Danny Lynch | |
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Second baseman | |
Born: Dallas, Texas | February 7, 1926|
Died: June 30, 1978 Plano, Texas | (aged 52)|
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 |
Teams | |
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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.
A 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]