the little things around here.
"I can't say that I'm really missing a lot of [the trouble the D-Backs are having]. It doesn't seem like it would be a lot of fun to go through right now. A lot of changes, top to bottom. Injuries. Changes in management. It's been a whole overhaul this year, and I can't imagine what it's been like. Losing that many games.
"You play this game to win. You quickly forget and miss being in contention for something. I'm learning that again this year. The past few years, you are battling for something, and you miss the excitement of that part of it.''
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=361925#post361925post361925 target=_blank>Planned parenthood</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=363753#post363753post363753 target=_blank>Lyle Overbay,Bill Hall and Ben Hendrickson in Agree to Terms</a>
<b><font size=4>On the run</font></b>
In order to approximate game conditions, Yost likes to have his players circle the bases at the end of workouts rather than running wind sprints in the outfield.
On Wednesday, first baseman Lyle Overbay invited the manager to join in the fun.
"I do my running in the morning," Yost said. "I get here at 5:30 every day and I run four miles. When you come running with me, I'll run the bases with you."
When he arrived in his office shortly after 5 a.m. on Thursday, Yost was stunned to see Overbay waiting for him.
"Lyle was ready to go," said Yost, who runs laps around the stadium concourse. "I never thought he'd show up, but he did. He ran the first three miles with me and he did great. But, I told him 'Lyle, you better stop. You've got a lot of work to do today,' so I finished the last mile alone."
Yost, who is trying to lose 20 pounds this spring through a combination of exercise and the Atkins diet, was unable to hold up his end of the bargain on Thursday. Because the fields were wet and soft, the conditioning run around the bases was canceled.
Overbay was a little tired after the workout Thursday, but his reward will come when he watches Yost run the bases today.
"I took one for the team," Overbay said. "The guys are going to have fun watching (Yost run)."
Also see Post "<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=364483#post364483 target=_blank>Camp report</a>"
<b><font size=4>A long memory</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay agreed to a 2005 contract for $446,000, a raise from his $326,000 pay last year. But the original number agreed upon was $445,000.
"Lyle's agent, Steve Hilliard, reminded me that I wouldn't go up another $1,000 last year," Melvin said. "I told him back then if Lyle went out and had a good year, I'd make it up to him.
"We negotiated a number and then I added another $1,000. We both had a good laugh over that."
<b><font size=4>Overbay seeks fast finish</font></b>
Phoenix - Though his production dipped dramatically in the second half of the 2004 season, Lyle Overbay insists he did not wear down physically.
"I wasn't tired," said Overbay, who was playing his first full season in the majors as the Milwaukee Brewers' first baseman.
"It was a combination of me swinging at bad pitches and getting frustrated because I wasn't getting good pitches to hit. They didn't have to give me good pitches. I was swinging at everything.
"It kind of snowballed before I got it under control."
After putting together a marvelous first half in which he batted .344 with 10 home runs, 37 doubles and 62 runs batted in, Overbay trudged through a second half that degenerated into a daily struggle to contribute. After the break, he slumped to a .245 average with six homers, 16 doubles and 25 RBI
Although Overbay attributes his second-half slide to poor pitch selection rather than weariness, Brewers hitting coach Butch Wynegar considers it the timeless chicken-or-egg debate.
What comes first, being tired or falling into bad habits at the plate? Wynegar believes the former often leads to the latter.
"I thought Lyle got a little tired last year," Wynegar said. "I talked to him about second-half adjustments. He argued with me. He said, 'I'm not tired.' As soon as he argued with me, I knew he was tired.
"Even defensively, he missed some balls. It looked like his feet were slow. Mentally, he wasn't prepared. At the plate, he started swinging at some pitches he wasn't swinging at in the first half."
The second-half skid did come with a happy ending for Overbay. In his last at-bat of the final game in St. Louis, with a .300 batting average on the line, he stroked a double off Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen.
The two-bagger not only allowed Overbay to close with a .301 average, it gave him a major-league leading 53 doubles, eclipsing the club record of 49 set by Robin Yount in 1980.
Fate might have stepped in on the behalf of Overbay, who was having trouble seeing the ball in the gloaming of the late afternoon.
"That was the luckiest piece of hitting I've ever done in my life," said Overbay, who needed two hits that day to finish at or above .300. "You could barely see out there. I hadn't had much success against Isringhausen.
"He threw me that nasty cutter and, seriously, I have no idea how I hit it. It was by far one of the best pitches I've seen. I just swung at it. It was meant to be."
Manager Ned Yost, who came to appreciate Overbay's quiet determination throughout the year, had another take on that final at-bat of the season.
"He willed himself to do that," Yost said. "He was not going to not hit .300. He was going to do whatever it took.
"That last day, I told him, 'If you get a hit your first at-bat, I'm not taking you out. You better get two hits.' And he did."
Yost and Wynegar expect Overbay, 28, to be a better player in 2005, for having gone through those trials and tribulations. It was Overbay's first experience with the rigors of a full major-league season, which is one month longer than campaigns in the minors.
"You look at Lyle and people ask, 'Did he play too much and wear out in the second half?' " Yost said. "My answer to that is: Did Scott Rolen play too much? Does (Albert) Pujols play too much? Does Todd Helton play too much? No.
