1954 Topps #234 Jerry Lynch
About Jerry Lynch
Card #234 is the rookie card of Jerry Lynch (born July 17, 1930, Bay City, Michigan; died March 31, 2012), a left-handed-hitting outfielder who became one of the greatest pinch-hitters in major-league history. He signed with the Class-C Greenville Bucks in 1950, served two years in the Army during the Korean War, and after tearing up the Piedmont League was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1953 Rule 5 Draft. Lynch debuted April 15, 1954 at Ebbets Field and played 13 seasons for the Pirates (1954-1956, 1963-1966) and Cincinnati Reds (1957-1963), batting .277 with 798 hits, 115 home runs, and 470 RBI over 1,184 games. His calling card was clutch hitting off the bench: he retired holding the major-league record with 18 career pinch-hit home runs (a mark that stood until 1984) and 116 career pinch hits. In the Reds' 1961 pennant season he hit an astonishing .404 as a pinch-hitter with a then-record-tying 25 pinch-hit RBI, and his September 26 pinch homer at Wrigley Field helped clinch Cincinnati's first NL pennant in 21 years; he went 0-for-3 as a pinch-hitter in that fall's World Series loss to the Yankees. Nicknamed "Lynch the Pinch" and "the Allison Park Sweeper" (coined by Pirates broadcaster Jim Woods for his Pittsburgh suburb), he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1988.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 429 | 0 | 5 | 66 | 118 | 118 | 72 | 49 | 1 |
| SGC | 54 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1954 Topps Jerry Lynch card?
It is card #234 of 250 in the 1954 Topps set, issued at the peak of the Topps-Bowman 'Card Wars'. It pictures the Pittsburgh Pirates player, and is his rookie card.
Is the 1954 Topps Jerry Lynch valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-05.