Fred Lynn Graced Baseball Digest's Cover 25 Years Ago - Brief Article

Baseball Digest, Nov, 2000

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE FRED Lynn enjoyed a phenomenal rookie season for the Boston Red Sox and appeared on our cover for the first time (November 1975).

In 1975, Lynn helped lead the Red Sox to the American League pennant, but Boston lost Game 7 of the '75 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .331 with 21 homers, 105 RBI and league-leading totals in runs scored (103), doubles (47) and slugging percentage (.566).

Lynn became the only player in major league history to win his league's Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year Awards in the same season.

The outstanding defensive center fielder also captured a Gold Glove Award and was named as Baseball Digest's top rookie on its 1975 Rookie All-Star Team that included Larry Parrish (3B), Jim Rice (LF), Gary Carter (C), Dennis Eckersley (P) and John Candelaria (P).

"You can't say enough about him," said Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson in 1975. "He is an exceptional ballplayer, at bat and in the field. He is quiet but highly competitive."

During the '75 campaign, the native Californian had the baseball world take notice of him after a June 18 game against Detroit at Tiger Stadium. Lynn went 5-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI and a A.L. record-tying mark of 16 total bases. One of Lynn's homers hit the Tiger Stadium roof and he just missed a fourth home run late in the game, settling for a triple.

He participated in nine All-Star games, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with four home runs. In the 1983 mid-summer classic, Lynn became the first player to hit a grand slam in All-Star game history.

Lynn went on to play 17 years in the majors with the Red Sox (1974-1980), California Angels (1981-1984), Baltimore Orioles (1985-1988), Detroit Tigers (1988-1989) and San Diego Padres (1990).

He had his finest season in 1979, when he led the A.L. with a .333 batting average, and a .637 slugging percentage while clubbing a career-high 39 home runs and driving in 122 and scoring 116 runs. Lynn ended his career with 306 homers, 1,063 runs, 1,111 RBI and a .283 batting mark while winning four Gold Glove Awards.

Today Lynn, 48, resides in Carlsbad, California with his wife and has broadcast games for ESPN since 1991 in addition to doing counseling work for corporations.