Lefty
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It looks like Lyle is a little frustrated. Also, check out the last sentence of the story. It seems like he does not believe what the Diamondbacks are telling him.
By Ryan Finley
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Excuse Lyle Overbay if he is a little angry. Most people who lose their jobs get that way.
Standing in the Sidewinders' clubhouse hours before Saturday's game, the normally placid Overbay managed to get a bit caught up when a visitor wondered why the Diamondbacks sent him to Triple-A, even though he was hitting .287 on a team desperate for offense.
"I wanted to play every day, and I guess I got my wish," Overbay said of his demotion to the Sidewinders last week. "They told me to come down and get my old swing back. I'm not sure what that means."
If Overbay seems frustrated playing in Tucson, it's because he didn't really expect to play for the Side-win-ders again after being added to the D'backs' roster last September.
At the time, he had set a franchise record with a .343 batting average, piled up 180 hits and 40 doubles, and was seen as the logical replacement for Mark Grace at first base.
He was so highly regarded, in fact, that D'backs manager Bob Brenly made a point of naming Overbay the team's everyday starter during spring training to make a smooth transition from the Grace era.
It all seemed so seamless - until the D'backs grew impatient with Overbay's lack of power numbers.
Despite hitting in the high-.280s with a decent on-base percentage, Overbay had just four home runs and 27 RBIs when he was deemed expendable and demoted a week ago.
The move surprised many in the organization, including Sidewinders manager Al Pedrique, who said Overbay was one of the best hitters he had ever worked with.
"I was very surprised. I wasn't expecting that to happen at all," Pedrique said. "It's natural for a lot to go through his mind right now. We know he can hit. Last year, he put up tremendous numbers with us. We know he'll find the confidence and find the zone here.
"To be honest, he doesn't belong here."
So far, Overbay has shown he's capable of hitting Triple-A pitching.
In nine games with the Sidewinders, he is hitting over .310 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Saturday night, he even showed a bit of the power he supposedly lacks, blasting a ball onto the berm in right-center field.
"I have felt pretty confident in the past few weeks," he said. "It's a matter of playing every day and getting comfortable up there. I can definitely tell the difference in the pitching."
Overbay will likely be called up when rosters expand on Sept. 1, but refused to speculate if - or where - he might play next year.
With Shea Hillenbrand getting most of the work at first base and Grace contemplating playing another season, Overbay could be the odd man out.
Though the D'backs have told Overbay to be prepared to play every day next year, Overbay is skeptical. He has heard that speech before.
"I take what they say with a grain of salt," Overbay said. "They told me that last year,too, and look."
By Ryan Finley
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Excuse Lyle Overbay if he is a little angry. Most people who lose their jobs get that way.
Standing in the Sidewinders' clubhouse hours before Saturday's game, the normally placid Overbay managed to get a bit caught up when a visitor wondered why the Diamondbacks sent him to Triple-A, even though he was hitting .287 on a team desperate for offense.
"I wanted to play every day, and I guess I got my wish," Overbay said of his demotion to the Sidewinders last week. "They told me to come down and get my old swing back. I'm not sure what that means."
If Overbay seems frustrated playing in Tucson, it's because he didn't really expect to play for the Side-win-ders again after being added to the D'backs' roster last September.
At the time, he had set a franchise record with a .343 batting average, piled up 180 hits and 40 doubles, and was seen as the logical replacement for Mark Grace at first base.
He was so highly regarded, in fact, that D'backs manager Bob Brenly made a point of naming Overbay the team's everyday starter during spring training to make a smooth transition from the Grace era.
It all seemed so seamless - until the D'backs grew impatient with Overbay's lack of power numbers.
Despite hitting in the high-.280s with a decent on-base percentage, Overbay had just four home runs and 27 RBIs when he was deemed expendable and demoted a week ago.
The move surprised many in the organization, including Sidewinders manager Al Pedrique, who said Overbay was one of the best hitters he had ever worked with.
"I was very surprised. I wasn't expecting that to happen at all," Pedrique said. "It's natural for a lot to go through his mind right now. We know he can hit. Last year, he put up tremendous numbers with us. We know he'll find the confidence and find the zone here.
"To be honest, he doesn't belong here."
So far, Overbay has shown he's capable of hitting Triple-A pitching.
In nine games with the Sidewinders, he is hitting over .310 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Saturday night, he even showed a bit of the power he supposedly lacks, blasting a ball onto the berm in right-center field.
"I have felt pretty confident in the past few weeks," he said. "It's a matter of playing every day and getting comfortable up there. I can definitely tell the difference in the pitching."
Overbay will likely be called up when rosters expand on Sept. 1, but refused to speculate if - or where - he might play next year.
With Shea Hillenbrand getting most of the work at first base and Grace contemplating playing another season, Overbay could be the odd man out.
Though the D'backs have told Overbay to be prepared to play every day next year, Overbay is skeptical. He has heard that speech before.
"I take what they say with a grain of salt," Overbay said. "They told me that last year,too, and look."
