View source for Joe Randa

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1969)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Joe Randa
|image=Joe Randa (4272340364) (cropped).jpg
|caption=Randa at [[Marshall Army Airfield]] in 2010
|position=[[Third baseman]]
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1969|12|18}}
|birth_place=[[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 30
|debutyear=1995
|debutteam=Kansas City Royals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 1
|finalyear=2006
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.284
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=123
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=739
|teams=
* [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1996}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1997}})
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1998}})
* [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|1999}}–{{mlby|2004}})
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|2005}})
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|2005}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|2006}})
}}
'''Joseph Gregory Randa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|æ|n|d|ə}}; born December 18, 1969) is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] player. He was primarily a [[third baseman]] during his career. His nickname is "'''[[Joker (character)|the Joker]]'''" due to his resemblance to the [[comic book]] character in ''[[Batman]]'' and his ever-present smile, especially during his [[plate appearance]]s. It was given to him by [[Tony Muser]], the [[Kansas City Royals]] [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] during Randa's second tour with the ballclub. This had resulted from Muser having to constantly answer questions about why Randa was always smiling. "I'd tell them that's not a smile, it's his normal look", Muser explained.<ref name="fromcintosdp">Spencer, Lyle. [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050723&content_id=1141796&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb "Padres acquire Randa from Reds"], MLB.com, Saturday, July 23, 2005</ref>

==Early life==
Randa attended [[Kettle Moraine High School]] in [[Wales, Wisconsin]], lettering 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.

==Professional career==
Randa played minor league for the Eugene Emeralds. He made his major league debut in {{mlby|1995}} with the [[Kansas City Royals]], playing in 34 games. He played the next three seasons as a competitive 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 {{mlby|1999}} season. Installed as a full-time [[third baseman]] for the first time in his career, Randa hit .314 with 16 [[home run]]s and 84 [[Run batted in|RBI]]s, 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 {{mlby|2004}} season ended, Randa signed with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] as a free agent. On [[Opening Day]], Randa hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th for Cincinnati in a 7–6 victory. On July 23, {{mlby|2005}}, Randa was traded to the [[San Diego Padres]] for pitchers [[Justin Germano]] and [[Travis Chick]].<ref name="fromcintosdp"/> He was then signed by the Pirates on December 28, 2005, for a one-year contract worth between $3.5 and $4 million. On September 22, Randa broke up Padres pitcher [[Chris Young (pitcher)|Chris Young]]'s no-hit bid with a pinch-hit home run in the 9th inning. On November 2, {{mlby|2006}}, Randa announced his retirement. He batted .284/.339/.426 with 123 HRs and 739 RBIs in 1,522 games over 12 seasons.

Randa is one of only three players in Kansas City Royal history to collect six hits in a nine-inning game, which he did on September 9, {{mlby|2004}} in the first game of a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] against the [[Detroit Tigers]] at [[Comerica Park]]; he went 6-for-7 in a 26–5 Royal blowout win. [[Bob Oliver]] had collected six hits in a {{mlby|1969}} (the franchise's inaugural season) game and [[Kevin Seitzer]] in {{mlby|1987}}. Randa also [[List of Major League Baseball single-game runs scored leaders|scored six runs]] in that game; he is the most recent Major Leaguer to do so until Nick Kurtz did it on July 25, 2015.

Randa made his first and only playoff appearance in 2005 with the Padres, hitting .364 in three games.

==Post pro career==
Randa works with the Royals' minor league teams as a special assistant.

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball|Wisconsin|Biography}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball single-game runs scored leaders]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Baseballstats|mlb=120922|espn=3138|br=r/randajo01|fangraphs=623|brm=randa-001jos|retro=R/Prandj002}}
:

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-ach}}}}
{{succession box|before = [[Chipper Jones]]|title = [[Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters|Topps Rookie All-Star Third Baseman]]|years = 1996|after = [[Scott Rolen]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Rafael Palmeiro]] | title = [[MLB Player of the Month|American League Player of the Month]]| years = July, 1999| after = [[Rafael Palmeiro]] & [[Iván Rodríguez]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Northwest League MVP}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Randa, Joe}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers players]]
[[Category:Indian River State Pioneers baseball players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Royals players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball third basemen]]
[[Category:Memphis Chicks players]]
[[Category:Omaha Royals players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres players]]
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers baseball players]]