Lyle Overbay Toronto Blue Jays (8-22-2003)
What would you say baseball philosophy is? What got you so far?
I think it’s just making the right adjustments. I think the biggest thing is when you find something out that the pitcher’s going to find your weakness and the matter of making that adjustment. Guys are going to pound you in with fastballs until you figure out how to hit them. So if you don’t figure it out then you’re not going to stay in the game very long. So I think it’s more adjustments and then giving yourself a chance to succeed. I’ve got to the point where I can, I haven’t in the past week or so, but I’ve had to get into that. I’m a kind of a field guy, and if I can get to that slot where I’m hitting, where I can hit the inside fastballs, and I can get to that outside pitch so that way I won’t get beat on the inside pitch. It’s just a matter of feel for me. But like I said, I think it’s just to making those adjustments and getting yourself prepared for that.
What’s your hitting philosophy?
Different things. If Pitcher’s are going to throw off speed, I might sit off speed. You definitely have to have some kind of idea or game plan is what w like to call it. There are some rules that you kind of live by as if you’re looking fastball, you can adjust on the off speed. But if you’re going to sit off speed, then you don’t want to hit that fastball because 99 percent of the chance it’s going to jam you or you’re going to miss it. It’s going to be by you. When you’re feeling good you just sit back and get ready for that fast ball and adjust on that off speed pitch. So that’s kind of the biggest thing. But like I said, it juts kind of depends on the pitcher and if you face him. He knows how to get you out and you have to go and find out because he’s going to throw it there.
What are your strengths right now?
There’s always room for improvement on hitting. But I think right now it’s just trying to find those gaps as far as hitting. Defense, like I say, that’s what’s great about the game of baseball, there’s always room for improvement. I think my defense is coming along. It feels more comfortable and like that’s a big strength for me because it’s kind of more a confidence thing over there at first base. So once you get that confidence you get kind of cocky and you know you’re good. You can make some plays that sometimes that you don’t, just because you know you can do it. That’s the great thing about baseball is that you can talk yourself into some things sometimes.
When Arizona sent you here did they tell you what to work on? Did they tell you why?
Yeah, I think I wasn’t being as aggressive as I normally would be. That’s kind of the thing that they wanted me to do. But in the same token I wasn’t seeing playing time every day. I couldn’t just every time try and sit back. It’d take me three or four at-bats to get settled in, and by that time you’re in the 9th inning and if you don’t get a hit you’re trying to press too much. So it’s just a matter of me getting some AB’s and at this point in my career I think they wanted me to get some more at-bats. I think that was the biggest thing is I was only going to play two or three days a week, and that’s not what they wanted right now, so.
A lot of pitchers throw inside and outside to set you hitters up. Do you guys ever set up pitchers?
Oh yeah, all the time. It’s fun to. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But like I said, they throw a pitch that they got you out on, but you know that you just missed it, or you didn’t put a good swing on it, and you know if you put a good swing on it it’s going to go. And they know, they’re not totally sure, but sometimes you swing through that change-up just setting them up later on in the at-bat. They think that they can get you out with that and you just sit on it. But like I said, they’ve come back to where they don’t even throw it again, and so you end up trying to set them up but they end up setting you up at the same time. So it’s fun.
A constant battle?
Yeah, constant cat and mouse. But that’s what fun.
It seems at the times that the guys that they say have all the talent in the world, doesn’t seem to go as far as guys with lesser talent. Do you ever see that?
Yeah, I think it’s just a matter of those adjustments you get back to making, making them at the right time, and just understanding the game. I think a lot of the guys that have a lot of talent really don’t understand the game. It’s just a matter of time before they figure it out and it’s fun to watch them how they figure it out. There’s one guy that’s Luis Terrero that’s figured it out every year, I mean, he’s making these steps. I’ve seen him when he’s hitting for power, and I’m like, “Man! He’s got every tool in the box.” He’s still figuring the game out. I think that’s the big point. He’s making progress and like I say, he’s young, and he’s not experienced, but he’s getting experience and it’s going to be fun to watch him.
Do you think the high draft picks get more chances?
