Jimmy Wynn, a power-hitting, strong-throwing outfielder who ranks as one of the Houston Astros' all-time greats, died Thursday at age 78.

The Astros announced the death of Wynn, who served as a community outreach executive for the club. Wynn was nicknamed the "Toy Cannon," a reference to his impressive arm and bat in relation to his 5-foot-9 stature.

The team wrote in a statement, "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. As an All-Star player in the 1960s and '70s, Jimmy's success on the field helped build our franchise from its 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."

Born in Cincinnati on March 12, 1942, Wynn played with the Colt .45s/Astros from 1963-73, making the National League All-Star team in 1967. He ranked second in the NL that year with a career-high 37 homers -- even though he played half his games in the spacious Astrodome.

He was an All-Star in both of his seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and '75) before finishing his career by playing for the Atlanta Braves (1976), New York Yankees (1977) and Milwaukee Brewers (1977).

In 15 major league seasons, Wynn batted .250 with a .366 on-base percentage, a .436 slugging percentage, 291 homers, 964 RBIs and 225 stolen bases in 1,920 games. He twice led the NL in walks and once topped the league in strikeouts.

The Astros retired Wynn's uniform No. 24 in 2005.