Wally, Willy & Lyle (One Sixty-Two: Day 72)

Writer’s note: One Sixty-Two is a season-long series of blog posts connecting baseball’s major-league players to life’s universal themes. Just as there are 162 games in a season, so there will be 162 posts in this series. Let’s play some ball.

Day Seventy-Two: Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays

This may be a Wally Pipp story, and it might be a Willy Loman Story. But it definitely is a Lyle Overbay story.

Lyle Overbay is 33 years old, and he’s in his eighth full season as a big-league first baseman. He was a rising star for the Milwaukee Brewers five years ago, he blossomed in 2006 after a trade to Toronto, and then, well, he kind of fizzled.

This is the fourth straight year in which Overbay has delivered mediocre numbers as the Blue Jays’ first baseman. He’s managed to hold onto his job in large part because of his ability to take walks and play a strong defensive first base. But this year, with his batting average down below .240, it may be time.

Just like Wally Pipp, who famously lost his New York Yankees first base job to the young Lou Gehrig in 1925, Overbay may lose his spot to a young lefty slugger biding his time in the minor leagues. The young kid’s name is Brett Wallace, and apparently he can hit the ball a mile. The 23-year-old is ready and waiting for the day when Toronto picks up the phone.

Just like Willy Loman, who decried the loss of his salesman skills in Arthur Miller’s classic play, Overbay may be in his final days as a starting position player. If the Blue Jays trade him, it will likely be to a team that needs a lefty off the bench for pinch-hitting and late-inning defense. Will Overbay go quietly into the role of bench player, or will he fight the inevitable by clamoring for one last chance?

If indeed the Blue Jays trade their first baseman, there’s another possible role Lyle Overbay might play in the future. Instead of becoming a Pipp- or Loman-like symbol of loss or regret, perhaps Overbay will become the next Lenny Harris. For a few years in the early 1990s, Harris was a regular for the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing a variety of infield and outfield positions. But then Harris was asked to pinch-hit. And by the time he retired after 18 seasons, Harris held the major league record for most pinch hits in a career.

With his selectivity at the plate and his ability to make contact, Overbay may have a long pinch-hitting career ahead of him. By looking at the opportunities gained rather than the opportunities lost, he could do quite well for himself. In fact, he might still be entering his prime.