Randy Jones, the left-hander who won the Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres in 1976 during a 10-year Major League career, has died. He was 75.
Jones died Tuesday, the Padres announced Wednesday, without disclosing a location or cause.
Jones pitched eight seasons for San Diego and two for the New York Mets, going 100-123 with a 3.42 ERA. He still holds the Padres franchise records with 253 starts, 71 complete games, 18 shutouts and 1,766 innings pitched.
Jones was one of the Majors’ top pitchers in 1975 and 1976, earning two All-Star selections and becoming the first player to win the Cy Young for the Padres, who began play as an expansion team in 1969.
He finished second in Cy Young voting behind Tom Seaver in 1975, after going 20-12 with an NL-leading ERA of 2.24 for a San Diego team that won just 71 games.
Jones won the award a year later, winning 22 games for a 73-win team while pitching 315 1/3 innings over 40 starts, including 25 complete games — all tops in the majors. The young Padres enjoyed a huge turnout of fans every time he pitched who appreciated his all-man status and inventive pitching skills, and he made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
He earned the save in the 1975 All-Star Game and captured the victory for the NL in 1976. He never regained his top form after injuring his arm in his final start of 1976, but he remained a Major League starter with the Mets until 1982.
Jones was a groundball specialist who relied on guile and control rather than speed, leading to his nickname “Junkman.” His career stats reflect a bygone era of baseball: He started 285 games and threw 1,933 career innings in his 10-year career, but recorded just 735 career strikeouts, including just 93 in his Cy Young season.
“Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise for more than five decades,” the Padres said in a statement. “His impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a great ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite. Crossing paths with RJ and talking about baseball or life was a joy for all who were fortunate enough to spend time with him. Randy was dedicated to San Diego, the Padres and his family. He was a giant in our lives and our franchise history.”
An Orange County native, Jones returned to San Diego County after his playing career ended and became a face of the Padres franchise in games and in the community. A barbecue restaurant bearing his name was established in the Padres’ former home, Qualcomm Stadium, and later moved with the team to Petco Park.
Jones announced this in 2017 he had throat cancerlikely a result of his career-long use of chewing tobacco. He announced that he was cancer-free in 2018.
Jones’ no. 35 was retired by the Padres in 1997 and entered the team’s Hall of Fame in 1999.
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