The Pecan Park Eagle

Jimmy Wynn signed his book for buyers at MMP on Saturday.

It was a day out of the weatherman’s dream book in Houston on Saturday as fans (a few of them, anyway) gathered at Minute Maid Park to watch their Houston Astros build a new one-game winning streak by taking down the not-so-tall-either New York Mets, 7-3. Juicing up the azure blue sky day behind the pitching of starter J.A. Happ and three Kong-like homers from Bill Hall, Matt Downs, and Carlos Lee, the Astros pounded their way into resembling that team that diehard fans like to hope they really are, if only they could do it more often.

Astros Icon alumnus Jimmy Wynn was also there at the ballpark yesterday to sign purchased copies of the book he and I wrote together, “Toy Cannon: The Autobiography of Baseball’s Jimmy Wynn.”  Watching Jimmy talk with the fans is worth the price of admission in itself. The man has more genuine caring and niceness in his little pinkie finger than a lot of players have in their whole beings. It’s simply a revealing window into the man’s character to sit with Jimmy Wynn at the ballpark for a few such hours and watch what goes on. Here’s the best example from yesterday that I can offer.

Saturday was also “Chris Johnson Bobble Head Day” at MMP, with the first 10,000 fans receiving copies of the “bobber” supposedly imaged after the young Astros third baseman, Well, Jimmy came early and the ushers earlier had brought him one of the bobber copies to take home, but that never happened. Shortly before the 3:00 PM game time, a man and his five-year old son came by our table, asking where they could pick up a bobber. We explained that they were all gone, but then, right away, Jimmy says, “Wait a minute.”

Jimmy Wynn then reached under our signing table and pulled up his copy of the souvenir bobber, giving it to the boy and his dad. “Take this home with you, young man,” said Jimmy, “and take care of it.” The stunned father first asked, “Can I pay you for it?” he quietly asked.

“No way,” Jimmy answered, “that’s not what this is all about.”

Jimmy just wanted the young father and son to have a souvenir of their beautiful day together at the ballpark. Once that became apparent to the man, he almost collapsed in quiet gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Wynn,” the man said. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for us today.”

And neither will I.

"Beyond the blue horizon, waits a beautiful day!" And it arrived in Houston on 11/14/2001.

Have a beautiful Sunday, or whatever other day it may be whenever you finally read this little sketch of a good man’s soul. Through his mellow everyday acts of empathy for others, the “Toy Cannon” continues to fire with all his God-Given might – and it shows up all the time in his caring for others through so many random acts of kindness.

Thank you, Jimmy Wynn, for simply being the man that you are.