Jimmy Wynn, the slugger who earned his nickname of “The Toy Cannon” during his days with the Braves, Astros and other teams, has died.
Wynn was 78. The Astros said he died on Thursday in Houston, but did not provide further details.
Just 5-foot-9, Wynn was a power-packed outfielder. He hit more than 30 homers twice with Houston, including a career-high 37 in 1967 at the pitcher-friendly Astrodome — that was the first of three seasons as an All-Star.
Wynn spent his first 11 seasons in Houston, first with the Colt .45s and then with the Astros before making stops with the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers and Yankees in a 15-year major league career.
The Braves acquired Wynn, Tom Paciorek, Lee Lacy and Jerry Royster from the Dodgers in a trade for Dusty Baker and Ed Goodson on Nov. 17, 1975.
Wynn hit 17 homers, had 66 RBIs and hit .207 for the 1976 Braves, who went 70-92.
The Braves sold Wynn to the Yankees on Nov. 30, 1976.
Wynn finished with 291 homers, 964 RBIs and 225 stolen bases in his career.
At the time of his death Wynn worked in the Astros’ front office as a community outreach executive. Ever popular, he often was seen around the ballpark interacting with players and fans alike.
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