Jim Wynn

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Lore & Background

Wynn's journey began after he attended Taft High School, where the Cincinnati Reds signed him as an amateur free agent in 1961. He started with the Tampa Tarpons before being selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 first-year minor league player draft. Initially struggling defensively at shortstop during his 1963 debut season, he also saw time at shortstop in 1964 before becoming a full-time outfielder. His breakthrough came in 1965 when he hit a career-high 37 home runs and finished 11th in MVP voting. That same year, he produced legendary shots, including one that cleared the 58-foot scoreboard at Crosley Field to land on Interstate 75 and another measuring 457 feet at Forbes Field. In 1969, he led the major leagues with 148 walks and set a franchise record by reaching base in 52 consecutive games.

In Their Own Story

On August 1, 1966, Wynn's season ended abruptly after crashing into the outfield wall at Connie Mack Stadium while chasing a Dick Allen fly ball. The collision resulted in a broken left arm and an inside-the-park home run for Allen, but it highlighted Wynn's aggressive defensive style. He returned to form the following year, delivering what many consider his most famous moments. Five days after his 1967 tape-measure shot at Crosley Field, he became the first Houston batter to hit three home runs in one game against the San Francisco Giants. Later that summer, on July 23, he launched another massive drive over Forbes Field's center-field wall. These feats showcased a unique combination of power and plate discipline, as evidenced by his 1969 season where he struck out 142 times but walked 148 times, leading the league in walks for the second straight year.

Reader's Guide

Wynn spent ten seasons with Houston before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 1973. In his first season with LA, he played 150 games, hitting a career-high 108 runs batted in and 32 home runs. This performance earned him *The Sporting News* Comeback Player of the Year Award, an All-Star selection, and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. He helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant, though his postseason contribution was limited to two hits in the NLCS and one home run off Rollie Fingers in the World Series. His second season with the Dodgers saw him move to left field due to a shoulder injury, but he still earned his third All-Star selection, homering in the 2nd inning of the game. After two seasons in Los Angeles, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in November 1975, where he led the majors in walks again with 127.

Did You Know?

• Wynn hit a home run in the eighth inning at Crosley Field that cleared the 58-foot scoreboard and landed on Interstate 75.
• In 1969, Wynn led the major leagues with 148 walks while also striking out 142 times.
• Wynn became the first Houston batter to hit three home runs in a single game on June 15, 1967.
• Jason Lane changed his number from 24 to 16 in 2004, before the retirement of Wynn's number 24 by the Astros in 2005.
• In the film Apollo 13, footage of Wynn rounding third base is shown as a 'live' broadcast that the astronauts mistakenly believe they are watching.

The Toy Cannon: A Small Stature with Massive Power

James Sherman Wynn earned his nickname "the Toy Cannon" because his bat possessed a remarkable amount of "pop" for a player of his small size. Standing at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) and weighing only 160 lb (73 kg), he defied the physical norms of power hitters in his era. His compact frame did not hinder his ability to drive the ball; instead, it became a defining characteristic that made him one of baseball's most memorable sluggers. Throughout his fifteen-season career, Wynn consistently demonstrated that technique and bat speed could overcome a lack of bulk, allowing him to hit 291 home runs overall. This unique profile distinguished him from larger contemporaries and cemented his legacy as a player who punched well above his weight class at the plate.

Houston Years: Resilience and Record-Breaking Feats

Wynn spent ten of his fifteen seasons with the Houston franchise, where he evolved from a shortstop into a cornerstone center fielder. His 1967 season was a career peak, featuring 37 home runs, 107 RBIs, and an All-Star selection. That year, he hit two famous tape-measure home runs: one clearing the scoreboard at Crosley Field to land on Interstate 75, and another traveling 457 feet at Forbes Field. In 1969, he led the major leagues with 148 walks and set a franchise record by reaching base in 52 consecutive games from June 4 to August 3. Despite a broken arm in 1966 that cut his season short, Wynn remained a productive force, eventually becoming the first Astro to reach 1,000 hits before his departure.

Resurgence in Los Angeles: The Comeback Player

Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 6, 1973, for Claude Osteen and David Culpepper, Wynn experienced a career resurgence. In his first season with the Dodgers, he played 150 games, recording 32 home runs and a career-high 108 RBIs. He was named to the All-Star Game, finished fifth in MVP voting, and won *The Sporting News* Comeback Player of the Year Award. Although he struggled slightly in the 1974 postseason with just two hits in ten at-bats during the NLCS, his regular-season performance propelled the Dodgers to the pennant. In 1975, despite a shoulder injury that moved him to left field, he earned his third and final All-Star selection, homering in the second inning of the game before being traded to Atlanta.

Legacy and Impact on the Game

Wynn's career concluded with two seasons split between the Braves (1976) and a brief stint with the Yankees and Brewers (1977). His overall statistics include 291 home runs, 964 RBIs, and 1,224 walks in 1,920 games. Among players with a batting average of .250 or lower, he holds the third-highest WAR at 55.8. Upon his trade from Houston, his 1,291 hits and 223 home runs were franchise records; seven players have since passed him in hits, but only Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Jose Altuve have surpassed his home run total with the Astros. The team retired his number 24 on June 25, 2005. In popular culture, footage of Wynn rounding third base appeared in the 1995 film *Apollo 13*, mistaken by astronauts for a live broadcast.