"You're developing a young everyday player. He's got lessons he has to learn to get over the hump. Is he going to come back this year more experienced and a better everyday player? I say yes."
Overbay began hitting drills earlier than usual over the winter to work on a wider stance suggested by Wynegar. The idea is to get his hips through the hitting zone a bit sooner and provide a bit more power.
As for exercising better pitch selection through the entire 2004 season, Overbay said he must avoid the trap of trying to do too much at the plate.
"I've never been one to walk a lot," said Overbay, who drew 81 walks and struck out 128 times last season. "I wanted to swing the bat. In the big leagues, sometimes you can't do that.
"It was a matter of me getting frustrated. I wanted to drive that run in. I wanted to try to pick up the team instead of taking my walk and going to first base."
How much longer Overbay gets to work on his game remains to be seen. It is no secret that former first-round draft pick Prince Fielder is considered the first baseman of the future for the Brewers, who are trying to return to a competitive mode by building around a well-stocked farm system.
With the help of a breakthrough season on his résumé, Overbay said he won't worry about who's gaining on him.
"Prince is going to be up here," Overbay said. "He's a great hitter. It's just a matter of getting the time and experience. When you're ready, they'll find a place for you.
"If they want to go with him, maybe the outfield is an option for me. I don't care. If Prince is going to help the team win, that's all that matters.
"When it happens, it'll happen. It'll work out for both of us.
"One thing you've got to keep doing in this game is keep proving yourself. If you're not doing it, somebody else will. It's a tough business sometimes.
"We want to get the Brewers on top, whatever it takes. I want to be a part of it."
<a href=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brew/feb05/305691.asp target=_blank>First Base: By the numbers</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=369295#post369295post369295 target=_blank>Injury report</a>
<b><font size=4>Overbay hopes for breakout season</font></b>
PHOENIX -- How can a guy who batted .301 last season, broke a Hall of Famer's franchise doubles record and was chosen club MVP possibly be poised for a breakout?
Because this time, Lyle Overbay thinks he can put together a consistent, complete season. Last year, his first full-time stint in the Majors, was a learning experience -- a tale of two halves.
"In the first half [of the season], everything went my way," said Overbay, the Milwaukee Brewers' 27-year-old first baseman. "Balls were falling that normally don't. But I didn't get any breaks in the second half -- none of [the Brewers] did.
"It was a learning experience for me in the second half. I learned that I'm not the one to do it all. Everyone was trying to do that -- trying to be the one to get that big hit to break us out of it. Everyone was pressing too hard."
How good was Overbay's first half? So good that he batted well over .300 in each of the first four months and made it look so easy that some teammates dubbed him "Nintendo." So good that fans finally stopped buzzing about the Richie Sexson trade.
Overbay was one of six players who came to Milwaukee in the December 2003 trade that sent Sexson to the Diamondbacks. He had big shoes to fill: Sexson was a two-time All-Star and his towering home runs and incredible durability made him a fan favorite.
Overbay faced similar comparisons the previous year, when he tried to take over for D-Backs favorite Mark Grace. This time, Overbay embraced the challenge and adopted Sexson's No. 11, figuring that if he was going to be compared to the big slugger, he might as well look the part.
Overbay got approval in December, when he encountered Sexson at rocker Eddie Vedder's surprise 40th birthday party at a Seattle nightclub. Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Rob Zombie were among the guests, and Vedder's wife arranged for video messages from legends like Bruce Springsteen and U2's Bono.
But Overbay was just as interested to meet Sexson, a fellow Pearl Jam fan who actually grabbed a guitar and jammed onstage with former Major League catcher Tom Lampkin.
"[Sexson] was like, 'You know what? I love that you went in there and took my number and didn't even think twice about it. I love that. You have no fear,'" Overbay said. "It was good to hear that."
Overbay said he lifted more weights during the offseason, focusing on improving his core strength for the long haul. He reported to Spring Training at the same weight, but with more muscle, striving to be as strong in July, August and September as in April, May and June.
He is hoping to avoid the dreaded "sophomore slump." It may be a baseball cliché, but Overbay watched it become reality last season for outfielder Scott Podsednik. A National League Rookie of the Year runner-up after batting .314 in 2003, Podsednik slumped to .244 last season.
Is Overbay susceptible to a similar slide?
"No," Brewers manager Ned Yost said flatly. "I haven't even for a split-second thought about it. ... Lyle is such a sweet-swinging hitter. For Lyle not to hit, he's got to be very unselective. He's going to hit because his swing is so nice that he can't do anything but hit."
Overbay admitted to getting out of his rhythm late last season. He attributes his drop in production to mental, not physical, fatigue.
"I wasn't really tired in the second half, I just got into bad habits," Overbay said. "I was swinging at bad pitches. It was my fault. I've never been a guy who walks a lot, and it kind of snowballed on me quickly, quicker than I realized."
Overbay batted .344 before the All-Star break with 62 RBIs, and .245 with 25 RBIs afterward. But with two hits at St. Louis, he managed to finish at .301 for the season. According to one of his old D-Backs teammates, that's all that counts.
"I don't understand how anyone can say that a guy who hit .300 had a 'bad' second half," second baseman Junior Spivey said. "Even if he hit .220 in the second half, and ended at .300, it doesn't matter. It's hard as hell to hit .300. Everybody can't do it. That's, like, staying hot for the whole year."
