To ease my mind, he said, he went raccoon hunting with his brother. Blogs; Online will; Shop. It was because Cloninger, who had just graduated from Denver's old Rock Springs High, was signing for $100,000 with theMilwaukee Braves one of largest signing bonuses to that point in major league baseball history. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Lincoln County sports legend to speak at Mundy House Annex His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church with Rev. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church. He's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. On July 3, 1966, in the Braves' 173 win over the Giants at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Cloninger helped his team's cause with two grand slams and nine RBIs, both of which still stand as Braves franchise single-game bests. That's what Tony Cloninger showed more than 50 years ago when he proved power hitting is just as good as power pitching. document.write(update); Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. August 13, 1940 - Cloninger started and took the loss at Baltimore in Game 3 he was pulled in the sixth, and later that inning Dave McNally connected off reliever Wayne Granger to become the first pitcher to hit a grand slam in the World Series. Tony Cloninger, who threw the first pitch in Atlanta Braves history and hit two grand slams in one game later that inaugural season, died. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. He is the only pitcher in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a single game, a feat he accomplished on July 3, 1966, against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park.Cloninger retired as a player after the 1972 season but returned to baseball in 1988. Waiting for the deal to go through was nerve wracking, he told United Press International. The Red Sox on Saturday announced that they are sending along condolences for former player and player development consultant Tony Cloninger, who passed away on Tuesday. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Cloninger died Tuesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 1966 Atlanta Braves Opening Day Game | The Danville Register | 12 April 1966Baseball Almanac Research Library, On April 12, 1966, at Atlanta Stadium, the Atlanta Braves played their first game in team history after the move from Milwaukee. He went 24-11 with a 3.29 ERA in 1965 and was 14-11 with a 4.12 ERA in 1966 while also hitting .261with five home runs and 23 RBIs. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. Allen A. Cloninger Obituary - Knoxville News Sentinel Allen A. Cloninger - age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23, 2022. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. February 1966. DENVER, N.C. -- Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Pitching at what was then called Atlanta Stadium, he started on opening day and tossed all 13 innings in a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh a home run by Willie Stargell broke the tie. Box 39, Denver, N.C. 28037. Tony Cloninger dies - MLB No cause was given. Ray Eugene Cloninger Obituary (1936 - 2021) - Echovita He was 77. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. copyright=new Date(); Would you like to offer Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.s loved ones a condolence message? You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Exceeded rookie limits during 1961 season, View Player Bio Cloninger used a bat of teammate Denis Menke's to hit both of those big home runs, and they stood as the only two grand slams of his major league career. Former pitcher Cloninger who hit 2 slams in game dies at 77 Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Ruth Irene Brown Cloninger of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, who passed away at the age of 78, on April 14, 2023. In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. His most successful season came in 1965, when he set career bests in wins (24-11), ERA (3.29), innings pitched (279), complete games (16), and strikeouts (211). He had worked as a consultant for . In the May 22, 1958, edition of The Gaston Gazette, Tony Cloninger was that rare player. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He also played for the Reds (1968-71) and Cardinals (1972). He was 77. He's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Cloninger died Tuesday. Those performances made him, at 17, a top prospect in 1958, when the Braves signed him to a contract with a $100,000 bonus an exorbitant sum at the time soon after he graduated. In this July 3, 1966, file photo, Atlanta Braves right-hander Tony Cloninger hoists an armload of bats after pitching the Braves to a 17-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants in which . Fiorentina captain Astori found dead aged 31 before match. us, Died: His first grand slam came in the first inning with the Braves already ahead, 3-0, thanks to a home run by Torre, Atlantas catcher. July 28, 2018. