Jerry Lynch obit

Bay County loses legend Jerry Lynch, one of baseball's all-time great pinch-hitters

 He was not on the list.

When the situation called for something special, the Cincinnati Reds called for Jerry Lynch.

The legend from Munger, Michigan, who went on to become one of the greatest pinch-hitters in Major League Baseball history, died Saturday in an Atlanta hospital, according to his niece. He was 81.

Lynch played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds from 1954-66, retiring with the Major League record of 18 career pinch-hit home runs. That mark still ranks third all-time while his 116 career pinch hits ranks 10th.

Lynch was a member of the inaugural induction class into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

"It's always a moment of sadness when you lose one of the elite," said O.J. Cunningham, president of the Hall of Fame. "And he was certainly one of Bay City's hometown heroes."

Lynch honed his skills at St. Norbert Catholic Church field, playing in the Bay County Federation League before he left for Greenville, S.C. of the Class C Cotton State League at age 19.

He spent 1951-52 in service with the U.S. Army during the Korean War but returned to baseball with his signing by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A blood clot in his shoulder hampered his throwing, but he turned himself into a big leaguer with his aggressive bat.

His career took off after joining the Reds in 1957. He hit .312 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 1958 then helped Cincinnati reach the 1961 World Series by batting .315. That was the season her certified himself as a rare offensive weapon off the bench.

Lynch batted a whopping .404 in pinch-hit situation, slamming five home runs. He belted a two-run, eighth-inning home run to beat the Chicago Cubs and clinch the National League pennant for the Reds.

He finished as a career .277 hitter with 115 home runs, 470 RBIs and 798 hits. But his pinch-hitting prowess made him a legend, earning him a spot in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1988.

In his New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, James made a case for Lynch being named MVP for his 1961 heroics.

"He hit over .400 as a pinch hitter with power and played 44 games in the outfield. His slugging percentage of .624 and 50 RBI in 181 at-bats was a far better rate than Roger Maris had that same season, hitting 61 home runs," James wrote. "More than that, Lynch had big, big hits; game after game, when the Reds were in danger of falling short, Lynch came up with the big hit to put them back in front, and the Reds, picked to finish sixth, won the pennant."

nicknamed "the Hat", "Lynch the Pinch" and "the Allison Park Sweeper", was an American professional baseball outfielder who ranked among the most prolific pinch hitters in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. He played 13 seasons (1954-1966) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

Lynch was a central figure for the Reds in the 1961 season, which saw them capture their first National League 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 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

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.

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 pinch hitters 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.

"The best pinch hitter I ever saw, by far, no question, has to be Smoky Burgess," Lynch said of his former Reds and Pirates teammate in a 1994 Baseball Digest 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?"

In a 10-year period (1957–66), 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 (115-for-435) as a pinch-hitter in his MLB career.

"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."

Lynch was born on July 17, 1930, in Bay City, Michigan, 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 New York Yankees 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 parent club, and the Pirates selected him in the Rule 5 Draft after the season.

Lynch made his MLB debut with the Pirates on April 15, 1954, in a 7–4 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Starting in right field and batting third, he had one hit in four trips to the plate. His first hit came off pitcher Russ Meyer, a two-run single in the ninth inning.

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 Bob Skinner to the Reds. It was there that team broadcaster Jim Woods referred to him as The Allison Park Sweeper because of his suburban Pittsburgh residence and quick, productive bat.

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 Crosley Field, where he hit more homers (46) than any other ballpark. The Pirates released him after the season.