Overbay's average was .299 when he stepped to the plate against Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen last Oct. 3 -- his final plate appearance of the season.
"I don't think I had ever gotten a hit off him," said Overbay, who was 0-for-6 against Isringhausen going into that at-bat. "You couldn't see. The shadows were horrible. I don't have any idea why I took some of the pitches I did. I don't know why I swung at this pitch. It just hit my bat."
It went for a double -- what else? -- and pushed his season-ending average to .301. It was Overbay's 53rd double of the season, four more than Hall of Famer Robin Yount stroked to set a franchise record in 1980.
"That was probably my luckiest at-bat ever," Overbay said. "I have no clue how I got that hit."
Was it just meant to be?
"That's the way I saw it," Overbay said. "There was no skill involved in making that happen."
But that final double was a good thing, because it allowed Overbay to enter the offseason with a positive memory. He was still smiling when he showed up at Maryvale Baseball Park this spring.
"The last two years I've been the low guy on the totem pole, coming into spring trying to prove myself," he said. "Last year I came in and thought, 'Well, am I a .300 hitter in the big leagues?' I had to prove it to myself. Now, it's definitely more relaxing to know that you can go out and just play."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=373003#post373003 target=_blank>Brewers muscle up in 3-4-5 spots</a>
<b><font size=4>O my</font></b>
When Overbay comes to bat at Miller Park these days, there often is an audible "Ohhhh" chant in parts of the stands, accompanied by fans holding their arms in a circle over their heads. On opening day, the chanting was so extensive that it sounded like a football crowd in the moments before a kickoff.
Be assured, Overbay fans: Your hero has noticed.
"Yeah, it started last year," he said. "There was this one time when there were about 20,000 people here and they all seemed to be doing it. It really put chills in me, and I really wanted to get a hit, but they walked me on four pitches, I think.
"I was like, 'What did I do to deserve this?' But it's fun."
<b><font size=4>Overbay leaves game with nasty cut</font></b>
ST. LOUIS -- Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay left Tuesday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the first inning after suffering a laceration to his jaw while chasing down a popup into the stands.
Overbay was bleeding from the cut when he left the field and required 12 stitches. He was replaced by Jeff Cirillo, who reached base in three of his four plate appearances and scored the Brewers' first run.
Brewers manager Ned Yost said Overbay would probably miss Wednesday afternoon's game.
Shortly after the Cardinals went ahead 2-0 on a two-run double by Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen hit a popup down the first-base line. Overbay reached across the tarp to the left of the dugout and stretched into the stands to record the first out of the inning. As he landed, Overbay's jaw hit the plexiglass on top of the railing in front of the seats.
"I thought it was going to take 28 [stitches] because it was a huge gash. It was deep," Yost said. "He went to brace himself on the tarp and he saw the tarp and he was gonna catch the ball and his hand went between the tarp and the wall. He hit that glass right [on his jaw]."
Pujols took third on the play, but was stranded there. Jim Edmonds reached base on a fielder's choice, but Brewers left-hander Doug Davis struck out Reggie Sanders, walked Mark Grudzielanek and then struck out Yadier Molina with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Overbay entered the game batting .343 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He was batting .348 during a six-game hitting streak.
<a href=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2005/04/26/vFAqaeNp.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/images/2005/04/26/vFAqaeNp.jpg border=0></a>
Lyle Overbay is tended to by trainers after cutting his jaw chasing a foul ball.
<b><font size=4>Overbay injured making catch in foul territory</font></b>
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay left Tuesday night's game in the first inning after making a catch in foul territory, then falling awkwardly over the tarpaulin and landing hard on the wall in front of box seats.
The team said Overbay received 12 stitches for a cut on his jaw.
Overbay, batting .342 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, was bleeding from his chin as he was led off the field. The Brewers' No. 5 hitter was replaced by Jeff Cirillo.
<b><font size=4>Overbay gets stitches after foul catch</font></b>
Milwaukee first baseman Lyle Overbay left Tuesday's game in the first inning with a cut to his jaw that required stitches.
Overbay sustained the cut when he lunged into foul territory to catch Scott Rolen's foul popup. Overbay received 12 stitches.
Batting .342 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, Overbay was bleeding from his chin as he was led off the field. The Brewers' No. 5 hitter was replaced by Jeff Cirillo.
<b><font size=4>Overbay out of lineup</font>
Brewers first baseman sore after cutting jaw</b>
ST. LOUIS -- The Milwaukee Brewers went into Wednesday afternoon's game against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium without Lyle Overbay starting at first base for the first time this season.
Overbay had to leave Tuesday night's game in the first inning after suffering a laceration to his left jaw while chasing down a foul popup near the stands. Brewers manager Ned Yost said the cut required 17 stitches.
"He's sore," Yost said Wednesday morning. "It's on the backside of his face and when he turns it tends to swell a little bit. We'll probably have to give him a day or so, but we'll see."
Overbay was walking around the visitors' clubhouse on Wednesday with a large bandage covering his stitches.
Overbay was named the Brewers' Most Valuable Player in 2004 after batting .301 with a National League-high 53 doubles. He hit .370 with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 25 spring games, and is hitting .277 with two home runs and nine RBIs so far this season.