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. We are sad to announce that on April 9, 2023, at the age of 70, Teena Katherine Barnes of Campobello, South Carolina passed away. He went 24-11 with a 3.29 ERA in 1965 and was 14-11 with a 4.12 ERA in 1966 while also hitting .261 with five home runs and 23 RBIs. Ruth Irene Brown Cloninger Obituary - Echovita Tony Cloninger was born on August 13, 1940. He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. He drove in nine runs that day, in fact, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. Do you have a blog? A 6-foot-tall, 210-pound right-hander, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise, starting on opening day in what was then called Atlanta Stadium. Tony Cloninger Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Tony Cloninger Stats Tony Cloninger was born on Tuesday, August 13, 1940, in Lincoln County, North Carolina. He's not a finesse man yet. The Braves sent 52 batters to face Giants pitching. July 3, 1966: Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger hits 2 grand slams vs. Giants But he was pulled in the sixth inning, before Orioles pitcher Dave McNally connected off reliever Wayne Granger to become the first pitcher to hit a grand slam in a World Series. Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/jrwalk22, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. His 15-year professional career included 12 seasons in the Major Leagues, as he went 113-97 with a 4.07 ERA in 352 appearances (247 starts) for the Braves (1961-68), Cincinnati Reds (1968-71) and St. Louis Cardinals (1972). He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1961 through 1972 for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals. Obituary | Raymond "Ray" L. Cloninger of Bellefontaine, Ohio | Jennings Her. Tony Cloninger, Pitcher Remembered for His Bat, Dies at 77 He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. July 22, 1972 Make a life-giving gesture. Playing career [ edit] We present them here for purely educational purposes. In that stretch, Cloninger went 113-97 with a 4.07 ERA over 1,767 2/3 innings across 352 outings, including 247 starts. Tony Cloninger Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com We've updated our WAR calculations based on new data updates. American baseball player and coach (19402018), List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders, List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning, "Pappas Traded in Big Deal for Atlanta Pitcher,". - Bragan, Bobby. Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. For nine seasons beginning in 1992, Cloninger was a New York Yankees coach, eight as the bullpen coach and one as the pitching coach under manager Joe Torre. Teena Katherine Barnes Obituary (1953 - 2023) - Echovita [1] Cloninger became the first player in the National League, and remains the only pitcher, to hit two grand slams in the same game. Denis Menke Bat | Tony Cloninger Two Grand Slams Game | July 3, 1966. 'Believe in the power of cheese': How a group of rookies helped give the Brewers the best vibes in baseball, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. Seattle Mariners unveil City Connect uniforms. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. All rights reserved. Cloninger recovered and returned to the Red Sox, first as a senior pitching adviser in 2004 and then spending the next 14 seasons as a player development consultant. Cloninger was a high school star in the North Carolina community of Denver, then went 113-97 during 12 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Braves. He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. Tony Cloninger, starting pitcher of Braves' first game in Atlanta, dies Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Cloninger, a right-handed batter, worked Priddy to a full count before stunning the crowd by hammering the ball over the center field fence 410 feet away almost the same spot where Torres blast had gone out. Tony Cloninger is the only pitcher in the game's history who can claim a single game with two grand slams -- a feat also accomplished by 12 position players over the years -- and to hear the . Ex-pitcher, Yankees coach Cloninger dies at 77, Harper may return Tue., 160 days post-TJ surgery, Rangers ace deGrom 'frustrated' to land on IL, Twins will shut P Mahle down for at least 4 weeks, Cards broadcaster, 2-time champ Shannon dies, Giants' Yastrzemski (hamstring) likely IL-bound, Yankees to evaluate Judge's hip strain Monday, What the longest game in MLB history says about baseball today, Mexico City's uphill climb toward landing an MLB franchise. Cloninger has a daughter, Meredith Sherrill, and three sons Tony Jr., Darin and Michael. Cloninger Hits 2 Grand Slam Home Runs - July 3, 1966 Sunday, July 3, 2016 B.B Branton Bases loaded, three runs in, two out, and Atlanta Braves 24-year-old pitcher Tony Cloninger, facing San. Cloninger would make his professional debut in Midland, Tex., in June 1958 and make his major league debut on June 15, 1961, as a 20-year-old. His next career as a standout athlete came on the softball diamond as he played for national power Howard's Furnitureof Denver that was owned by softball Hall of Famer Richard Howard and coached by softball Hall of Famer Bobby Lutz, Sr.