The definition of an all around athlete, Fred Lynn excelled in four sports as a youngster including baseball, basketball, football and track. Born in Chicago, he was originally drafted by the Yankees out of high school, but opted to attend USC. In his three seasons there, Lynn was a key factor in the Trojans bringing three National Championship trophies home from Omaha, Nebraska.
Selected in the second round of the 1973 MLB Draft, he became the first player in history to win Rookie of the Year, league MVP and a Gold Glove in the same season. He capped quite possibly the greatest rookie season ever by leading his Red Sox team to a World Series appearance that same year. He was named an All Star in his very first season, the first on nine such appearances.
Lynn did it all at the plate, with over 300 career home runs, north of 1,000 RBI and a lifetime average over .280 playing for the Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, Tigers and Padres.
Immensely popular in Boston, he inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002 and also enshrined in the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Today, he spends much of his energies supporting charities and in particular, animal related groups such as the FACE Foundation. He also makes regular appearances for Major League Baseball, the Red Sox and does corporate speaking engagements. An avid fisherman and golfer, he’s enjoying retirement in California, with his wife Natalie.
We caught up with him and covered a gamut of topics including his rookie card picture, his impressive mancave and making deals with Topps executives for power tools to add to his collection.
