Jerry Lynch

Gerald Thomas Lynch (July 17, 1930 – March 31, 2012), 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 history. He played 13 seasons from 1954 to 1966 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

Lynch was a central figure for the Reds in 1961, the season they captured their first National League pennant in 21 years. He finished 22nd in the NL Most Valuable Player vote that year despite only 181 at-bats. Over his career he hit .277 on 798 hits, including 123 doubles, 34 triples, and 115 home runs across 1,184 games. He drove in 470 runs, scored 364, and drew 224 walks, posting a .329 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage.

Because of limited range in the field and an inability to hit left-handed pitching consistently, Lynch never played more than 122 games in a season. But against right-handers in pressure situations, he was one of the most feared pinch hitters of his era. His 116 hits off the bench rank 10th in MLB history. In 1988, Lynch was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.