As I mentioned in Mike Cameron's birthday post earlier today, Randy Ready has played the second-most games with the Padres of any of the six former Friars born this day. However, Ready's affiliation with the organization goes far beyond those 267 games in the late-'80s.
Ready came to the Padres from the Brewers in a June, 1986 trade for a player to be named later, who turned out after the season to be Tim Pyznarski. Although he raked in the minors, he only got into a smattering of games in his four seasons with the Brewers, maxing out at 48 in 1985. He only played in one 1986 contest for the Friars following the trade, but had a breakthrough 1987 season. He saw near-regular duty for the first time, getting into 124 games and seeing time at third base, second base, and left field. His bat finally showed up when given time to get settled in, as he slashed .309/ .423/ .520 with 26 doubles, six triples, and a dozen homers. Sorry to be anticlimactic, but all of these would prove to be career-highs.
He still hit well in 1988, albeit in more limited action, and scuffled a bit in 1989 until he and his friend, fellow change-of-scenery candidate John Kruk, were sent to Philadelphia for Chris James mid-season. He stuck around Philadelphia for a couple years as their go-to utility guy, headed to Oakland in 1992 and Montreal in '93, then went back to the Phillies in '94 and '95 for his last 40 major league games. Ready headed to Japan for 1996 but was released by the Chiba Lotte Marines in early June; that precipitated his first return to the Padres organization.
Ready finished out the 1996 season with the Padres' AAA affiliate in Las Vegas. He hit well but received no major league offers after the season; he wrapped up his playing days with seven games for Lake Elsinore, then the Angels' high-A affilate, in 1987.
Randy Ready re-returned to the Padres organization in 2004 to manage the team's A-ball team in Fort Wayne. He stayed there for three seasons, then managed a year at AA San Antonio and two years at AAA Portland before being replacing Jim Lefebvre as the big club's hitting coach at the trade deadline of 2009. Ready lasted over two years until being fired at the end of an ugly 2011 season.
Since then, Ready has worked in the minors for the Rangers and Braves organizations. All in all, he has lived a fairly eventful 55 years. Best of luck to him in his fifty-sixth year and beyond, whether or not that future includes a fourth stint on the Padres' payroll.