Randy Jones, a left-hander who won the1976 National League Cy Young Award, died Tuesday. He was 75.
The San Diego Padres, his team from 1973-80, announced his death Wednesday.
“With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones,” a team 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. Inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999, his impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a tremendous ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite.
“Crossing paths with RJ and talking baseball or life was a joy for everyone fortunate enough to spend time with him. Randy was committed to San Diego, the Padres, and his family. He was a giant in our lives and our franchise history.”
The team did not release his cause of death, but Jones was a survivor of throat cancer. He was a longtime user of chewing tobacco.
Jones pitched for the Padres when they were one of baseball’s doormats. They finished above .500, going 84-78 in 1978, just once in Jones’ tenure.
For much of Jones’ time in San Diego, the games in which he pitched gave the Padres their best chance of winning.
That was especially true in his All-Star seasons of 1975 and ’76.
In 1975, Jones pitched in 37 games (36 starts) and finished 20-12 with an NL-best 2.24 ERA. He finished second in the Cy Young balloting to future Baseball Hall of Fame member Tom Seaver.
The following season, Jones made 40 starts and finished with numbers unheard of in the modern era of Major League Baseball: 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA, 25 complete games, five shutouts, 315 1/3 innings pitched. He wasn’t a power pitcher, evidenced by his 93 strikeouts, but he walked only 50 batters — a ratio of 1.4 walks per nine innings.
In that Cy Young-winning 1976 season, he was must-see in San Diego. The Padres averaged 27,400 people in the stands for his 21 home starts. The rest of the season, the average was 15,769 at home.
The season took its toll on Jones, however. In his final start, he tore a nerve near his left biceps and underwent surgery. He was never as dominant again.
Traded after the 1980 season, Jones spent his final two seasons with the New York Mets before being released.
A native of Orange County, north of San Diego, Jones returned to Southern California after his retirement.
In his career, he made 305 appearances (285 starts) and compiled a 100-123 record with a 3.42 ERA, 73 complete games, 19 shutouts and two saves. He threw 1,933 innings.
The Padres retired his No. 35 in 1977, and he was part of the first class inducted into the team Hall of Fame in 1999.
