Jimmy Wynn
| Birthdate | 3/12/1942 |
| Death Date | 3/26/2020 |
| Debut Year | 1963 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Astros, Braves, Brewers, Colt 45s, Dodgers, Yankees |
| Positions | Center Field, Left Field, Right Field |
On September 27, 1963 Jimmy Wynn was part of an all-rookie starting lineup for the Houston Colt .45s that included Joe Morgan and Rusty Staub.
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Jimmy Wynn had three 7-WAR seasons and averaged 4.7 WAR/162 games played
Jimmy Wynn had three 7-WAR seasons and averaged 4.7 WAR/162 games played
While his career counting numbers seem rather pedestrian, the analytics say Jimmy Wynn is one of the under-appreciated stars of his era.
Wynn made his debut with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963 and remained with the club for his first 11 years in the bigs. During that time the team suffered 8 losing seasons. Playing for sub-.500 clubs in a stadium that obscured his power, Wynn remained under the radar.
Before the franchise’s second season, Houston plucked Wynn from Cincinnati in the 1962 first-year player draft. Now defunct, the rule allowed the drafting of players not on the 40-man roster. Though the Cincinnati native didn’t like the move at first, he soon realized it opened a quicker path to the major leagues.
Wynn got his start in July of ’63 with a young Houston squad. On September 27th Wynn and first-year players Joe Morgan and Rusty Staub appeared as part of the first all-rookie starting lineup in big league history.
By 1965 Wynn became the everyday centerfielder for a 97-loss Houston team that was now known as the Astros. It was a breakout season for the 23-year. Wynn scored 90 runs, slashed 30 doubles with 7 triples, 22 homers, and 73 runs batted in.
Though those traditional numbers seem solid if unspectacular, Wynn brought much more to the table.
His 84 walks were surpassed in the NL only by future Cooperstown men Morgan, Ron Santo and Willie McCovey. He mixed in his 43 stolen bases in 47 attempts while his OPS+ soared to 143. Those figures push Wynn to a 7.4 WAR, a figure bested in the NL only by Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Billy Williams and Santo.
During his 9 years as a starting outfielder in Houston, Wynn quietly put up outstanding numbers. Better appreciated seen through today’s more analytical lens, Wynn had an OPS+ of 135 while averaging 4.6 WAR per season in that span. Despite this, he made just one All Star team.
His end in Houston came in a disappointing fashion in 1973. Now 31 years old, Wynn hit just .220. By this time, emerging star Cesar Cedeno fully displaced Wynn as Houston’s marquee player.
In the off season the Astros dealt Wynn to the Dodgers for pitcher Claude Osteen.
His stay in Los Angeles was brief, yet bright. Both years were All Star campaigns. In ’74 Wynn slugged 32 homers and drove in a career-high 108 runs. In 148 games Wynn scored 104 runs, walked 108 times, and stole 18 bases to reach his third 7-WAR season. His efforts made him the Comeback Player of the Year.
Wynn hit .301 in the first 33 games of 1975 and was selected for this second consecutive squad. His second-inning homer off of Vida Blue got the scoring started in the NL’s 6-3 victory. Shoulder injuries slowed Wynn from there as he hit .202 the rest of the way.
The Dodgers dealt him to Atlanta as the centerpiece of a six-player deal for Dusty Baker. In his last full season in ’76, Wynn led the NL with 127 walks though he hit just .207. In ’77 he split time between the Mets and the Brewers, hitting .175 in 66 games before retiring.
Wynn’s career statistics include 291 homers, 285 doubles, and 225 steals. Though his career batting average is .250, his on-base percentage stands more than 100 points higher at .366. Wynn’s lifetime OPS+ is 129. Among batters with a .250 average or less his 55.7 career WAR is exceeded only Graig Nettles and Darrell Evans.
A member of the Houston Astros Hall of Fame, Wynn’s number 24 was retired by the team in 2005.
Shown here is a government postcard autographed by Jim Wynn in 1969.
