Professional Baseball Career
| Randy Jones's number 35 was retired by the San Diego Padres in 1997. |
Jones was drafted Five Round by the San Diego Padres in the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. His major league debut on June 16, 1973.
In 1974, Jones went 8-22 with a 4.45 ERA. He was able to turn it around in 1975 when he won 20 games and led the National League with a 2.24 ERA earning The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award honors. His best season was in 1976, when he went 22-14 with a 2.74 ERA, winning the National League Cy Young Award and being named The Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year. He was selected as the left-handed pitcher on The Sporting News NL All-Star Teams after the 1975 and 1976 seasons.
Jones established the Major League season record for most chances accepted by a pitcher without an error (112 in 1976), tied ML pitchers records for highest season fielding percentage (1.000, 1976) and most assists in an inning (3, 9/28/75 - 3rd inning), and tied the NL pitchers season record for the most double plays with 12 in 1976.
Jones owns the distinction of recording a save for the NL in the 1975 All Star game and being the starting and winning pitcher the next year. He entered the 1976 All-Star Game with a record of 16-3, an All Star break win total that no one has equaled since. During his last start of the 1976 season, he injured a nerve in his pitching arm that required exploratory surgery, and he was never quite able to regain his Cy Young form.
Jones pitched effectively for San Diego through the 1980 season. On December 15, 1980, he was traded to the New York Mets. After the 1982 season, Jones signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was released by the Pirates before the 1983 season started, thus ending his playing career.
His career win-loss record was just 100-123; he remains the only Cy Young winner with a losing record (among starting pitchers who played their whole career in the major leagues). He was named an All-Star in 1975 and 1976. After his retirement, Jones' uniform #35 was retired by the Padres.
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