Jimmy Wynn, the slugger who earned his nickname of “The Toy Cannon” during his days with the Houston Astros in the 1960s and ’70s 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.
Wynn left the team as the franchise leader in hits, home runs, RBIs and walks. He finished with hit 291 homers with 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.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports