Padres mourn loss of franchise legend and first Cy Young winner

There’s no way to talk about Padres history, or what this franchise means to San Diego, without Randy Jones sitting right near the center of it. Before there were postseason runs, star-studded rosters or a ballpark rising over downtown, there was a soft-tossing lefty with a funky delivery who went out every fifth day and gave Padres fans a reason to care. 

Jones took an expansion team that the rest of the league mostly ignored and dragged it into relevance on sheer will and command. On Nov. 19, the Padres shared the heartbreaking news that Randy Jones, the franchise’s first Cy Young winner and one of the true pillars of the organization, had passed away at 75. For a fanbase that prides itself on knowing and honoring its roots, this loss lands heavy.

Padres say goodbye to Randy Jones, the ace who put San Diego on the map

Jones has always felt like one of those Padres greats who never got his full due nationally. In San Diego, though, there was never any doubt. He wasn’t just a name on the outfield wall or a highlight clip from the ’70s. He stayed present. He showed up. He talked to fans. He represented the Padres the way you’d hope any franchise icon would — with time, patience and genuine pride in wearing “San Diego” across his chest.

The Padres released the following statement:

“With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones. 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. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his wife Marie and the entire Jones family during this difficult time. RJ will be greatly missed.”

On the field, Jones was as close as this franchise has ever had to an origin-story ace. A fifth-round pick in 1972, he barely had time to settle into pro ball before he was in San Diego’s rotation the next year, taking the ball and refusing to give it back. By the time 1975 and 1976 rolled around, he wasn’t just the Padres’ best arm, he was the measuring stick.

Those two seasons are still what every would-be Padres ace gets held up against: back-to-back 20-win campaigns, a league-leading 2.24 ERA in ’75, and then that absurd 1976 workload — 315 1/3 innings, 25 complete games, five shutouts, 22 wins and the Cy Young that finally slapped “San Diego” onto the awards map.

He wrapped his career with 100 wins and a 3.42 ERA over 1,933 innings, and the Padres did the only thing that made sense by putting him in the team Hall of Fame in 1999. But even that undersells it a bit. “Hall of Famer” is the title; “foundational” is the reality. When we talk about what the Padres are supposed to be — a franchise that belongs in every big-picture baseball conversation — Randy Jones is one of the reasons we get to make that case with a straight face.