Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jimmy Wynn passed away on Thursday at the age of 78. A 15-year veteran, he also enjoyed stints with the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers.
Wynn was signed as an amateur free agent by the Cincinnati Reds prior to the 1962 season. He spent the year in the Minors before being selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 first-year player draft later that offseason.
Wynn would spend the first 11 seasons of his Major League career with the organization, batting an overall .255/.362/.445 with 223 home runs and 719 RBI in 1,426 games. He earned All-Star honors in 1967, hitting a career-high 37 home runs and 107 RBI.
“Today, we lost a very big part of the Astros family with the passing of Jimmy Wynn. His contributions to our organization both on and off the field are too numerous to mention,” the Astros said in a statement.
“As an All-Star player in the 1960’s and 70’s, Jimmy’s success on the field helped build our franchise from it’s beginnings. After his retirement, his tireless work in the community impacted thousands of young people in Houston.
“Although he is no longer with us, his legacy will live on at Minute Maid Park, at the Astros Youth Academy and beyond. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Marie, daughter, Kimberly, son, James, Jr., to the other members of his family and to his many fans and admirers.”
At the conclusion of the 1973 season, the Astros traded Wynn to the Dodgers for Claude Osteen and Minor Leaguer David Culpepper.
Wynn immediately made an impact for the Dodgers, helping the franchise to a National League pennant in 1974. An All-Star in both of his seasons with the club, he hit .261/.394/.463 with 33 doubles, 50 home runs and 166 RBI in 280 games.
In November 1975, the Dodgers traded Wynn to the Braves as part of a six-player blockbuster that netted Dusty Baker.
Wynn played one season with the Braves before being purchased by the Yankees in November 1976. He split his final big league campaign in 1977 with the Yankees and Brewers.
In 15 MLB seasons, Wynn, nicknamed the “Toy Cannon,” was a lifetime .250/.366/.436 hitter with 285 doubles, 291 home runs and 964 RBI across 1,920 games. At the time of his passing, Wynn served as Community Outreach Executive in the Astros front office.
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