I think so. I mean I’m biased to that. You always see that because they’ve got money invested in them, and they want to make sure that they succeed. But like I said if you hit and if you play, and you do all the things right they’re going to find a place for you and if you don’t, then I think they’ll give you a few more chances. There’s been instances where pitchers they’ve got as a first round draft pick and if another pitcher was doing that from the 18th or 19th round, they might getting released instead of going on a rehab assignment. So I definitely see it, but that’s the nature of the game.
You get to spring training and there are a whole bunch of people, all this talent competing for one spot. When you look around and see all those guys what do you think?
It’s scary. I mean, you’re always looking back and looking to see who’s doing well, and trying to figure out if you’re impressing the right people. I think that’s kind of the big thing is you need to impress the right people. The guys that are up there making these decisions, they’ve seen major league ball players, and they know what it’s going to take to get you up there, and if you’ve got the right talent. But you have to have a few breaks your way. I mean that’s key.
What are some of the about pro sports that you learned the hard way that no one told you about it?
Politics. I just have to put everything behind me. It’s kind of a cruel world. When you get on the baseball diamond, it’s all about baseball. But off the field you’re kind of worried about yourself. In the minor leagues you’re trying to get to the major leagues so you’re trying to do everything that you can to do that. You get a little mix of things, stuff doesn’t go your way, I’m still learning. It’s a crazy world out there. I mean as far as contracts and just dealing with all that. So it’s definitely different.
What about getting sent up and down between the majors and the minors. A lot of things effect that, how you are playing, do you have any options, rehab assignments etc.?
That’s tough. The Rule 5 draft, the 40-man roster, all this stuff that I’m still learning about once it comes into play with me. The options come big into play. If I didn’t have any options they probably wouldn’t be able to send me down. That’s the kind of thing that you have to deal with. Right now I have no options. I have to do what I’m told to do. I mean it’s not like I’m not going to do what they tell me anyway, but like I said if this was two years down the road where I’ve already used up all my options then they might be in a different boat.
How many options do you have between the major and the minors?
Three, but you only use one per year. They can send you up and down four or five times during that year but it counts as only one for that year. That’s the big thing.
Does the chemistry in the clubhouse effect a team?
It affects it a lot. We have had teams where we’ve had more talent in the world and we just plain sucked, because we just didn’t have any chemistry, and we weren’t really coming together. I think the Diamondbacks at the first of the season weren’t really clicking. We were trying to find stuff like that. It wasn’t really until a couple guys came up. It wasn’t necessarily the guys coming up I think, it’s just that we started playing a little bit better and we started finding out what everybody can do. We started playing a lot better because we were in the clubhouse. We wanted to come to the ballpark. I think at the beginning of the season it was kind of like we didn’t know if we wanted to come. What’s going to happen this time? Then you get in there and get to feeling good and everybody’s feeling good. Everybody wants to go the ballpark and you know exactly what’s going to happen. We’re going to have a chance to win.
There were three players that came up when Schilling, Johnson, and Counsel were out. Who were those three?
There was Alex Cintron, Brandon Web, and John Patterson, all these guys came up and did an awesome job. They’re doing a good job right now. It’s a matter of finding that chemistry, and that’s huge.
How important is weightlifting?
I think it’s very important. I mean it’s making a big impact in this sport; guys are getting bigger and stronger. You look at Barry Bonds, he always used to hit the ball far, but now if he misses it he still hits it out of the yard. Where if I miss it, I barely get it over the shortstop. So, he’s definitely strong and it’s definitely improved his game as far as being consistent. I think the main thing was consistency. A lot of guys start trailing off towards the end of season because they weren’t as strong, they’re a little weaker, and the bat’s starting to feel a little heavier and stuff. So, it’s a big thing.
Do you read the sports page and the scouting reports about you?
Yeah, I always like to see what everybody’s saying about me, making sure it’s all right, or if I said something that I shouldn’t have.
Does that influence you when they say that you’re the number one prospect or something like that?
Not too much. Everybody can look at it and say, “This is his weakness; this is his strength.” I can disagree with that or I can agree with it. You’re the only one that knows. If you don’t make those changes on the stuff that everybody’s seeing and you’re thinking, “Nah, that’s not what everybody’s seeing. I’m doing just fine.” But they’re not going to write that unless they seen something or they heard something. So it’s kind of nice to see what every body thinks of you.
