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. All Rights Reserved. Tony 'The Rock Springs Rifle' Cloninger Autograph on a 1962 Topps Baseball Card (#63 | Checklist), Tony Cloninger Miscellaneous Items of Interest. The 1966 season was not his best for the Braves as a pitcher he wound up with a record of 14-11, coming off a career-high 24-11 season the year before but it was his best at the plate. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. 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. . He was 77. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. DENVER, N.C. - Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. Or maybe better, since he carved a niche in baseball history that can. Cloninger went 113-97 during 12 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Braves. 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. Born in 1940 in Cherryville, Cloninger led Rock Springs to back-to-back Catawba-Lincoln baseball titles in 1957 and1958 with a combined pitching record of 13-4 and to the school's first-ever appearance in the state's eight-team basketball championship tournament in 1958. 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. Do you have a sports website? Born: Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Tony Lee Cloninger was the fourth child born to Carl E. Cloninger and his wife, Edna (ne Lynch) on August 13, 1940, in the rolling terrain of Lincoln County, North Carolina, northwest of Charlotte. Regarded as a tough fireball pitcher, Cloninger also was a dangerous power hitter. DENVER, N.C. Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Cloninger enjoyed his best season on the mound in 1965, when he won 24 games and posted a 3.29 ERA in the club's final season in Milwaukee. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. He had been a consultant for the team since 2002. As Red Sox pitching coach, Cloninger was ejected from a game in 2002 against the Baltimore Orioles. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to East Lincoln Optimist Club, P.O. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. A 12-year Major League veteran pitcher and member of the Red Sox organization from 2002-18, Cloninger spent more than 40 years in professional baseball, including the past 14 as a player development consultant for Boston.After attending Rock Springs High School in Denver, N.C., Cloninger signed with the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1958. He also played for the Reds (1968-71) and Cardinals (1972). 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images). July 24, 2018 Make a life-giving gesture. 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. He joined the Red Sox the following year as pitching coach, and remained with the team until his passing, leaving for a period as he recovered from treatment for bladder cancer during the early part of his tenure.Cloninger spent most of his big league career with the Braves, from 1961-68, and was with the club when it moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Tony Cloninger had 1,120 strikeouts over his career. After two batters were hit by pitches, fights broke out and benches cleared. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. DENVER, N.C. Former major-league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game at Candlestick Park in 1966, has died at 77. in Lincoln County, NC Cloninger died Tuesday. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. Local baseball fans will forever remember Cloninger as the opening day starter for the Atlanta Braves in their April12, 1966, major league debut at old Fulton County Stadium and for hitting two grand slams in the same game (still a major league record) later that season at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on July 3, 1966. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. He went on to toss all 13 innings in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving up a home run to Willie Stargell to break the tie. He drove in nine runs that day, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. His second grand slam came in the fourth inning on an 0-1 count, an opposite-field line-drive over the right-field fence off pitcher Ray Sadecki. In the May 22, 1958, edition of The Gaston Gazette, Tony Cloninger was that rare player. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. August 13, 1940 - 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. He was 77. 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. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. There is no photo or video of Tony Lee Cloninger Sr..Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. He was 77.Cloninger died Tuesday. At one point, Cloninger, age 61 at the time but not shying away from trouble, grabbed Orioles player Brook Fordyce in a headlock. [5][6][7], Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in Denver, North Carolina at the age of 77.[8]. He had worked as a. Did you know that the National Baseball Hall of Fame has a Denis Menke bat (pictured below) from the historic game because Tony borrowed his bat that day? Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. The May 16, 1958 game came less than a week after he threw a perfect game in a first round playoff win over Drexel. Waiting for the deal to go through was nerve wracking, he told United Press International. Cloninger returned to pro ball was the longtime bullpen coach for the New York Yankees during their championship run. - Bragan, Bobby. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. In the era prior to the draft, Cloninger could have signed with any major league team. He hit five of his 11 career home runs that year and batted a respectable .261. After leaving the Yankees, Cloninger was Bostons pitching coach for a year before he was forced to take a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. 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. Whisnant, Gabe, '"Cloninger Reflects on Tenure with Steinbrenner's Yankees", "O's, Red Sox clear benches, but not the air", "Local athletic icon Tony Cloninger dies at 77", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Cloninger&oldid=1133842279, Louisville Colonels (minor league) players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, July 22,1972,for theSt. Louis Cardinals, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 20:00. (Age 20-306d, Cloninger entered the record books on July 3, 1966, playing for the Atlanta Braves in a Sunday afternoon road game against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Former pitcher Tony Cloninger, who earned four World Series rings as a coach with the Yankees from 1992 to 2001, has died at the age of 77. Ray was born August 26, 1946 in Bellefontaine to the late Donald Edward and Emma L. (Jackson) Cloninger. Do you want even more trivia? We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). "That's his (Tony Cloninger) pitch, the hard one. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, North Carolina. copyright=new Date(); The Braves sent 52 batters to face Giants pitching. Try our free interactive obituary template. Light a candle Illuminate their memory Ann H. Cloninger Obituary We are sad to announce that on April 10, 2023 we had to say goodbye to Ann H. Cloninger (Lincolnton, North Carolina). We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). Blogs; Online will; Shop. So many of them.". His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Tony Cloninger baseball stats page. Hear your loved one's obituary Send flowers Let the family know you are thinking of them age 97 passed away peacefully in her home where she lived for 75 years on Saturday, August 27, 2022.