The Pecan Park Eagle

Jimmy Wynn, standing next to the seat from the far gold section in left field, where he hit his Dome Monster Shot a season earlier than the homer depicted in today’s column.

On Friday night. July 2, 1971, center fielder Jimmy Wynn led the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win at the Astrodome, securing Larry Dierker’s 11th pitching win of the season and also blasting the 175th home run of his career in the second inning. The ball was captured in the left field stands by young man Pearland fan Tom Hunter. As Tom grew up further and moved to Denver as part of his life journey, he always kept the Wynn home run ball and cherished its memory. In 1989. when Jimmy Wynn just happened to be in Denver for an Old-timer’s Game at Mile High Stadium, Hunter took the ball to his earlier life hero and explained how he came to be in possession of it. Good guy that he always is, Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn agreed to sign the ball personally to Tom Hunter.

Such is the stuff that all our dreams are made of as baseball fans, and Jimmy Wynn is one of those guys who does not disappoint, if he can possibly avoid it. And that’s because he’s the same loving, decent, and appreciative humble man off the field – and that’s the man who also thrived as one of the most talented, powerful, and exciting players of his era in major league baseball.

Thank  you, Jimmy Wynn, for the high level of class and positivity that you bring to every gathering of baseball people!

And for Tom Hunter, and especially those of  you who weren’t around for that referenced game in 1971, here’s an account by writer John Black on how it unfolded on the pages of The Galveston News of July 3, 1971 and the box score records of Baseball Almanac.Com:

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ASTROS NUDGE REDS 3-2

By John Black

HOUSTON – Larry Dierker’s frustrating drive for his 11th victory ended here Friday night as the Houton ace downed the Cincinnati Reds 3 to 2. Thank you, Jim Wynn.

Dierker, in his fourth try for win number 11, overcame a two-run Red rally in the seventh. He allowed but six hits and fanned five.

Wynn drove in the first two runs and Bob Watson’s single in the eighth provided the winning tally.

Doug Rader tripled with two down in the second. With the infield back deep for the free-swinging Wynn, the Astro center fielder dumped a bunt single down the third base line to score Rader.

In the fifth, Wynn rapped a Gary Nolan fastball into the left field seats for a home run. (Enter Mr. Tom Hunter as a participant in this game story. He got the ball.)

The Reds tied the score off Dierker after (shortstop) Roger Metzger missed a good opportunity for a triple play in the Cincinnati seventh.

John Bench opened with a walk and moved to second on Tony Perez’s single. Bernie Carbo hit a line drive at Metzger, who dropped the ball which (second baseman) Joe Morgan recovered for a force play. Tommy Helms’ single scored Bench and pinch hitter George Foster’s ground out counted Carbo.

Nolan allowed only six Astro hits while losing his third game of the season to the Domemen without a win. The sixth safety was an eighth-inning single by Watson that counted Metzger with the go-ahead run. Metzger was  on second via a bunt single and sacrifice by Joe Morgan.

Dierker gave way to reliever Fred Gladding in the ninth after walking Carbo. Dierker complained of arm troubles, and Gladding got Tommy Helms on one pitch after pinch runner Buddy Bradford was caught stealing.

~ John Black, Galveston Daily News, Saturday, July 3, 1971, Page 14.

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Baseball Almanac Box ScoresCincinnati Reds 2, Houston Astros 3
Game played on Friday, July 2, 1971 at Astrodome
Cincinnati Reds ab   r   h rbi Rose rf 4 0 2 0 McRae cf 4 0 2 0 May 1b 4 0 0 0 Bench c 3 1 0 0 Perez 3b 4 0 1 0 Carbo lf 3 1 0 0   Bradford pr 0 0 0 0 Helms 2b 4 0 1 1 Concepcion ss 2 0 0 0   Foster ph 1 0 0 1   Woodward ss 0 0 0 0 Nolan p 3 0 0 0 Totals 32 2 6 2	Houston Astros ab   r   h rbi Metzger ss 4 1 1 0 Morgan 2b 3 0 0 0 Cedeno cf 3 0 0 0 Watson lf 4 0 2 1 Menke 1b 3 0 0 0 Rader 3b 4 1 1 0 Wynn rf 3 1 2 2 Hiatt c 3 0 1 0 Dierker p 2 0 0 0   Gladding p 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 3 7 3
Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 – 2 6 0 Houston 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 x – 3 7 0   Cincinnati Reds IP H R ER BB SO Nolan  L (6-8) 8.0 7 3 3 2 6 Totals 8.0 7 3 3 2 6   Houston Astros IP H R ER BB SO Dierker  W (11-4) 8.1 6 2 2 2 5   Gladding  SV (8) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 9.0 6 2 2 2 5 E–None.  2B–Cincinnati Rose (14,off Dierker); Helms (16,off Dierker), Houston Watson (13,off Nolan).  3B–Houston Rader (3,off Nolan).  HR–Houston Wynn (3,5th inning off Nolan 0 on, 1 out).  SH–Dierker (3,off Nolan); Morgan (4,off Nolan).  CS–Bradford (2,2nd base by Gladding/Hiatt).  U-HP–Stan Landes, 1B–Ed Sudol, 2B–Mel Steiner, 3B–Bob Engel.  T–2:11.  A–17,996.
Game played on Friday, July 2, 1971 at Astrodome
Baseball Almanac Box Score |

Tags: 7/02/71: Astros 3 - Reds 2

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