The left-handed hitting first baseman took a six-game hitting streak into Tuesday's game. Overbay was batting .348 (8-for-23) during that stretch and had settled comfortably into the No. 5 spot in the lineup after hitting in the No. 3 hole for 15 games this season.
"You just hate to see that happen," Yost said of Overbay's injury. "He's such a big part of our offense and our team and he's such a great kid. I'm just glad it's a minor thing."
<b><font size=4>Slice and dice</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay was held out of action the day after suffering a deep gash on the left side of his jaw that required five internal stitches and 12 external stitches to close.
"When he turns his head, it pulls on the stitches a little," said Yost. "He needs to take it easy today. It's still a fresh wound."
Overbay suffered the laceration in the first inning Tuesday night while catching a foul pop that drifted into the first row of the stands at Busch Stadium. Overbay had to lean over the rolled-up tarp. When he stuck out his left hand to brace himself, it slipped between the tarp and wall and his face struck a plexiglass shield atop the wall.
"I didn't know what happened," said Overbay. "I looked down and saw all the blood. It just kind of shocked me."
Overbay was stitched up by Cardinals physician Rick Wright, who also attends to the St. Louis Blues hockey team.
"This wasn't his first rodeo," said Overbay. "He stitches guys up all the time. At least I get out of shaving for a while."
To capture the moment for posterity, Brewers left-hander Chris Capuano took a photo of the grotesque, gaping wound with his camera cell phone and sent it as an e-mail to interested teammates, including Overbay.
"I thought he might want a photo of it," said Capuano. "His mom is a nurse.
"All the guys were getting on me (for taking the photo), then they all wanted a copy of it. It looked like a steak that had been butterflied open."
<b><font size=4>No dice</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay sent teammate Geoff Jenkins to Yost's office before the game as an emissary, hoping to beg his way into the starting lineup. Yost would have none of it.
Overbay suffered a deep gash on the left side of his jaw Tuesday night when he struck the plexiglass shield atop the wall down the right-field line while catching a foul pop. It took five interior stitches and 12 exterior stitches to close the wound and Yost thought it best to keep Overbay out of the lineup.
"If he jerks his head around, I'm afraid he'll pop a few stitches," Yost said. "I think this is the smart thing to do."
Yost did put Overbay in the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. Overbay hit in the batting cage during the long pregame rain delay and said he felt much better.
"The swelling went down and it's not really bothering me," he said. "It could have been a lot worse."
<b><font size=4>Overbay out of lineup again</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay was not in the starting lineup for the second straight day on Thursday, after suffering a laceration to his jaw on Tuesday that required 17 stitches.
Yost wanted to give Overbay some more time to heal, but left open the option of using his left-handed hitter as a pinch-hitter on Thursday. But Overbay would start on the bench.
"I just think it's smart right now not to do that, even though I'd love to have him in there," Yost said. "Sometimes, you just have to be smart."
Overbay said Thursday he felt much better and was available to play, either in a pinch-hitting role or as part of a double switch late in the game.
<b><font size=4>Coverup</font></b>
Lyle Overbay will be looking a little shaggier for a while.
The first baseman was back in the starting lineup Friday night, 72 hours after suffering a frightful gash on the left side of his jaw when he hit a plexiglass shield while catching a foul pop-up in St. Louis. He wore a bandage over the wound during the game.
With 12 exterior stitches binding the cut, "I don't know how long it'll be before I can shave," he said with a laugh.
Overbay also was planning to see a dentist, disclosing that he chipped a back tooth on the play.
<b><font size=4>Back in action</font></b>
The next time Lyle Overbay visits Busch Stadium, his stomping ground along the first base line could look a bit different.
Overbay's agent, Steve Hilliard, contacted the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday, a day after Overbay suffered a gash near his left jaw when he fell into a Plexiglas railing separating the field from the stands. According to Overbay and Brewers union representative Wes Helms, the Cardinals have agreed to either pad that Plexiglas or remove it.
Overbay missed two starts because of the cut, but returned to the lineup Friday with authority, smashing a three-run home run off Reds lefty Brandon Claussen in the first inning. He wore a bandage on the left side of his face to protect the 17 stitches in and around the two-and-a-half-inch wound.
"I didn't know I was [cut]," Overbay said. "I kind of looked down, and I bent down to put my hands on my knees and I saw blood drip. I was like, 'Wait a second, I didn't hit my nose. What the heck is bleeding?'"
"It was deep, and it was nasty," Yost said.
<b><font size=4>Home run threat?</font></b>
Lyle Ovebray enjoyed his first multi-homer game in Friday's win, but he does not expect to suddenly become a 40-homer guy.
"I always dream about it," he said. "The biggest thing for me is I've never really had the home run pop to the opposite field. This year, I've had two center-field home runs.
"I'm still going to keep the approach of wanting to hit doubles and driving in runs that way. I hate not hitting .300. That's more important to me, I guess."
Overbay smacked 53 doubles last season, breaking Robin Yount's franchise record and leading the Major Leagues.
<b><font size=4>Overbay gets red carpet treatment</font></b>
Lyle Overbay is so hot, Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker decided to intentionally walk him on consecutive at-bats Tuesday night. The last time it happened to Overbay was when he was hitting No. 8, in front of the pitcher, in his rookie year with Arizona.