How do you handle the fans, people yelling and screaming, the loud mouths?
It’s tough, but I enjoy it ’cause they always say some good stuff and make you laugh. As long as they don’t get too personal. That’s when they start talking about your family and stuff that’s when you kind of just draw the line and say, “Hey, you can badmouth me all you want, but just stay away from the family.” I guess it’s everywhere so you just got to be able to deal with it, and block it out. It kind of motivates you a little bit and when you can get a base hit or something and look right at them if you can figure out where they’re at because they know. They’re like, “Oh, man!”
You know where they’re at sometimes?
Sometimes if they keep on it, if they stay on you enough.
How about the umpires? How do you handle them missing the balls and strikes?
I don’t mind that, that’s the game of baseball. I always think if the umpire makes three bad calls, then I can maybe argue but maybe once in my career of baseball has a umpire called three bad strikes that I thought were balls. They’re doing their best and it’s not going to really do me any good to yell at them. It’s not going to make them mad a little bit more than anything. I just want to know what they’re thinking. I’ll say, “Hey, I thought that ball was out. Where are you,” “No, it hit the plate.” Just kind of talk to them like that.
They accept that, don’t they?
Yeah, they accept it. I don’t like disrespecting the umpire. They’re back there trying their best like you said. If guys argue and argue and I’m like, “Well, what about that 3/1 pitch that you fouled off it was right down the middle.” I mean that’s the way I look at it.
How about brush backs, knockdowns, and retaliation? What do you think about that?
That’s part of the game. I don’t mind that at all. If a guy wants to hit me, I’m going to first base. I’m on first base so that’s his fault. If he wants to brush me back I’m not going to get out of the way. I mean I’m going to get out of the way but I’m going to go right back to what I was doing. He’s not going to really affect me. It gets to a point where there’s a fine line where a pitcher’s kind of brushing you off, and he’s throwing at your head. That’s where it kind of gets a little– out of hand, I think. But overall that’s part of baseball. It just kind of irritates me when the hitters are wearing those pads. It’s like, “Man it’s just part of the game.”
But if you get hit on purpose do you ever mention something to the pitcher, or do you have to mention something to the pitcher, or do they just kind of take it upon themselves?
I’ve never been in a situation where that has been. Last year there was an instance where I got hit because one of our pitchers hit their guy so the next day they tried to hit me and I got out of the way. Then the next day I got hit. So I just said, “You know, if they want to hit me that’s good because I can get on base. If they don’t come after more than as far as coming at my head, then I don’t complain. There’s some other guys that just get real mad. I’m just, “All right go ahead and get mad, but they’re taking you right out of your game.” So I don’t like doing that.
How about your thoughts on being traded?
Being traded? It’s funny, you can sit there and want to be on that Arizona Diamondbacks but like I said being traded is kind of a thing where they’re going to go and get someone that they need. Last year there was a log jam on first base, and I thought that it’d either be me or Durazo and I was hoping that it was Durazo, because I think he kind of wanted to get out of there and get a new start and he got his chance. But I’ve always liked the Diamondback organization. They’ve always treated me with respect, and it’s a fun place to play. They’re high class. I don’t know what I’d do if I got traded. I’d probably be traded to a team that’s kind of rebuilding, so I’d be the everyday guy and all that, but I’d rather win. I’m looking at the Texas Rangers and I look at all their hitters and I’m just like, “Man, they scored nine runs and they can’t win.” That would irritate the heck out of me. I’d hate that. It’s like where do you want to be, I just love the game being 2 to 1, or 3 to 2, not 11 to 9 where it’s just going on and on, and the pitching’s not as good. It’d just drive me crazy.
What would you tell from high school on down about professional baseball?
It’s definitely the life. I don’t know what else I’d be doing right now. If you get the chance to play this game, it’s given me everything. I got to meet a lot of good people, I get to go see nice cities and they pay me. You get to play a game, or a job that you love to do. There are not too many people that play baseball that doesn’t love it. Of all the kids that dream of being in the big leagues, that’s all I dreamed about when I was a kid growing up, so it’s definitely worth it. If you get out there and get a chance, make the best of it.