Fan Mail Mattered To Jerry Lynch

More than 50 years later, Lynch maintained
that crisp autograph!

The initial obituary of Jerry Lynch is no longer available. I found a more detailed remembrance in the Pittsburgh newspaper. Small wonder, considering that Lynch gained his sparkplug reputation in Pittsburgh.

I salute Taryn Luna from the Post-Gazette for some stellar reporting. This observation from Lynch’s wife Alice leaped out:

“After his retirement, he kept in touch with his fans.

“He always answered his fan mail,” she said. “He signed the picture and sent it back. He was very faithful about this.”

She said his desk has stacks of letters he received since he went into the hospital two weeks ago.”

Remembering Pinch-Hitter Jerry Lynch

Sly smile, wry wit!

One of baseball’s greatest pinch-hitters has left us.

A weekend obituary reported that Jerry Lynch died at age 81.

Lynch delivered in the clutch for me, too. His reply was one of the funniest I’ve ever shared on this blog.

Coming Wednesday: A review of Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry and Baseball’s Greatest Gift.

Pinch-hitter Jerry Lynch’s Five Coaches

Jerry Lynch, active from 1954-66, is missing a statistic. His career numbers were impressive. After his retirement, Lynch’s 18 career pinch-hit homers set a record. He racked up 19 pinch hits in 1960 and again in 1961, topping the National League yearly.

But how can you measure his candor, his insight?

I wanted to know the secret of his pinch-hitting success. What motivated him? Was there one wise coach, a teammate?

Lynch credited five sources of inspiration, all off the field.

He wrote:

“A wife and 4 kids.”