Player Profile:
Randy Jones
| Name: | Randall Leo "Randy" Jones |
|
Left-handed pitcher | |
| Lived: | 1950 - |
| Career span: | 1973 - 1982 |
| Hall of Fame? | No |
| Primary teams: | San Diego Padres (1973-1980) |
| Best Year: | 1976: 22-14, 2.74 ERA, 25 complete games |
| Major awards: | 1976 NL Cy Young Award winner |
Why he is significant: Jones was San Diego's first home-grown, home town hero. He had two great seasons, in 1975 and 1976, while playing for relatively mediocre Padre teams. He was runner-up for the Cy Young Award in 1975 (to Tom Seaver), and won the award in 1976. In that great '76 season he lead the NL in games started, complete games, wins and innings pitched. Those 315 innings must have been too much for him, because he enjoyed only modest success thereafter. His career turned out to be only so-so overall, with 100 total wins in ten seasons, but those two outstanding seasons in the mid-70s were very important to a new franchise that was struggling to build a tradition and fan loyalty.