Lyle Overbay made the Red Sox pay for cutting him, and the Yankees look smart for picking him up in the process.
The 36-year-old journeyman first baseman drove in two runs on a soft single to left-center field off Boston starter Ryan Dempster, which not only gave the Yankees their first lead of the season, but also led to last night’s 4-2 win at the Stadium.
“That’s more satisfying for me than anything else,” he said of beating the Red Sox. “You’re over there getting prepared for the season. Their coaches are preparing you and then all of a sudden you’re on a different team and flip-flopped for the opening series.”
The left-handed hitting Overbay, who split last season with the Braves and Diamondbacks, was signed by the Yankees hours after the Red Sox let him go on March 26. After a three-day tryout, the Yankees added him to the 40-man roster and inserted him at first base while they wait on Mark Teixeira to return from the disabled list.
“I’m trying to help this team win, that’s the biggest concern,” he said. “When [Teixeira’s] ready, he’s ready. I understand that. There’s so many things that can happen. It can change. Hopefully, there’s a [way for] me to coexist.”
After a wild last nine days, Overbay is more concerned with the present than the future.
“You go from a Red Sox uniform to Yankees uniform in 48 hours,” he said. “I don’t think it’s been done. It is kind of weird, but I’m excited for this situation here.” — Zach Braziller