Great Baseball Nicknames:’ The Toy Cannon’- Jimmy Wynn. Yesterday would have been Jimmy Wynn’s 79th birthday. He was one of the most underrated players of his era. He played a good chunk of his career with a bad team- the Houston Astros- in a cavernous baseball park-The Astrodome- the worst hitters park in the league. Despite his small size 5’9″ 160- he had a lot of pop in his bat which earned him the nickname “The Toy Cannon.” A three- time all-star-The Toy Cannon played from 1963-77 and hit 291 home runs, 964 RBI’s and had a .250 average. He also had great speed stealing 225 bases in his career. Jimmy Wynn died last March at the age of 78.
slicethelife 
I love baseball. thanks for the pics.
Thanks! Love seeing those old ballplayers and uniforms.
Yes. They are great!
Think about the continuity of the Yankees sluggers, with no break at all. Ruth to Gehrig.
Gehrig to DiMaggio.
DiMaggio To Mantle.
The line to Maris and Murcer didn’t work out, so the line ended. But, if the Yankees had been smart, Reggie Jackson was coming onto the scene, and he could have been a Yankee a decade sooner.
That is a great nickname Hans…I didn’t start watching baseball soon enough to see him play….the replay I remember the most is Joe Ferguson jumping in front of him and making that throw home in the 74 World Series….I think Wynn’s arm was hurt.
He was an exciting little player- I always think of him as an Astro- but you are right he was part of that 74 World Series team with the Dodgers near the end of his career. I always thought he is an overlooked player- if he had played anywhere other than the Grand Canyon of baseball stadiums his numbers would have been a lot better…
There was a seat in the upper deck in left field at the Astrodome that had a cannon painted on it. They did that after Jim hit the longest home run to that point, and I don’t know if anyone ever beat that record.
“…longest home run to that point in the Astrodome…”
If he had played in a more friendly hitters ballpark.. he was a highlight on a number of bad Astros teams.
Can you imagine him in Fenway?
Possible Hall of Fame type numbers maybe…
Didnt know this one either. A good Canadian kid played inn that place. Terry Puhl.
another underrated ballplayer- Terry ‘Swimming’ Puhl.
Totally underrated. All round solid player. I loved to watch him hit. Smooth.
i always thought the Astros win game 6- the 16 inning game- it goes 7 and the Mets knew they weren’t going to beat Mike Scott that year.
You’re way a head of me on the baseball history. I would really have to dig to refresh my memory. a lot of miles on the old brains plus some other sports mixed in.