Padres fans are invited to pay their respects to former Cy Young winner Randy Jones, who pitched for the San Diego Padres for eight years, during a celebration of life ceremony at Petco Park Saturday.
Jones died in November at the age of 75.
Current and former Padres, team leaders, family members and special guest speakers will be in attendance for the celebration of life at 11 a.m. Admission is free, but fans interested in attending must claim digital tickets at www.padres.com/events.
The Home Plate Gate opens at 10am on Saturday and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is free and available in adjacent Padres-controlled lots, including the Lexus Premier Lot, Tailgate Lot and Padres Parkade. The ceremony will have a standard entry policy for Petco Park, according to a team statement.
Jones, one of a select few inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame and whose name looms large over the field at Petco Park, took the mound for San Diego from 1973 to 1980. The “Junkman” was known for his sinker and ability to lure batters into ground outs, earning All-Star honors in 1975 and 1976.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander Randy Jones,” the organization said in a statement last year. “Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise for more than five decades, culminating in him becoming the first Padres pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. When he was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999, his impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a great ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite.”
“Crosscrossing RJ and talking baseball or life was a joy for everyone who was 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.”
“We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Marie and the entire Jones family at this difficult time. RJ will be greatly missed.”
Jones earned the National League Cy Young Award in 1976, the same year he led the majors in wins, 22, for a team that finished 16 games under .500. In his 40th start that season, he tore a muscle and never regained his best baseball form. After the 1980 season, he pitched for the New York Mets for two years before being released, picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates and released again, ending his professional career.
A Southern California boy, Jones was born in Fullerton and attended Brea-Olinda High School in Brea and Chapman College (now University) in Orange.
Perhaps a sign of the quality of the Padres teams of the 1970s, Jones remains the only starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, but retires with a losing record (100-123).
In 2016, Jones announced he was diagnosed with throat cancer, likely the result of a lifetime of chewing tobacco. The following year he was declared cancer-free.
— City News Service
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