This photo is almost identical to the one used for Jerry's 1966 card. He must not have wandered far from that batting cage.
Fun facts about Jerry Lynch:
-A native of Bay City, MI, he signed with the Yankees in 1951.
-Was claimed by the Pirates in the Rule V draft prior to the 1954 season and played 98 games for them as a 23-year-old rookie.
-Improved his batting average 45 points from his first season to his second (.239 to .284) and went from four doubles to 18 in the same number of plate appearances.
-After appearing in only 19 major league games in 1956, he was drafted by the Reds.
-In 1958 he topped 400 at-bats for the only time in his career and responded with a .312 average and 16 home runs and 68 RBI.
-Became known as a great pinch hitter in Cincinnati; for his career he ranks tenth with 116 pinch-hits and second all-time with 18 pinch homers.
-In 1961, he helped the Reds to win the pennant, hitting .315 and slugging .624 in part-time duty with 13 homers in just 181 at-bats. Five of his longballs and 25 RBI came in pinch situations.
-His two-run homer on September 26, 1961 broke a tie with the Cubs in the top of the eighth. It was ultimately the game-winning hit as the Reds clinched the National League crown.
-Returned to Pittsburgh in 1963, playing out his career there and retiring after being released in 1966. In parts of 13 seasons he hit .277 with 115 home runs and 470 RBI.
-Nearly half of his career homers (53) came in the seventh inning or later.
I am just catching up on your site, which is great, by the way. I see Jerry Lynch in '61 had 50 rbis in 181 at bats. That is pretty amazing. I am no good doing those baseball-reference stat runs, but I would bet that Lynch's ratio is one of the best for over 100 at bats.
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