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Padres Name Randy Ready Major League Hitting Coach

July 31, 2009 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Portland Beavers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The San Diego Padres announced today that Portland manager Randy Ready has been named to the position of hitting coach on the Padres' major league staff through the end of the 2009 season. Additionally, the Padres named Gary Jones to serve as the interim manager of the Beavers. Padres executive vice president/general manager Kevin Towers made Friday's announcement.

"Randy has been a part of our minor league system for the past six seasons and has helped to develop many of our current major league players," Towers said. "He will be an asset to our major league staff and clubhouse."

Ready, who joined Portland in 2008, compiled a 116-134 (.464) record in his two seasons with the Beavers and managed the Pacific Coast League All-Star team during the recent Cricket Wireless Triple-A All-Star Game at PGE Park. Additionally, Ready was named the PCL's "Best Manager Prospect" in Baseball America's annual "Best Tools" survey of the league's field managers after the 2008 campaign.

Ready, who joined the Padres organization as a manager in 2004, led Class AA San Antonio to a 73-66 (.525) overall record and a Texas League championship in 2007, receiving the Padres' Jack Krol award at season's end in recognition of his overall contributions to player development in the system.

The 2009 campaign is Ready's sixth in the Padres organization, as he guided San Diego's Class A Fort Wayne affiliate for three seasons previously (2004-06).

Prior to joining the Padres organization, Ready spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons managing Detroit's Class A affiliate in Oneonta. He was named the New York-Penn League Manager of the Year in 2002 after leading the Tigers to a 47-27 (.635) record and a division title.

Overall, Ready, 49, has compiled a 489-466 (.512) record in seven-plus seasons as a minor league skipper. He replaces Jim Lefebvre on the Padres coaching staff.

As a player, Ready was a fifth-round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1980 draft and played 13 seasons in the major leagues with the Brewers (1983-86), Padres (1986-89), Philadelphia (1989-91; 1994-95), Oakland (1992) and Montreal (1993). During his major league career, Ready batted .259 with 107 doubles, 21 triples, 40 home runs, 239 RBIs and 312 runs scored over 777 games.

Ready and his wife, Tracy, have six sons and reside in Poway, Calif.

Jones, 48, is in his seventh season with the Padres organization and has served as the system's roving minor league infield instructor the last three years. Jones, who received the Padres' Jack Krol award for excellence in player development in 2003 and 2004, managed the San Diego's Class AA Mobile affiliate from 2004-06, leading the BayBears to a 73-67 record and a share of the Southern League championship in 2004.

A four-time Manager of the Year, Jones, who first joined the Padres organization as the manager of Class A Fort Wayne in 2003, has a 1,039-972 (.517) record in 15 seasons as a minor league skipper.

Jones served as the third base coach of the Oakland Athletics in 1998 following eight seasons as a manager in the A's minor league system. He led Triple-A Edmonton to consecutive PCL titles in 1996-97, garnering the league's Manager of the Year honor in both seasons. Jones was also named the 1996 Triple-A Manager of the Year and 1997 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America. He earned additional Manager of the Year awards with Class A Madison in 1991 and Class AA Huntsville in 1994.

Jones came to the Padres after four years in the Boston Red Sox organization as a minor league manager and field coordinator. With the Red Sox, Jones managed Triple-A Pawtucket from 1999-2001, guiding the club to a 218-211 mark and establishing a franchise record with 82 wins in 2000.

As a player, Jones was selected by the Chicago Cubs in 1982 and appeared in 897 minor league games, hitting .283 with 23 home runs, 287 RBIs and 225 stolen bases.

Jones and his wife, Malinda, have two daughters and reside in Henderson, Texas.

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