Former San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Jones, who won the National League Cy Young award in 1976, has died at the age of 75.
The Padres announced that Jones died on Nov. 18 in a statement released Wednesday morning.
‘With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones,’ the statement read. ‘Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise for over five decades, highlighted by becoming the first Padres pitcher to win the Cy Young Award …
‘Randy was committed to San Diego, the Padres, and his family. He was a giant in our lives and our franchise history.’
Jones was a classic crafty left-hander who used his sinker and slider to disrupt hitters’ timing while rarely topping 80 mph.
Selected by the Padres in the fifth round of the 1972 draft, Jones made his major league debut one year later. He started 19 games as a rookie and led the National League with 22 losses in 1974.
However, he earned the first of his two All-Star berths in 1975, winning 20 games and leading the league with a 2.24 ERA for a Padres team that finished the season 71-91. Jones finished second to the Mets’ Tom Seaver in the NL Cy Young award voting.
Jones was an All-Star again in 1976, going 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA and leading the majors in wins, innings pitched (315 ⅓) and complete games (25). He was the runaway winner for the Cy Young award over Jerry Koosman of the Mets and Don Sutton of the Dodgers.
Randy Jones stats, Padres legacy
After eight years in San Diego, Jones was traded to the New York Mets for the final two seasons of his career. He finished with a record of 100-123 and 3.42 ERA over 1,933 major league innings, but never appeared in a postseason game.
After his playing career ended, Jones returned to San Diego, working as an ambassador for the Padres. He frequently appeared on the team’s pregame and postgame broadcasts and had his own BBQ stand, first at Qualcomm Stadium and then at Petco Park.
The Padres retired Jones’ uniform No. 35 in 1997 and he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999 as part of its inaugural class.