Joe Randa

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Joe Randa

Free Agent — No. 5
Third Baseman
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 30, 1995 for the Kansas City Royals
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2006)
Avg     .284
RBI     739
HR     123

Joseph Gregory Randa (born December 18, 1969 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was primarily a third baseman during his career.

[edit] High School Years

Randa attended Kettle Moraine High School and lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. Randa's #12 was retired by the Lasers. He is also a member of the Kettle Moraine Laser Trailblazer Hall of Fame.

[edit] Pro Career

Randa made his major league debut in 1995 with the Royals, playing 34 games. He played the next three seasons as a part-time third baseman with three different teams, hitting .303, .302, and .254 for the Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers, respectively.

The Royals reacquired Randa prior to the 1999 season. Installed as a full-time third baseman for the first time in his career, Randa hit .314 with 16 home runs and 84 RBIs, establishing himself as a run producer in the middle of the order and a steady fielder at third base. In 2003, Randa set the Kansas City Royals' team record for the most consecutive errorless games by a third baseman, going 75 games without an error. After the 2004 season ended, Randa signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. On Opening Day, Randa hit a legendary home run for Cincinnati in an amazing opening day victory, 7-6. On July 23, 2005, Randa was traded to the Padres for pitchers Justin Germano and Travis Chick. He was then signed by the Pirates on December 28, 2005 for a one year contract worth between $3.5 and $4 million dollars.

On November 2, 2006, Randa announced his retirement. He batted .284/.339/.426 with 123 HRs and 739 RBIs in 1,522 games over 12 seasons

Randa's nickname is "The Joker" because of his resemblance to the comic book character in Batman.

[edit] External links

Preceded by:
Rafael Palmeiro
American League Player of the Month
July, 1999
Succeeded by:
Rafael Palmeiro & Iván Rodríguez