“I felt like Barry Bonds for a day,” Overbay said.
Overbay did get the last laugh, ripping a run scoring double in the ninth inning, giving the Brewers an insurance run.
<b><font size=4>Changing his tune</font></b>
Sorry, Steve Miller.
Last week, Lyle Overbay sometimes was coming to the plate to the accompaniment of Miller's "Swingtown," which starts with a long string of "O's." But after a two-homer game that helped the Brewers beat Cincinnati, Overbay revealed that his preferred band is Pearl Jam.
So "Swingtown" has given way to Pearl Jam music before Overbay at-bats. Not that anything can be heard too well amid the growing chorus of "O's" from the home fans.
Overbay said he hadn't been consulted about the music. The Brewers' entertainment people make those decisions.
<b><font size=4>Overbay gets dinged</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay, one of the hottest hitters in the league, left the game against the New York Mets after one inning with tightness in his right hamstring. Overbay suffered the slight injury running from first to third in the first inning on a double by Jeff Cirillo.
Yost said Overbay was removed to prevent a more serious injury to his hamstring but it's still 50-50 at best that he will play tonight against Philadelphia.
"I felt it a couple of steps before I got to second base," Overbay said. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. That's usually when you know."
<b><font size=4>Overbay gets a rest</font>
Yost doesn't want to aggravate injury</b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay was not in the Milwaukee Brewers' starting lineup for a game against Philadelphia Monday night at Miller Park.
It wasn't his choice.
Manager Ned Yost decided to rest Overbay, who made an early exit from a 5-4 victory over New York on Sunday after experiencing discomfort in his right hamstring while running the bases during the first inning.
"It's not a pull. It's not even a strain. It just tightened up," Yost said. "It's very slight. He wanted to play. We don't want it to elevate. We just decided to give him one more day."
Overbay, who leads the Brewers and ranks fifth in the National League with a .352 batting average, went through the normal pregame workout without problems. Later, he was announced as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning but was called back when the Phillies changed pitchers.
"I feel OK," he said. "I could play, but they're being careful. I guess they'd rather have me miss one game than have something happen and have me miss a week."
Yost made his decision after walking into the trainer's room, where Overbay was receiving treatment from head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger.
"I walked in and asked Roger how (Overbay) was doing and Roger said, 'He needs one more game,' and then the tears started," Yost said.
Overbay protested, of course, but Yost said Caplinger responded with a quick "Shut up."
"It's the smart thing," Yost said.
Overbay is expected back in the lineup tonight.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=385794&posted=1#post385794 target=_blank>Yost explains strategy</a>
<b><font size=4>Brought to you by the letter O</font></b>
If all this fan support keeps up, Lyle Overbay may start endorsing doughnuts (Either the weighted kind for bats or those outstanding glazed Krispy Kremes). Tuesday night's Buckethead crowd started another trend a few weeks back.
They started chanting OOOOhhh! whenever Overbay stepped to the plate. They aren't stopping there.
Now the Brigade is raising cardboard cutouts of the letter 'O' when Overbay steps in the batters box. It's only fitting that Overbay should start doing ads than include some type of circular object.
<b><font size=4>Pain Killer</font></b>
If Lyle Overbay's strained hamstring is still bothering him, his tolerance for pain must be high. Overbay returned to the lineup after a two-day layoff and greeted Philadelphia starter Vincente Padilla with a three-run home run in the first inning, giving him five home runs and 13 RBI during the current homestand.
<b><font size=4>Overbay leaves with strained hamstring</font></b>
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay left Sunday's game against the New York Mets in the third inning with a strained right hamstring, apparently suffered rounding the bases in the first frame.
Training staff and manager Ned Yost paid Overbay a visit at third base after he walked and moved to third on a run-scoring double by Jeff Cirillo in the opening inning. The hot-hitting Overbay stayed in the game and played defensively in the second before Wes Helms subbed in at first base in the third.
Helms was tested immediately, making a diving snare to retire Jose Reyes leading off the inning and another putout on a foul ball off the bat of Miguel Cairo one batter later.
Overbay's .352 batting average is sixth in the National League, and his .492 on-base percentage is second among NL hitters. The left-handed batter entered Sunday's game hitting 12-for-16 (.750) in the eight games of the team's current homestand, with four home runs and 12 RBIs.
<b><font size=4>Overbay sits as a precaution</font>
Yost calls keeping first baseman out 'the smart thing to do'</b>
MILWAUKEE - The "Oooooooo" sound wasn't intended to be a groan of pain, and Brewers manager Ned Yost intends to keep it that way.
After hot-hitting first baseman Lyle Overbay left Sunday's game against the Mets with a hamstring tweak, Yost held the lefty out of Monday's lineup as well, but the Brewers skipper said the injury was nothing to fret about.
"He wanted to play, it's very slight," Yost said. "It's the smart thing to do. He could probably play today, but it's still there, just slightly. It's not a pull -- it's not even a strain -- it just tightened up. We don't want to elevate it to [something more]."
With a left-hander on the mound in the form of the Phillies' Randy Wolf, the day of rest made all the more sense. Wes Helms, who singled in the second inning Monday, thereby collecting his fourth hit in seven at-bats, took the duties at first and batted in the No. 7 spot.