In 1967 a sportswriter gave Wynn the nickname the "Toy Cannon"; it stuck for the rest of his life
In 1967 a sportswriter gave Wynn the nickname the "Toy Cannon"; it stuck for the rest of his life
Jimmy Wynn is indelibly linked to his nickname, the “Toy Cannon”. In his diligently-researched biography of Wynn for SABR, Mark Armour details the origin of the moniker:
Sometime during the 1967 baseball season, Houston Chronicle sportswriter John Wilson first referred to Houston Astros’ center fielder Wynn as the Toy Cannon.” Wynn did not like the nickname at first, believing, justifiably, that it was yet another reference to his small (5-feet-9, and a muscular 165 pounds) stature. But the name hardly poked fun – it was an extreme compliment whose second word brought to mind the damage he could do with his bat. The name fit, thought the great writer Jim Murray, “because pitchers who expected to be hit with a cork with a string on it, suddenly found an 88-millimeter howitzer opening up on them.” Within a few months after the nickname’s introduction, you could not read a word about Wynn without seeing it, and the same was true five decades later. Wynn eventually embraced “Toy Cannon,” using it as the title of his memoir, and it remained an indelible part of his identity as a beloved Houston icon in his retirement years.”
Shown here is the back of the autographed government postcard. Notice the Houston postmark of April, 1969. That season Wynn was magnificent. He slammed 33 homers, stole 23 bags and a .507 slugging percentage. His league-leading 148 walks helped him reach career-high in on-base percentage (.436) and OPS+ (167). His 7.1 WAR was behind only Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, and Roberto Clemente among Senior Circuit position players.
Signatures of Wynn’s signature from the 1960s remain desired by collectors.
The Dodgers acquired Wynn in a December, '73 trade for Claude Osteen and a minor leaguer
The Dodgers acquired Wynn in a December, '73 trade for Claude Osteen and a minor leaguer
After 11 seasons in Houston, the Astros traded Jimmy Wynn to the Dodgers for Claude Osteen and a minor league pitcher. The December 7 trade in 1973 gave the Dodgers a shot in the arm.
In Wynn’s two seasons in Los Angeles the Dodgers combined to win 180 games and the 1974 NL pennant. His production resulted in a 7.7 WAR season the the Senior Circuit champs and a 4.7 WAR in ’75.
By the time the Dodgers traded Wynn in a six-player deal with the Braves that netted Dusty Baker, Osteen’s career was over.
The Dodgers swap of Osteen for Wynn and Wynn for Baker helped the franchise for more than a decade.
Shown here are a pair of index cards. The top one is signed by Osteen who has added, “3 Time All Star”. Osteen has inscribed the bottom card with his career highlights, “20 game winner twice 1969-1972, World Series shutout 4-0 1965, Lifetime ERA 3.29, World Series ERA 0.86 21 inn, winning pitcher – 1970 All Star Game”
This trio helped the Dodgers to 102 wins and the National League pennant in 1974
This trio helped the Dodgers to 102 wins and the National League pennant in 1974
Traded to the Dodgers in December, 1973, Jimmy Wynn made an immediate impact in ’74. Known for his power and ability to get on base, Wynn slugged 32 homers and drive in 108 runs.
In November of '75 the Dodgers dealt Wynn for Dusty Baker in a six-player swap
In November of '75 the Dodgers dealt Wynn for Dusty Baker in a six-player swap
After two All Star campaigns in Los Angeles, Jimmy Wynn was traded to the Braves. The six-player swap provided the Dodgers their starting left-fielder for the next eight seasons – Dusty Baker.
Baker’s time in Los Angeles included two All Star selections, a pair of Silver Slugger Awards, and a Gold Glove nod.
After the trade Wynn lasted just two more seasons before retiring.
Shown here is a Topps baseball card of Dusty Baker from the 1981 World Series championship season. A National League choice for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in ’81, Baker added his signature across it.
