Outfielders reign supreme in the lore of Boston Red Sox history and Fred Lynn earned his place among the franchise greats back in the 1970’s.
The Boston Red Sox sure have a way of breaking up trios of fantastic outfielders.
Back in 1981, the Red Sox traded a former MVP, sending him out west to the city of angels (or close by, in this instance). Very similar to the trading away of bowler extraordinaire Mookie Betts, fan favorite Fred Lynn was soon to be a free agent when the Red Sox parted ways with him. Lynn’s time in a Boston uniform may have been shortchanged, but he will forever be a Red Sox legend.
Lynn played for the Boston Red Sox from 1974-1980, roaming the outfield with the likes of Jim Rice and Dwight Evans. Lynn locked down center field and a short-stint of 15 games in 1974 — in which he hit over .400 — paved the way for a fantastic start in Boston.
He’d play in Boston through the 1980 season, winning an MVP award, earning American League Rookie of the Year and making six All-Star teams during his stint. Lynn was no slouch in the outfield as well, earning four Gold Glove Awards and racking up 65 assists during his time in Boston.
Lynn hit 124 home runs with 521 RBI and scored 523 runs as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He also hit .308 and had a .902 OPS.
Lynn was consistent across the years. But it was when he burst onto the scene officially as a rookie in 1975 in which he laid the groundwork for a legendary Boston career.
A double award-winner
Winning the Rookie of the Year award is one thing, but capping it off with an MVP award is an impressive feat. Fred Lynn did exactly that in 1975, becoming the first player to ever do so and still only one of two players to accomplish it. (Ichiro Suzuki is the other).
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Perhaps even more impressive is that Lynn was in direct competition for both awards with teammate Jim Rice. Lynn pulled off the victory as Rice finished third in MVP-voting and second for Rookie of the Year.
Lynn led the league in runs scored (103), doubles (47), OPS (.967), and slugging percentage (.566). He also hit .331 while swatting 21 home runs and driving in 105. To show he was also fleet of foot, Lynn had 7 triples.
The rookie also had probably one of the more unforgettable games of his career when hit three home runs and 10 RBI in a June game against the Detroit Tigers.
Rice had very similar season numbers as Lynn and went on to become one of Boston’s all-time greatest hitters, but ’75 was Lynn’s year. Lynn was consistent during his time in Boston and his 1979 year might have been better, minus the lack of awards.
Lynn hit .333 that season with 39 home runs and 122 RBI. There was also league-leading numbers in slugging (.637), OPS (1.023), and OBP (.423). Despite the better numbers, Lynn was fourth in MVP voting, losing out to Don Baylor of the team formerly known as the California Angels.
Like many Boston players prior (and after) him, Lynn’s playoff appearances were rare, making it to the promised land only once during his Boston career.
Lynn in the playoffs
Coinciding with Fred Lynn’s spectacular arrival in 1975, the Boston Red Sox made a World Series run.
Red Sox fans surely have the image of Carlton Fisk and his famous home run against the Cincinnati Reds permanently embedded in their minds. Boston ultimately lost the series in seven games and it was as close as Lynn would get to a title for his entire career.
Despite having teams that were always in contention, Lynn would never again make the playoffs in a Boston uniform. It’s fair to say, however, that Lynn didn’t disappear in the postseason of 1975.
The ALCS victory over the Oakland A’s that season saw Lynn hit .364. He didn’t hit a home run in that series but did manage to drive in three runs.
Against the Reds in the World Series, Lynn’s batting average took a slight dip, to .280. His best appearance was that Game 6 victory, in which Lynn picked up two hits, drove in three runs and hit his only home run of the series, a first-inning shot.
The playoffs would elude Lynn for much of his career, one that continued for ten season when he left Boston after the 1980 season.
Journeyman
Fred Lynn spent the last ten seasons of his career playing with four other teams, hanging out in the American League until his final season in 1990.
Lynn never really hit the marks he did with the Red Sox, often battling injuries, but he still had a very solid career. Interestingly enough, Lynn would never hit over .300 or drive in over 100 runs after he was traded from Boston.
1981 was kind of a lost season, his first of four with the Angels. Lynn played in only 76 games that season, but came back with a vengeance in 1982. This season was the first of seven in a row in which Lynn had 20 home runs or more. The ’82 season ended with Lynn being named the MVP of the ALCS, despite the Angels losing the series to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Lynn left the Angels after four seasons and headed to Baltimore, where he played until August of 1988, when he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. Lynn spent the 1989 season with Detroit and then headed to the San Diego Padres and the National League for his final year in MLB.
The injuries and drop-off in production hampered what started off as a Hall-of-Fame career for Lynn. In 17 seasons, Lynn finished with 306 home runs and 1111 RBI. He also had 1960 hits and finished with a career fielding percentage of .988.
Even despite his travels, Lynn was always appreciated in Boston. He was selected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002 and will always be one of the legendary players to don a Boston uniform.