Astros icon and SABR member Jimmy Wynn turned 70 years old March 12, 2012, and we are grateful that he chose to spend the evening with his fans and fellow members of SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research. Meeting for the first time in the Yankee Stadium room at the Inn at the Ballpark downtown next to Minute Maid Park, about 35 members of the Larry Dierker Chapter welcomed the Toy Cannon with open arms for all he's done, and still does, to make and keep Houston Astros baseball on the credible side in the public mind and trust.

This is special milestone year in the life and career of Jimmy Wynn. - It's also been 50 years since Jimmy Wynn started in his professional career at Tampa in the Cincinnati Reds system; 49 years since he broke into the major leagues with the Houston Colt .45?s and hit the first of his 291 career big league home run off a New York Mets pitcher named Don Rowe; and 35 years, half his lifetime ago, that Jimmy Wynn hit his last major league long ball off Bill Travers of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jimmy's book end homers, first and last, both happened in two of baseball's now vanished green cathedrals. His 1963 opening volley off Rowe came about in the old Polo Grounds, the immortal setting of Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard Rounds the World." The closer bash left the deepest part of the field in center at old Yankee Stadium on Opening Day 1977 during Jimmy's last season as a short-time member of the Yankee "Bronx Zoo" cast.

And last night was not only a time for memories of all the amazing things that Jimmy Wynn did with the bat and in in the field in between those two amazing times of his first and last big league seasons. Jimmy also quietly informed some of us last night too that he had been summoned to Minute Maid Park last Friday at the last minute. As it turns out, President Obama was in Houston to speak at Union Station that evening and had wanted to meet Jimmy Wynn.

Mission accomplished. - President Obama has now had the pleasure of meeting one of Houston's finest: Jimmy "The Toy Cannon" Wynn.

I have to say what I mentioned to someone who asked me about it last night: Working with good friend Jimmy Wynn on his autobiography, "Toy Cannon," was the most joyous writing experience of my life. We went into the journey (and all writing projects are journeys of some kind) as good friends, and, in spite of the fact that we had to deal in print with some not so pretty things that were part of Jimmy's total life experience, we came out of it knowing that he had dealt with them all as honestly and forthrightly as possible and that Jimmy Wynn had still found room in the forever unfolding end to stand and walk tall into these now celebratory later years.

Spiritually today, I value Jimmy Wynn as though he were my blood brother. There is nothing to the good that I would not do for the man, if it were something in my power to deliver. He has every ounce of love and loyalty from me that any brother should expect to have from his own.

God Bless you, Brother Jimmy! And may we all get to inhale the fresh cut grass smells of spring training and a brand new baseball season for as long as possible - no matter how old we get to be.

Below are tributes from a few of Jimmy's fans:

"Happy Birthday, The Toy Cannon. What I remember most about Jimmy Wynn is the amount of power he generated with that swing. As a Dodger fan, I remember that great season he had in their pennant winning year of 1974 when he hit 32 home runs and had an OPS+ >150."
Jerry Braden, Conroe

"Happy Birthday Jimmy! I enjoyed your book and watching you play when I was a teenager in the early 1960s. I think my favorite Jimmy Wynn story is the one John Paciorek told in a chapter of a book called "Once Around the Bases". He was dumbfounded by your power the first time he saw you hit, when he was playing center field in the minors and you played third base. He figured you were about 5'6" and he played in when you batted. You banged the ball off the centerfield scoreboard, 450 feet from the plate. He threw some grass up in the air to see if there was wind. He decided it was the longest hit of your life and played in when you came up to bat again. Again he watched the ball soar over his head and off the 450 foot sign on the scoreboard. He had never seen anyone so small hit the ball so hard. He eventually decided you did this by having extraordinary bat speed. Great story. You held the Astrodome record for homers for decades. When Bagwell passed you up, the Astrodome fences had been moved in substantially. Thanks for all the terrific memories."
Mark Wernick, Houston

"Dear Jimmy: Peggy and I never got to see you play in person as we only moved to Houston in 1986. Certainly we had heard of you and your outstanding career but we had to rely on others to tell us of your achievements. We got our first real sense of you came when we went to the Astrodome and saw your "seat" which was almost out of sight and beyond belief. How could anyone hit a baseball that far. Our real breakthrough came when you spoke so elegantly at a SABR meeting in 2007 followed by a gathering at Minute Maid Park honoring Monte Irvin. From that time our friendship has blossomed and grown into something very special. We have enjoyed lots of fun activities together including book signings, vintage baseball, the dedication of the Jimmy Wynn Training Center and simply watching Astros baseball together. The evening you and Marie spent at our home is something we will never forget. Congratulations on number 70. We're so glad you can join us in this club. You are a good man Jimmy Wynn. Blessings to you and Marie. May you have many more healthy and festive birthdays. Our best always: Bob and Peggy"
Bob and Peggy Dorrill, Kingwood

"When I was a kid, I was fortunate enough to have a dad who loved baseball, loved his son more and had great field box tickets. I spent as much time in the Dome as I possibly could, and the Toy Cannon was my favorite Astro. He even wore my lucky number. A few decades later, when I was working on a rarely-watched local TV sports show, we had Jimmy Wynn as a guest a couple of times. The first or second time he was on the show, my greeting to him was returned by him complimenting me on my Harry Caray impression. I must have had a rather shocked look on my face because Jimmy laughed and said, "You didn't think I watched, did you?" It not only was yet another example of Jimmy making someone feel worthwhile when he certainly didn't have to, it also was one of those times I wished my dad was still around so I could call and say, "Guess who just gave me a compliment." It was a cool moment. Thanks, Jimmy."
Mike Vance, Houston

"As a fifteen year old boy, I spent many hours listening to Astros baseball on my transistor radio. When playing on the West Coast, with radio on my pillow, I could tell by Gene Elston's voice that you were going to run down another line drive in the gap and save a game for us. Happy Birthday and thanks for always going and getting them like you always did."
Tom Plemons, Houston

"Happy Birthday Mr. Wynn, you were my hero growing up and still are to this day. Thank you so much for the autographs you've given me the last few years, I've given them as presents to my DAD & two brothers, all who grew up watching your amazing play!!! Do you still have the pen I gave you (that I made) a couple of years ago??? Hope it has served you well. You were a great baseball player but a finer human being. Hope to see ya this season at Minute Maid. Again happiest #70!!! your fan."
Ronnie Lockler, Houston

"Growing up a Cardinal fan in Enid, OK, I had one favorite player who didn't wear the birds and bat on the front of their uniform jersey. That was Jimmy Wynn. "The Toy Cannon" appeared, from my long-distance perspective, to be the epitome of cool, playing in the cool confines-both literally and figuratively-of the Astrodome and carrying his 5-8 frame like the slugger he took pride in being. I'll never forget seeing my first game inside the Astrodome, July 17, 1972. Jimmy Wynn and the Astros faced Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. Do you remember that night, Jimmy? What a privilege and honor now to know Jimmy personally. He's a credit to the Astros organization and to the City of Houston. Next year, when 71 rolls around for Number 24, let's see if we can get our community to declare March 12 as "Jimmy Wynn Day"! All the best, TC!
Tim Gregg, Clear Lake

"My favorite memory is when Jimmy Wynn hit a ball that cleared the left centerfield scoreboard in Crosley Field that landed onto Interstate 75. My wife is from Ohio, and is still a Reds fan."
Robert Stevens, Richmond