Yost said Overbay tried to make his case to play and will be available in pinch-hit situations.
"They don't listen to me, they listen to professionals," Overbay said.
Elsewhere on the slight injury front, Damian Miller returned to the lineup after a brief two-game hiatus with soreness in his lower right rib cage.
"I think he's pretty much over it," Yost said.
<b><font size=4>About last night</font></b>
Brewers manager Ned Yost said he found himself thinking about Monday night's loss on the drive home, particularly the decision to pinch-hit Chris Magruder instead of Lyle Overbay with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth.
"I knew I was either going to look like a genius or a dope," Yost said, recalling a moment from the movie Training Day when Denzel Washington's character forces Ethan Hawke to make a risky decision. "It's like Denzel says there, 'You made your decision, now live with your decision.'"
But Yost insisted that the right call was made. After Junior Spivey struck out in a one-run game, Overbay was announced as the pinch-hitter for Wes Helms before lefty specialist Rheal Cormier entered the game, and Yost made another switch. Overbay had been out of the starting lineup with a sore hamstring.
"I know I have a decision to make," Yost said. "Do I want Wes against [Ryan] Madson? Lyle against Cormier? Or Magruder against Cormier? All three are capable of getting the job done and all three are capable of not getting the job done.
"Really, you're trying to put yourself in the best percentage to win. I didn't really want Lyle getting up there cold off the bench after a slight leg strain to have to sit up there and bust it if he hits a ground ball. I was just nervous of him hitting the ball and busting out and pulling [the hamstring]. You look at Cormier, he's tough on lefties ... and the thing is, you have one minute to make the decision, you have to try to figure out what gives you the best opportunity to win."
Magruder grounded out to end the inning and Milwaukee eventually lost, 4-2. Overbay, meanwhile, was back in the starting lineup Tuesday and hit a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw against Phillies righty Vicente Padilla, making the score 3-2 in the first inning.
<b><font size=4>OVERTIME</font>
Hours spent with good book work wonders for Brewers’ noted first baseman</b>
Intensity builds incrementally in the pre-game quiet of the Milwaukee Brewers' clubhouse.
As a digital clock ticks away the final hour before the first pitch, players and coaches have an array of options to occupy themselves.
While crossword puzzles are a popular pastime at the tables, the plush sofas and big screens beckon TV viewers with sports highlight shows, baseball games and syndicated sitcom reruns.
As clubhouse attendants scurry about, tending to last-minute needs, players in various states of dress shuffle toward the training room for treatment; the video room for film study; the weight room for exercise and stretching; and the dining room, where healthy snacks, strong coffee, cold beverages and quiet conversation flow freely.
With a corner locker located a few steps away from the mailboxes and complimentary ticket desk and adjacent to a doorway that leads to several of the aforementioned destinations as well as the dugout, Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay could easily kick back, zone out and watch the endless player parade until one of two clocks - the one on the wall or the one inside his baseball-conditioned brain - tell him it's time to get up and go.
Overbay, however, prefers to sit down with a good book.
While bestsellers such as "The Da Vinci Code" or the latest John Grisham thriller might be fine for charter flights, Overbay's pre-game reading consists primarily of a black, spiral-bound notebook in which he records notes and observations about opposing pitchers.
"You can look at as much (video) tape as you want, but you can't see some little things," said Overbay, who usually waits until the day after a game to make notes about a pitcher.
"I pretty much just write down what guys throw and whether it's a good pitch for me to hit. Other teams are going to pitch me the way that they think they can get me out. Sometimes, if they throw a cutter (cut fastball) or something, it might not show up on tape. But I'll see it in the (batter's) box and write that down. Those are the types of things that I look for."
The habit began six years ago in Missoula, Mont., where Overbay, an 18th-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, played 75 games, hit .343 and drove in 101 runs, becoming the first player in the history of the short-season Pioneer League to pass the century mark. Interestingly, it was the team's pitching coach that year, Royal Clayton, the brother of former Brewer and current Diamondback Royce Clayton, who got Overbay started.
"He told me, 'You're going to face these guys a lot of times over the years, so just keep a book,' " said Overbay, who still has that first book somewhere inside his Washington state home. "We didn't have video there, so I started doing it and it started helping, so I kept on doing it. Sometimes guys give me grief about it, but I'm not going to stop now. I think it helps."
Brewers hitting coach Butch Wynegar didn't keep a notebook during his playing days but wishes now that he had.
"I stressed it with the minor-leaguers in Texas," said Wynegar, who was a roving hitting instructor for the Rangers before coming to Milwaukee. "I said, 'You'll face these guys again in the big leagues one day. It'll help to know what they're throwing.'
"There are little things you can pull back up the next time you face a pitcher. I think it's a great idea. It's nothing more than doing your homework. It shows (Overbay's) commitment to hitting. I know (Boston pitcher Curt) Schilling keeps a book on hitters. Why shouldn't hitters keep a book on pitchers? If you write things down, you remember them better. It's a game plan that gives you an extra advantage."
In Overbay's case, the numbers certainly bolster that argument.
After hitting .342 in the minors and scuffling somewhat during his first days with the Diamondbacks, Overbay joined the Brewers in the Richie Sexson trade of December 1, 2003, and has established himself as one of the team's more consistent offensive players.
