Questioning Authority with Randy Ready

Randy Ready was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round (No. 155 overall) of the 1980 First-Year Player Draft. He hit .405 (15-for-37) with a home run, six RBIs and scored eight runs during his Major League debut with the Brewers in 1983. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 1986 and hit .309 with 12 homers, 69 runs scored and 54 RBIs in 1987, setting career highs in batting, home runs, runs and RBIs.

Ready was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies with John Kruk on June 2, 1989 and completed his Major League career in 1995. He finished with a career average of .259 and 107 doubles, 40 homers, 312 runs scored and 239 RBIs in 777 games with the Brewers, Padres, Phillies, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos.

In 2004, Ready returned to the Padres organization as manager of the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Class A Midwest League. He managed the Double-A San Antonio Missions to a 73-66 record and the Texas League championship in 2007. In 2008, he will manage the Padres' Triple-A affiliate, the Portland Beavers.

Minorleaguebaseball.com: What do you remember most about your first time around in the Minor Leagues?

Randy Ready: I remember great teammates, unique experiences and a lot of great stories. From sharing a house to taking care of ballfields, there are plenty of memories.

MiLB.com: Have times changed that much? How different are the Minors from when you were a player?

RR: Times have most definitely changed, absolutely. There's much better equipment, stadiums, coaching and importantly, more meal money. Traveling is a lot easier and much more comfortable. Also, the fields today are kept in such great condition. I can remember times when we were our own grounds crew back then. There were plenty of times when us players would have to mend the field just to get it playable.

MiLB.com: Life in the Minors can be surreal. What's your favorite tale of the Minors, either as a player or on the bench?

RR: I have several great memories, from 10 players living in one house because of affordability to all-night bus rides. There were a couple of times we used to burn gasoline and propane tanks to try and dry the diamond after a particularly bad rainstorm. We would blow the torch on the dirt in the infield and ended up getting the field in playable condition. The fans got a kick out of that, and I remember some of them saying, "Just when you think you've seen it all."

MiLB.com: How have teammates you played with in the bigs reacted to your current gig?

RR: I know many of them are hoping I get back to the Majors. I've coached against former teammates, and we all have that goal of getting back to the big leagues.

MiLB.com: Do the guys on your team know much about you and your history as a player?

RR: I like to say that they sniff it out. My players love to take jabs and crack jokes at the old baseball cards when they see mullets and mustaches and long sideburns. Many fans will bring those cards to games for autographs, which the players love.

MiLB.com: What have the players on your team taught you? Do they keep you up-to-date on pop culture?

RR: I think that they live by the motto, "Not to worry skipper, we've got it under control." They're all aware that I've been in pro baseball for 25 years, and when it comes to that gap, there can be a lot of head shaking.

MiLB.com: What kind of reaction do you get from fans?

RR: I've been lucky enough to have a great following in my career, especially on dollar beer nights. It's always nice to hear from a complimentary fan. Players will joke about older fans.

MiLB.com: What city or cities do you most look forward to stopping in during the season?

RR: You know, there are so many great baseball cities. Personally, I enjoy some of the more traditional stadiums. They're great to play in along the way. I also love that the Minor Leagues have great followings and great community support.

MiLB.com: What's the toughest part of the job?

RR: Without a doubt, it's the separation from family, from being on the road for six months. Also it's always, always difficult to release a player. That is the toughest part of the game for any staff member. I'd also like to mention rain delays. Losing a starter after an inning or two always creates a major headache.

MiLB.com: What do you think of your bobblehead? Have you collected all of your baseball cards?

RR: There were some similarities between me and my bobblehead, especially that it was wearing the correct uniform number. I wish I could remember how many we had of those things at the stadium that night. As for my baseball cards, there are some I wish would disappear and some I wish I had more of. But it's always nice to see the fans bring them to games.