Cloninger also had a 22-strikeout game earlier in the 1957 season in a 10-1 victory at Shelby's old Sumter Street ballpark. He earned four World Series rings with the Yankees. Tony Cloninger, who assured himself a page in the rich lore of Major League Baseball when he became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in a game, died on July 24 in Denver, N.C., where he had been a high school standout. 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 . He's not a finesse man yet. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Fiorentina captain Astori found dead aged 31 before match. Signed out of a North Carolina high school for $100,000 as a 17-year-old in 1958, the big right-hander reached the majors with Milwaukee in June of 1961. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. Tony Cloninger - Baseball-Reference.com Among Cloninger's teammates were softball Hall of Famers like Don Arndt, Roger Brown, Gene Fisher, Stave Harvey and RickScherr, local standouts like Butch Adams, Buck Buchanan, Dave Carroll and Johnny Colvard and eventual college basketballcoach Bobby Lutz, Jr. Cloninger later returned to baseball as a New York Yankees bullpen coach (1992-2001) with World Series titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and as Boston Red Sox (2002-03) pitching coach. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. Copyright 1999- He earned four World Series rings in New York but was let go after the Yankees lost a seven-game World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church. 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. So many of them.". us, Died: Allen A. Cloninger - age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23, 2022. He was 77. After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. All rights reserved. Former pitcher Tony Cloninger, who earned four World . Anyone can read what you share. Do you want even more trivia? 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. 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. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Ann H. Cloninger to show support. 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. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Ruth Irene Brown Cloninger Obituary - Echovita 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). The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Cloninger died Tuesday. July 3, 1966: Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger clouts two grand slams 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. July 24, 2018 Write your message of sympathy today. vs. ATL 0.0 IP, 1 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, L, Rookie Status: Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Pitching coach Tony Cloninger of the Boston Red Sox walks off the field during the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 13, 2002 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Denis Menke Bat | Tony Cloninger Two Grand Slams Game | July 3, 1966. Former pitcher Cloninger who hit 2 slams in game dies at 77 He also played for the Reds (1968-71) and Cardinals (1972). June 15, 1961 Summoned from the bullpen with two more men on base, pitcher Bob Priddy walked Braves third baseman Denis Menke to load the bases to get to Cloninger, who was batting ninth. We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, North Carolina. 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. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. 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. 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. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Cloninger died Tuesday. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. Nicknamed the "Rock Springs Rifle" by late Gazette sports reporter Dwight Frady when Cloninger was a basketball andbaseball star at Rock Springs and a baseball star for Cherryville American Legion Post 100, Cloninger would eventuallybecome one of the first players that led to the region's ongoing embrace of the Atlanta Braves. He drove in nine runs that day, in fact, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. While the major league draft didn't officially begin until 1965, Cloninger in essence was the 2018 version of theDetroit Tigers' No. Tony Cloninger, 77, MLB pitcher who hit two grand slam home runs in one A unique and . Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Tony Cloninger was born on August 13, 1940. The Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) had three different pitchers who were twenty-game winners; Warren Spahn (23-7 in 1953, 21-12 in 1954, 20-11 in 1956, 21-11 in 1957, 22-11 in 1958, 21-15 in 1959, 21-10 in 1960, 21-13 in 1961 and 23-7 in 1963), Lew Burdette (20-10 in 1958 & 21-15 in 1959) and Tony Cloninger (24-11 in 1965). No cause was given. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. There is no photo or video of Tony Lee Cloninger Sr..Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. When the first Braves season in Atlanta was complete, Tony-C had "thrown" twenty-seven wild pitches, a team record for the Atlanta Braves through today, and the most in franchise history since Kid Nichols (1890-1906), who threw thirty wild pitches in 1890! In 2002, he became the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox, but was forced to step down in early 2003 when he underwent successful treatment for bladder cancer that had been diagnosed in spring training. Playing career [ edit] Or maybe better, since he carved a niche in baseball history that can. Born: (Age 20-306d, He was 77. Cloninger returned to the Red Sox organization after his recovery, working as a senior pitching advisor in 2004 before spending the next 14 seasons (2005-18) as a player development consultant.Cloninger is survived by his four children, Tony Jr., Darin, Michael, and Meredith, as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. One & Done: Tony Cloninger, a pitcher, belted two grand slams in one Find the obituary of Ray Eugene Cloninger (1936 - 2021) from Denver, NC. Tips for navigating the funeral service and beyond, Consulting a professional can streamline your journey through grief, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper" and Roger Peterson, Making the holiday season bearable during grief. Cloninger hit his first major-league home run in 1965, his fifth season in the majors. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. Tell their story, and publish it online for free. During the summers of 1956 and 1957, Cloninger was a pitching and hitting standout for Cherryville Post 100. Funeral homes; Help and advice. 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. Sport Magazine. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images). document.write(update); We present them here for purely educational purposes. Even after going 13 innings on opening day, I still think I would have been all right if I hadn't had to come back on four day's rest against the Mets." Ray Eugene Cloninger Obituary (1936 - 2021) - Echovita Five, including Cloninger, had at least three hits. var pfHeaderImgUrl = '';var pfHeaderTagline = '';var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfImageDisplayStyle = 'right';var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = 'https://www.baseball-almanac.com/css/print.css';var pfBtVersion='2';(function(){var js,pf;pf=document.createElement('script');pf.type='text/javascript';pf.src='//cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(pf)})(); Did you know that Tony Cloninger, on July 3, 1966, became the first pitcher in Major League history to hit two grand slams in the same game? Pitcher or Slugger? Tony Cloninger Did Both - Forbes 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. The Boston Red Sox announced his death on Saturday. Waiting for the deal to go through was nerve wracking, he told United Press International. Cloninger was also associated with the Yankees for nine seasons beginning in 1992, eight as the bullpen coach and one as the pitching coach under Manager Joe Torre. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church with Rev. "That's his (Tony Cloninger) pitch, the hard one. He had worked as a consultant for . That's what Tony Cloninger showed more than 50 years ago when he proved power hitting is just as good as power pitching. It was the first year the Braves played in Atlanta, having decamped from Milwaukee. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Milwaukee Braves Manager. 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. 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. In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. 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).