In 2004, his first full season in the majors, he hit .301 with 16 homers, 87 RBI and a franchise record 53 doubles. Entering a weekend series in Pittsburgh, he was hitting .337 with seven homers, 24 RBI, eight doubles, 24 walks, 16 strikeouts and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.122.
"Lyle is the complete package when it comes to hitting," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "His preparation and his makeup are excellent. He's got good ability and a great swing. He's an even-keeled guy. He doesn't panic. He's just a solid hitter."
As for the notebook, Yost is a big fan.
"I think it's a great idea because I'm not smart enough to remember anything," Yost said. "I'd probably forget where I put the notebook. But I see Lyle writing in it and looking at it all the time. It's part of his preparation. You face so many pitchers during the course of the season that it's important to know what guys are throwing you.
"Most hitters remember their hits. They can tell you all about those, but they don't remember the pitches that they made outs on.
"Which is more important?"
Overbay, who claims to remember his outs more vividly than his hits, isn't the only big-league player to keep notes. Florida first baseman Carlos Delgado has been doing it for six or seven years and has been known to make entries on the bench during games.
"It's just a sort of guide," Delgado told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel in a recent interview. "It's not rocket science. It's probably just information like every team has, but it's more customized to me. I might get a scouting report that says a pitcher lives on the inside corner, but to me he lives on the outside corner.
"It just gives me an idea of what a guy throws and when he throws it and what does he throw when he's in trouble. . . . A lot of times, you're just buying your own ticket, you're on your own. But the few times you get a little advantage, you might want to use it."
Delgado's book contains vivid detail of each pitch in an at-bat, charting the location, approximate velocity, movement and result. Overbay's entries aren't as detailed. He doesn't keep track of results - good or bad.
"When I started, I went through every at-bat and kept track of each pitch and the count," he said. "In the minor leagues, if they get you out one way, they're probably going to go back to it. They stay a bit more consistent. Big-league pitchers have three or four pitches that they're going to throw for a strike. They're confident throwing them, so you can't zero in as much on one pitch."
After the Brewers' recent 12-game home stand, Overbay was asked what kind of comments he recorded about opposing pitchers and offered this sample (the results have been added for context):
Philadelphia right-hander Cory Lidle (groundout, lineout, strikeout): "His changeup is not a good pitch to hit, but I kept swinging at it anyway. I have to stay off his changeup, unless there are two strikes and you have to protect. He tries to come in(side) and that's all I was looking for. If he throws that sinker away, it might be a strike but it's not a good pitch to hit."
New York Mets right-hander Pedro Martinez (strikeout, groundout, two-run homer): "His fastball doesn't sink as much as everybody said. It didn't that night, anyway. It kind of has more of a little rise to it. The first inning, I'm seeing a fastball and it's knee-high away and I'm thinking it was just going to fall off and it stayed right there. I didn't know that.
"He throws a slider down and in. He'll throw you that one. The home run I hit was a slider; he was trying to go in on it and left it out over the plate. I'll remember that his fastball stayed up a bit more than I thought."
Chicago Cubs right-hander Greg Maddux (sacrifice fly, sacrifice fly, single): "The first couple of times I faced him, I couldn't see the difference between his changeup and his fastball. I saw something this time that was a little bit different. His fastball is very different when it's up (in the strike zone) than it is when it's down. It's hard to explain. But I put it in my book. I'll know the difference when I see it. It's the same pitch, but it's different. I don't know why. It's very hard to explain. But I'll put it in my book and I'll know."
Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano: "He throws a lot of fastballs. He's really aggressive with it, so you have to be ready."
Hitting a baseball is one of the tougher things to do in sports. The failure rate for the best hitters is around 70% and there are thousands of variables - from muscle memory to pure luck - that can influence the outcome of an at-bat.
Overbay feels that his little black book gives him an edge, but it's not infallible. Whenever he needs a reminder, all he has to do is open the book.
"I've got notes on Johan Santana," he said, referring to the Minnesota left-hander and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. "And my notes say that he's not very good. It said, 'Nothing overpowering,' or something like that."
Overbay laughed at the notion that some pitchers might have similar notes about him.
"It works both ways," he said. "There are some days when I'm just getting pounded with pitches inside and fouling them off. Then the next day, I'm hitting doubles in the gap. A lot of it has to do with how you feel on that night.
"The more times I face a pitcher, the more I feel that I have the advantage. It's all about going up there with a game plan.
"That's what I try to do."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=387313#post387313 target=_blank>Bumps and bruises</a>
<b><font size=4>Overbay an OPS machine</font>
First baseman combines patience with power hitting</b>
PITTSBURGH -- Some call it the statistic of the new millennium. Popularized by Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane and brought to the attention of the baseball masses in the Michael Lewis book "Moneyball," on-base plus slugging percentage (or OPS) has become one of the more en vogue methods of measuring a player's offensive worth.
Beane and his disciples covet players who combine a penchant for getting on base often with an ability to hit for power. The theory goes that the higher the sum of on-base and slugging percentage, the more valuable the player.
If that is the case, there are not too many players better than Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay.
Heading into Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, Overbay led the National League in on-base percentage at .477 and was fourth in slugging percentage (.634). Putting that together results in an incredible 1.111 OPS. Anything higher than .800 is considered superb.
