Matthew Daniel Lynch Jr.[a][b] (February 7, 1926 – June 30, 1978) was an American professional baseball player. He played briefly in Major League Baseball, for the Chicago Cubs in 1948.
| Danny Lynch | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born: February 7, 1926 Dallas, Texas | |
| Died: June 30, 1978 (aged 52) Plano, Texas | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1948, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1948, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .286 |
| Slugging percentage | .714 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Biography
editA native of Dallas, Texas, Lynch was a paratrooper in the United States Army during World War II.[4] After the war, he attended Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he played both baseball and basketball.[4] The 1947 edition of The Rotunda, SMU's yearbook, includes a baseball team photo with both Lynch and future Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.[5]
Lynch's father, who shared the same name, had played in the minor leagues for a decade as a middle infielder.[6][7] The younger Lynch was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1948,[8] and played 91 games for the minor league Waco Pirates.[9] However, in September 1948, Lynch was declared a free agent after Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler ruled that the Pirates had hired the elder Lynch as a scout as a way to hide a bonus payment.[10] Lynch was then signed by the Chicago Cubs on September 7,[8] and married on September 8.[11]
A week after being signed, Lynch played in Major League Baseball for the Cubs, appearing in seven games through the end of the 1948 season;[8] one as a second baseman, one as a pinch runner, and five as a pinch hitter.[12] In seven major league at bats, he had two hits, including a home run off of Johnny Sain,[13] for a .286 batting average and a .714 slugging percentage.[8] Lynch did not return to the major leagues, but he played in the minor leagues through 1954, including over 300 games at the Triple-A level.[9]
After retiring from baseball, Lynch became a lawyer in Texas.[citation needed] He died in an automobile accident in June 1978 in Plano, Texas.[citation needed]
Notes
edit- ^ Lynch's draft registration card of February 1944 listed his name as "Matt Dan Lynch, Jr.",[1] while his father's draft registration card of two years earlier had read "Matt Dan Lynch, Sr."[2]
- ^ Lynch was listed by Baseball-Reference.com as "Dummy" Lynch before May 2021,[3] but there is no indication that the nickname was actually used for Lynch. "Dummy" Lynch may actually have been 19th-century pitcher Thomas Lynch.
References
edit- ^ "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. February 1944. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via fold3.com.
- ^ "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. February 1942. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via fold3.com.
- ^ "Changing Player Identification Names from Player Nicknames to Given Names". sports-reference.com. April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Bucs Sign SMU Baseball Star". The Morning Herald. Uniontown, Pennsylvania. AP. June 5, 1948. p. 8. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Rotunda. Southern Methodist University. 1947. p. 469. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via SMU.edu.
- ^ Cordaro, Tony (August 21, 1949). "Lynch, Rebel by Descent, Rebel at Bat". Des Moines Tribune. p. 34. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dan Lynch Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Danny Lynch". Retrosheet. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Danny Lynch Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Chandler Nails Bucs in Bonus Crack-Down". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. AP. September 3, 1948. p. 19. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Corsicanan At Dallas Wedding". Corsicana Daily Sun. Corsicana, Texas. September 10, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved May 9, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "The 1948 CHI N Regular Season Batting Log for Danny Lynch". Retrosheet. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Boston Braves 10, Chicago Cubs 3". Retrosheet. September 14, 1948. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Danny Lynch at Find a Grave