Sports and Torts: Fred Lynn

Lynn is best known for being the first player to win the Rookie of the Year award and MVP in the same season.



Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002 and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. We look back on his career.

Sports and Torts: Hall of Famer Jim Rice

Jim Rice\'s 16-year big league career in Boston continued a legacy of renowned Red Sox left fielders that included Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. One of the most feared right-handed hitters of his era, Rice clubbed at least 20 homers in 11 of his first 12 full seasons and led the American League in total bases four times, homers three times and RBI and slugging percentage twice each

Fred Lynn

After graduation from USC, Lynn started his career for the Red Sox with a 1975 season in which he won the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards, the first player to win both in the same season. (The feat was duplicated by then-Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.) Lynn and fellow rookie outfielder Jim Rice were dubbed as the \"Gold Dust Twins\". In 1975, Lynn led the American League in doubles, runs scored and slugging percentage, finished second in the batting race with a .331 average, and won a Gold Glove Award for his defensive play. On June 18 at Tiger Stadium, he hit three home runs, had 10 RBI, and 16 total bases in one game.

Fred Lynn\'s career was hampered by some injuries caused by fearless play, such as a broken rib from crashing into an outfield wall, or knee injuries from breaking up double plays,and playing all out defensively. Lynn won three more Gold Gloves in 1978-80 and finished fourth in the 1979 MVP voting; he won the AL Batting title in that same year. ( 1979) while being elected to the All-Star team every year with the Red Sox, and nine time All Star over his career. He hit a home run in 3 different All-Star games for the Red Sox, in 1976, 1979, and 1980 and hit the only Grand Slam in All Star history in 1983.

The Red Sox traded him along with Steve Renko to the Angels for Frank Tanana, Jim Dorsey and Joe Rudi after the 1980 season.[2] He never hit over .300 again. Lynn did go on to hit more than 20 home runs in six consecutive seasons starting in 1982, and was selected MVP of the 1982 American League Championship Series, the first player from the losing team ever selected. In 1983, he hit the only grand slam in All-Star history and was named MVP after being elected to the team for the ninth consecutive year. His four home runs in All-Star games is second only to Stan Musial.

In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.

Following the 1984 season, Lynn signed with the Orioles, who signed numerous free agents in the mid-1980s in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to win another World Series after their 1983 title. Lynn never played more than 150 games in a season and only topped 140 games four times. From 1982-1988, his home run totals were 21-22-23-23-23-23-25. His four consecutive years with exactly 23 home runs tied Ken Boyer (24 each year for Cardinals from 1961–1964) for most consecutive years with exactly the same number of home runs (based on 20 or more home runs); Adam Dunn later matched this mark with 40 each year from 2005-2008.

Detroit acquired Lynn for their 1988 pennant drive, which also proved unsuccessful. There was some initial controversy with this trade; though the trade was made on the day of the trading deadline, while Lynn was en route to Detroit, he was technically not in \"Detroit airspace\" when the deadline passed, so he was ruled ineligible for the postseason. MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent later overruled this decision, declaring that as long as the transaction was completed by the deadline, the player need not physically be in the new team\'s city to be eligible to play in the playoffs. Following a disappointing 1989 season, Lynn ended his career with one season in San Diego (1990), retiring at the age of 38.

His 306 career home runs place him ninth among center fielders, behind Willie Mays, Ken Griffey, Jr., Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Dale Murphy, Joe DiMaggio, Jim Edmonds, and Andruw Jones.

In his 17-year career, Lynn batted .283 with 1111 RBI, 1960 hits, 1063 runs, 306 home runs, 388 doubles, 43 triples, and 72 stolen bases in 1969 games.

Fred\'s Website