Brewers manager Ned Yost said that he did not concern himself with the statistic, but allowed that he appreciates the qualities in a player OPS is designed to showcase.
"I'm just looking for guys to get on base and score runs, doing what they are supposed to do out there," Yost said. "[Drawing walks] is huge. If you swing at pitches that aren't strikes, you get yourself out. The goal is to try to have the pitcher get you out. You want to limit getting yourself out as much as you can, and Lyle has done that."
Overbay, formerly a top prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, has consistently hit for average and led his league in doubles four times -- including last year with the Brewers -- in six professional seasons.
But it was not until this season that he improved his walk totals. Overbay has received 28 free passes in 35 games, which ranks him third in the National League and has him on a pace that would net him 130 walks this year.
Overbay said that he has made a concerted effort to show more patience at the plate since the second half of last season, his first full campaign in the Major Leagues.
"I always just wanted to swing the bat," Overbay said. "Big league pitchers, they will get you out. They will throw that pitch, and you are going to roll over it and ground out to it every time.
"If I'm going to do that, I try to do that with two strikes instead of one strike, try to wait to get something better. And if not, it often results in more walks."
<b><font size=4>Ace on deck</font></b>
Yost is considering keeping Lyle Overbay out of the starting lineup today as the Brewers face Twins lefty Johan Santana in the series finale.
Overbay, who is batting .206 against left-handers, could be replaced by Wes Helms. So far this season, lefties are hitting .231 against Santana and righties .232.
"I tend to look more at what our guys do against lefties," Yost said, adding that he likely will use Geoff Jenkins as his rightfielder, Carlos Lee as the designated hitter and Chris Magruder in left.
Santana, who beat the Brewers twice last season en route to the American League Cy Young award, throws a 95 mph fastball, an 87 mph curve and a 76-mph changeup that is devastatingly deceptive.
"He was nasty last year," Yost said. "We didn't score a lot against him."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=388641&posted=1#post388641 target=_blank>Lineup notes</a>
<b><font size=4>Taking a breather</font></b>
Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay, who is batting .194 against left-handed pitchers, was held out of the lineup on Sunday against Johan Santana. Wes Helms got the start. As a "warm-up" for his start, Helms pinch-hit for Jenkins against left-handed reliever Terry Mullholland on Saturday night.
"It was a chance to give Wes an at-bat, knowing that he'd play today," Yost said.
Helms, who has started twice at third base and twice at first, is the only non-pitcher without a multi-hit game this year (Moeller and rookie J.J. Hardy each has one).
<b><font size=4>Overbay off</font></b>
Overbay, who is batting .194 against left-handed pitchers, got the day off Sunday and Wes Helms started at first base.
Knowing that Helms would start on Sunday, Yost inserted him as a pinch-hitter for designated hitter Jenkins against Twins left-handed reliever Terry Mulholland. Helms grounded out to third base.
<b><font size=4>Not whole yet</font></b>
Yost still could not field his regular lineup, however. First baseman Lyle Overbay sat out with a bruised shin, suffered trying to break up a double play Sunday in Minnesota.
"It hurts him to run and move laterally," said Yost, who started Wes Helms at first base. "It's just a bruise. He'll be OK."
Yost said that third baseman Russell Branyan continues to be bothered by weakness in his right shoulder. Branyan has started only one of the Brewers' last five games.
"It doesn't really hurt to throw but it affects his swing," Yost said.
<b><font size=4>Overbay set for return</font>
First baseman hasn't started the past three games</b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay was held out of the starting lineup for the third straight game Wednesday.
A bruised right shin and a left-handed opposing pitcher were the primary reasons.
"Lyle still has a little soreness," said manager Ned Yost, who used Wes Helms as his starter at first. "He could probably play today. Some of these guys, you need to give a chance to rest whenever you can.
"He'll play tomorrow, for sure."
Overbay, who walked in an eighth-inning pinch-hitting appearance, did not start against Minnesota lefty Johan Santana on Sunday at the Metrodome, but entered the game late and injured his shin trying to break up a double play.
"It's the same spot where I've been fouling balls past few weeks," Overbay said.
Second baseman Junior Spivey also was held out of the lineup Tuesday. He was replaced by Bill Hall, who has started six straight games and is one of the Brewers' hotter hitters.
"Junior has got a couple of little dings and nicks that he battles through," Yost said. "It was a chance to let him catch his breath a little bit and go with the hot hand."
<b><font size=4>Out of action</font></b>
First baseman Lyle Overbay was scratched from Monday's lineup with a bruised shin. Wes Helms started instead.
"He bruised his shin real bad when he tried to break up that Moeller double play [on Sunday]," Yost said. "I can use him to pinch-hit. It hurts him to walk. It hurts him to run and move laterally."
Third baseman Russell Branyan also remained sidelined with a sore right shoulder. Yost said both Branyan and Overbay were available to pinch-hit.
<b><font size=4>Still ailing</font></b>
Wes Helms made his second straight start at first base in place of Lyle Overbay, who suffered a bruised right shin trying to break up a Chad Moeller double play late in Sunday's loss at Minnesota.
"He's still got a little bit of soreness," Yost said. "He probably could have played today, but with the lefty going today [Colorado starter Jeff Francis], we might as well give him another day off."