[5][6][7], Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in Denver, North Carolina at the age of 77.[8]. copyright=new Date(); It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dale Anthony Cloninger of Conover, North Carolina, who passed away on January 13, 2022, at the age of 61, leaving to mourn family and friends. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. In that stretch, Cloninger went 113-97 with a 4.07 ERA over 1,767 2/3 innings across 352 outings, including 247 starts. 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). In the May 22, 1958, edition of The Gaston Gazette, Tony Cloninger was that rare player. The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. DENVER, N.C. - Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Cloninger, 76, still lives in Lincoln County and is a father of four children who he credits for supporting him throughout his coaching career. 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. Box 39, Denver, N.C. 28037. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:21AM. Obituary Allen A. Cloninger, age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23rd, 2022. Ruth Irene Brown Cloninger Obituary - Echovita inDenver,NC, Buried: Tony Lee Cloninger was born on Aug. 13, 1940, in Cherryville, N.C., to Carl and Edna Cloninger. He was 77. Ray Eugene Cloninger Obituary (1936 - 2021) - Echovita 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. 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. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. ), First published on July 28, 2018 / 10:59 PM. 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. Find the obituary of Ray Eugene Cloninger (1936 - 2021) from Denver, NC. The Braves sent 52 batters to face Giants pitching. 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. 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. Tony Cloninger - Wikipedia 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. IRON STATION Rarely in newspaper history does a sports story on a high school athlete rate Page One coverage. 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. us, Died: During the summers of 1956 and 1957, Cloninger was a pitching and hitting standout for Cherryville Post 100. The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. He was 77. His fastball is in the same class with Bob Gibson's, Bob Veale's, Jim Maloney's, Don Drysdale's, and those fellows. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. It just didn't work out too good for me. Cloninger went 113-97 during 12 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Braves. A Grand Sunday For Braves Pitcher Tony Cloninger - 50 Years Ago Today Playing career [ edit] He joined the Red Sox in 2002 as pitching coach, but in June 2003 he was forced to take a medical leave of absence to undergo treatment for bladder cancer, which had been diagnosed in March. In 1970 he went to the World Series with Cincinnati and started Game 3 against the Baltimore Orioles. 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 . DENVER, N.C. (AP) Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/jrwalk22, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Tony Cloninger - Society for American Baseball Research He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. from the SABR BioProject, More Tony Cloninger Pages at Baseball Reference. Waiting for the deal to go through was nerve wracking, he told United Press International. Tony Cloninger | Obituary | Beyond the Dash 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. July 3, 1966: Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger hits 2 grand slams vs. Giants Publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced Wednesday that Brock-Broido died Tuesday at EDMONTON A Edmonton homeless man whose spontaneous piano performance was viewed on theinternetby millions ofpeople has died. Tony Cloninger Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. 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. Tony Lee Cloninger (August 13, 1940 - July 24, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach. Teena Katherine Barnes Obituary (1953 - 2023) - Echovita Cloninger was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 15, 1961, with the Milwaukee Braves. Cloninger died Tuesday. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. (77 years old). July 3, 1966: Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger clouts two grand slams He also was an accomplished batter with a .192 batting average, 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. After retiring, Cloninger served as a bullpen coach for the New York Yankees (19922001), where he was a member of five American League champions and four World Series champion teams. 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. A unique and . Five, including Cloninger, had at least three hits. Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. He was 77. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Tony Cloninger played for 4 teams; the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. Tony Cloninger was born in Lincoln County, NC. When he gets to be, he'll be one of the great ones." Or write about sports? Raymond "Ray" L. Cloninger, 76 of Bellefontaine passed away Sunday, January 1, 2023 at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. Tony Cloninger, starting pitcher of Braves' first game in Atlanta, dies He's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Cloninger was the losing pitcher of record. 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). Obituary | Raymond "Ray" L. Cloninger of Bellefontaine, Ohio | Jennings Former pitcher Cloninger who hit 2 slams in game dies at 77 Fill in some information about your loved one, and we'll generate some text that you can use as a starting point for your online memorial. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. Cloninger drove in nine runs in all that day, getting three hits as the Braves thrashed the Giants, 17-3. 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. 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. 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. [2], Cloninger finished his career pitching with Cincinnati and St. Louis. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. 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. February 1966. He's not a finesse man yet. 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. He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. 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. Allen A. Cloninger | Bridges Funeral Home We present them here for purely educational purposes. Ruth Irene Brown Cloninger Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Denis Menke Bat | Tony Cloninger Two Grand Slams Game | July 3, 1966. Tony Cloninger - Baseball-Reference.com He was 77. After eight years with the Braves he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the 1968 season. July 22, 1972 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. / CBS Boston. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. "That's his (Tony Cloninger) pitch, the hard one. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He went on to have a 113-97 record with 13 shutouts and six saves and 4.07 ERA in 352 appearances (247 starts) over his 12-year career. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. 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. 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,". Allen A. Cloninger - age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23, 2022. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. To ease my mind, he said, he went raccoon hunting with his brother. 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! He had been a consultant for the team since 2002. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002, and the team announced his death Saturday. 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. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Cloninger's baseball talents were so well-known in the spring of 1958 that in the 16-team major leagues, 24 scouts attended his final high school game in which he struck out eight in a four-hit 4-0 loss to Bessemer City at Lincolnton's old Love Field. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. He is survived by three sons, Tony Jr., Darin and Michael; a daughter, Meredith Cloninger Sherrill; a brother, Ray; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. 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.
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