Urban Legends host Wynn was one of city's first stars By MICKEY HERSKOWITZ Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle THE hot action may have been up the road at Arlington, but nevertheless there was baseball in Houston on Saturday — the fantasy league come to life. Jimmy Wynn, known in the armory as the "Toy Cannon," served as the unofficial host for the Urban Legends Weekend. He was a hero to the first generation of big-league fans in this town, the best power hitter pound for pound in the game. We know this because Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, two fairly decent long ball artists, said so. In his role as hometown host, Jimmy greeted 52 former stars. The early arrivals enjoyed the traditional Friday night schmoozing, followed by a dinner and gala featuring jazz great Al Jarreau at the Hilton Americas-Houston on Saturday. A baseball camp for hundreds of kids is today. The guest list includes Bob Feller, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Mudcat Grant, Lavonne "Pepper" Davis (of the All-American Girls Professional League), J.R. Richard, Jay Johnstone, Gary Bell and Ferguson Jenkins. Not to slight Jarreau, but we always thought Ferguson Jenkins sounded like the perfect name for a band leader in the 1950s. The long weekend winds up with a big finish, the Toy Cannon celebrity tournament Monday at the Wildcat Golf Club. The festivities are sponsored by the Houston Area Urban League. "We spent the first night just enjoying the camaraderie," said Wynn. When Jimmy was brought up from the minors in the middle of the 1963 season, he was a 21-year-old shortstop. Those were the pioneer days, and the club, then known as the Colt .45s, rushed whatever talent it had to the majors in a desperate effort to sell tickets. Wynn was part of a golden trio with Rusty Staub and Joe Morgan. All three reached the World Series with other clubs. Jimmy was so awed by his surroundings that he called veteran Johnny Temple, "Mr. Temple." After one series in Pittsburgh, the team moved Wynn to center field. He not only made that difficult transition with relative ease but batted in the one through seven spots in the order. So he has been following the current Astros' gyrations with intense interest. Wynn's one regret "In the spring," he said, "they had what looked like a dynamite lineup. For whatever reason, it just hasn't clicked. But I think Carlos Beltran gives them what they have needed. More speed, another bat, a natural center fielder. "I think things will start to go good for them." The enduring regret of Wynn's career is the fact things rarely went well for the home team in his first 10 years in Houston. "This is a great city, with really beautiful people, and we wanted to give them a winner," he said. "We were in the pennant race in 1969, then folded in the stretch and lost our last seven games to the Dodgers and Giants." Jimmy helped bat the Dodgers to the World Series in 1974, socking 32 homers and driving in 108 runs. In 1967, he set a record in Houston that lasted more than two decades with 37 homers, including one that reached the upper deck in the Astrodome. A toy cannon was painted on the seat where the ball landed, a form of immortality that lasted until they stripped the Big Bubble to the walls. Wynn was a wonder to behold, 5-9 in his shoes and 165 pounds in his prime. No player squeezed more production out of his ounces or his talent. He knew early But he never doubted his destiny. He grew up in Cincinnati, a diehard fan of the Redlegs, driven to match the deeds of his idols, Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson. He came along during an era that once was and can never be again. "The Reds players passed my house in their cars on their way to the ballpark," he says. "I ran home from school so I could be outside and call out to them when they drove by. "I always recognized their cars. Frank Robinson drove a pink Thunderbird convertible. That was pretty hard to miss. A couple drove Cadillacs, but most of them had Fords and Chevys." Visit to remember Adds Wynn: "One day, Frank and Vada Pinson stopped and asked my mom if they could take me to the Reds' clubhouse. I told Robinson that I was going to play in the big leagues someday, for the Reds, and he said, 'This is just to get you started, kid,' and he gave me his game glove, the one he had worn the night before. "I slept with that glove until I signed my first pro contract with the Reds. I used it in the minors. I didn't buy a new one until my rookie season with Houston." So the Toy Cannon's favorite memory isn't a home run or a circus catch. It was the gift of a glove from a future Hall of Famer.
