Bob Randall (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bob Randall
position=Second baseman


bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1948|6|10
city-state|Norton|Kansas
debutdate=April 13
debutyear=by|1976
debutteam=Minnesota Twins
finaldate=May 31
finalyear=by|1980
finalteam=Minnesota Twins
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.257
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=1
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=91
teams=
*Minnesota Twins (1976-80)

Robert Lee Randall is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played five seasons in the majors from by|1976 until by|1980, all for the Minnesota Twins.

Smith was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in three separate drafts: 1966, 1968, and finally the 2nd round in 1969, after which he signed. For the next five and a half years, he worked his way through the Dodgers' farm system, never playing at the major league level. Then, he got his first break, being traded to the Twins in exchange for reserve outfielder Danny Walton.

Randall's second, and even more important, was the Twins' decision to move future Hall of Famer Rod Carew to first base, opening up second base for Randall, who beat out Jerry Terrell for the job in spring training. Randall capitalized on the opportunity, batting .267 in 153 games in 1976 while finishing 4th in the American League in sacrifice hits.

That turned out to be the high mark of Randall's career. He spent the next two seasons splitting time at second base with Rob Wilfong, losing the starting job to the lefty-hitting Wilfong entirely in by|1979. The following spring, he was released by the Twins, but was resigned in May. He played in just five games in the majors in 1980, going 3-for-15, before being released, and Randall retired soon afterwards.

Following Randall's major league career, he turned to the college coaching ranks. He was head baseball coach at Iowa State University from by|1985 until by|1995, and at the University of Kansas from by|1996 until by|2002.

ources