[Westheim]

ABL Player Profile

Meet the new ABL career home run leader. With Mark Dawson’s slow start into the 1984 season, Chris “Missing” Lynch has taken over the top spot, chugging nine dingers in April.

This had been coming for a while. Lynch has been hitting 20 long balls for five straight seasons, sometimes while struggling to stay healthy.

While Lynch doesn’t have much of a bat in regards to high batting average, he also hardly ever strikes out. When he gets a hit, one fifth of the time it is a homer, and another fifth of the time a double. He has some speed, but not enough to be a threat for triples or steals. (And I think he's underrated by our scout, I'd add at least two points to each of those stats)

He started in the Warriors’ organization and quickly jumped into the majors in 1977. He won a ring with the Warriors in 1978, then was traded before the 1981 season to the Las Vegas Aces for two pitchers and another outfielder. The Warriors may regret that move by now: none of the three players transferred stuck with them for long.

Lynch is under contract until 1985 on a 4-yr, $2.4M contract and will then be a free agent.

One of the the pitchers included in the Lynch deal in the winter of ‘80/’81? Vicente Ruíz, whom I was trying to acquire right now.