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Lynch had a remarkable 1961 season, when his timely hits repeatedly bailed out the Reds in a tight NL pennant race. He finished with a .315 batting average, .407 on-base percentage and .624 slugging percentage â all of which would be the highest of his career. He was never better as a pinch-hitter, a
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In a 10-year period (1957â66), Lynch hit at least one pinch-hit homer in all except the 1960 season, when he had a then MLB-record 76 appearances off the bench. Overall, he amassed 90 RBI in 435 at-bats in that role, a rate of one per 4.8 attempts along with 18 home runs. Overall, Lynch batted .264
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acquired his contract. After two years in the military, he returned to lead the Class B Piedmont League in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.592), hits (180), triples (22) and RBI (133). Despite his obvious potential, there was little chance for advancement to the veteran-laden
Yankees
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A semi-regular in his first two seasons, Lynch was held back by injuries that resulted in a late start to the 1956 campaign, when he appeared in only 19 games. The Reds claimed him in the Rule 5 Draft in the off-season. Lynch returned to the
Pirates in 1963 in a trade that sent outfielder
331:"The good pinch-hitter is the guy who can relax enough to get the pitch he can hit," Lynch was quoted as saying. "You almost always do get one pitch to hit every time you bat. So you have to have the patience to wait. And then you've got to be able to handle the pitch when you get it."
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Because of limited range in the field and an inability to hit left-handed pitchers consistently at the plate, Lynch never played more than 122 games in any season. But especially versus righties in pressure situations, he was one of the most feared lefty
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Lynch struck his final homer on August 12, 1966, a pinch-hit solo blast against the Reds that tied the score in the ninth inning of an eventual 14-11 victory in
Cincinnati. It marked his final at-bat at
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In his career, Lynch hit .277 on 798 hits, 123 doubles, 34 triples and 115 home runs in 1,184 games. He had 470 RBI, 364 runs scored and 224 walks along with .329 on-base and .463 slugging percentages.
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343:, where he attended Bay City Central High School. He began his pro career as a 19-year-old with the Class C Greenville (Miss.) Bucks of the Cotton States League in 1950 before the
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of his era. His 116 hits off the bench rank 10th in MLB history. Lynch owned the most career pinch-hit home runs (18) at the time of his retirement and still ranks third overall.
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Lynch did not start any of the World Series games against New York, however, even though Yankee
Stadium was an easy mark for left-handed pull hitters with power. He was
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story. "He was gifted. But I was the best clutch hitter because I hit 18 dingers. I rang the bell 18 times. Hey, if you don't think you're the best, who will?"
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pennant in 21 years. He finished 22nd in the NL Most
Valuable Player vote despite a mere 181 at-bats that season. In 1988, he was inducted into the
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ahead of him. The blow snapped a 3â3 tie in the seventh inning and turned out to be the game-winner in a 5â3 victory.
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On
September 26 in Chicago, Lynch propelled the Reds into the World Series with a two-run home run off Cubs pitcher
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referred to him as The
Allison Park Sweeper because of his suburban Pittsburgh residence and quick, productive bat.
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role in which he hit .404 and five home runs in 59 plate appearances. His 25 RBI tied a major league record that
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Lynch was a central figure for the Reds in the 1961 season, which saw them capture their first
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540:"Pittsburgh Pirates at Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score, April 15, 1954 - Baseball-Reference.com"
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479:"There will be no questions or discussions -- he goes straight to heaven," Groat told the
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reported that Lynch and athletic director Jerry Conboy could not agree to contract terms.
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https://www.redlegnation.com/2015/08/02/wpa-jerry-lynch-and-the-amazing-summer-of-1961/
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Lynch was in line to become Point Park
College baseball coach, according to a 1978
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In 1964, near the conclusion of their baseball careers, Lynch and
Pirates teammate
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450:, one of three public courses to receive a 4-star rating in Western Pennsylvania.
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Lynch made his MLB debut with the
Pirates on April 15, 1954, in a 7â4 loss to the
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parent club, and the Pirates selected him in the Rule 5 Draft after the season.
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483:. "He was one of the finest people to have ever walked the earth."
472:, area in the late 1980s. He died on March 31, 2012, at age 81 in
316:"The best pinch hitter I ever saw, by far, no question, has to be
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434:, all of them as a pinch-hitter, as the Reds lost in five games.
320:," Lynch said of his former Reds and Pirates teammate in a 1994
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American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
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October 2, 1966, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
269:(MLB) history. He played 13 seasons (1954-1966) with the
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April 15, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
584:"WPA, Jerry Lynch, and the Amazing Summer of 1961."
328:(115-for-435) as a pinch-hitter in his MLB career.
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522:"Looking Back: John Edwards Was A Nashville Vol"
371:to the Reds. It was there that team broadcaster
577:Career statistics and player information from
446:broke ground on Champion Lakes Golf Course in
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242:(July 17, 1930 â March 31, 2012), nicknamed "
8:
504:"Jerry Lynch Stats - Baseball-Reference.com"
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339:Lynch was born on July 17, 1930, in
16:American baseball player (1930â2012)
261:who ranked among the most prolific
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408:) equalled in the 1983 campaign.
400:) had set in the 1943 season and
459:story. Two days later, however,
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625:Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
286:Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
230:Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
222:Career highlights and awards
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1328:Cincinnati Reds players
456:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
544:Baseball-Reference.com
508:Baseball-Reference.com
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468:Lynch retired to the
387:Memorable 1961 season
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267:Major League Baseball
256:professional baseball
1343:Norfolk Tars players
462:The Pittsburgh Press
415:, scoring teammate
254:", was an American
240:Gerald Thomas Lynch
120:Last MLB appearance
1241:Johnny Vander Meer
579:Baseball Reference
426:in three official
341:Bay City, Michigan
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275:Cincinnati Reds
248:Lynch the Pinch
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136:Batting average
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975:Barry Larkin
905:Noodles Hahn
870:Danny Graves
856:Ival Goodman
849:Warren Giles
807:Dan Driessen
800:Pete Donohue
779:Jake Daubert
772:Hughie Critz
765:Sam Crawford
730:Clay Carroll
723:Leo CĂĄrdenas
709:Tom Browning
702:Dave Bristol
688:Pedro BorbĂłn
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898:Don Gullett
891:Heinie Groh
758:Harry Craft
417:Vada Pinson
402:Rusty Staub
369:Bob Skinner
335:Early years
28:Jerry Lynch
1292:Categories
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1227:Mario Soto
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1213:Tom Seaver
1206:Chris Sabo
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737:Sean Casey
487:References
444:Dick Groat
394:Joe Cronin
361:Russ Meyer
259:outfielder
61:1930-07-17
48:Outfielder
1199:Edd Roush
1192:Pete Rose
1171:José Rijo
1129:Gabe Paul
996:Red Lucas
940:Dummy Hoy
821:Bob Ewing
814:Adam Dunn
430:and four
373:Jim Woods
146:Home runs
110:MLB debut
954:Joey Jay
660:Gus Bell
526:MiLB.com
448:Ligonier
1024:Lee May
428:at bats
424:hitless
250:" and "
244:the Hat
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169:Teams
103:Right
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