You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. 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. 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. 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. He also was an accomplished batter with a .192 batting average, 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. July 24, 2018 After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. 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? 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. The May 16, 1958 game came less than a week after he threw a perfect game in a first round playoff win over Drexel. He is survived by : his son Tony Cloninger Jr.; his wife Karen of Denver, NC; his daughter Meredith Cloninger Sherrill (Ronnie) of Maiden, NC; his brother Ray Cloninger (Ann) of Denver, NC; his grandchildren, Erich Cloninger, Andrea Wilson, Jayme Cloninger, Ryan Cloninger, Adam Cloninger, Taylor Cloninger, Trent Cloninger, Brittani Sherrill Franklin and Byron Sherrill; his great grandchildren, Norah Cloninger, Lennon Cloninger, Drake Wilson and Mia Franklin; and also, Darin Cloninger (Angie) of Jacksonville, NC and Michael Cloninger (Kimberly) of Denver, NC. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church with Rev. Remembering the 'Rock Springs Rifle' - Gaston Gazette Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. In the era prior to the draft, Cloninger could have signed with any major league team. 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? Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. - Bragan, Bobby. July 3, 1966: Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger clouts two grand slams The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. He also played for the Reds (1968-71) and Cardinals (1972). 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. 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. Cloninger returned to pro ball was the longtime bullpen coach for the New York Yankees during their championship run. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. 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. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002, and the team announced his death Saturday. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. '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. 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. Funeral homes; Help and advice. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 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. It was a nice sum. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Denis Menke Bat | Tony Cloninger Two Grand Slams Game | July 3, 1966. inDenver,NC, Buried: Exceeded rookie limits during 1961 season, View Player Bio Create an obituary. 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. Tony Cloninger, starting pitcher of Braves' first game in Atlanta, dies Tony Cloninger Back in Baseball, Where He Belongs We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). ), First published on July 28, 2018 / 10:59 PM. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. Tony Cloninger was the sole pitcher during that historic 13-inning Opening Day game, lost it 3-2, and said, "I was excited about going to Atlanta, about being able to pitch not too far from my North Carolina home. Tony Lee Cloninger was born on Aug. 13, 1940, in Cherryville, N.C., to Carl and Edna Cloninger. 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). All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Copyright 1999- Find out more. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. 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! Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Make a life-giving gesture. So many of them.". 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. Pitcher or Slugger? Tony Cloninger Did Both - Forbes 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. document.write(update); Tony Cloninger - Wikipedia Obituary Allen A. Cloninger, age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23rd, 2022. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 earned four World Series rings with the Yankees. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. Box 39, Denver, N.C. 28037. [2], Cloninger finished his career pitching with Cincinnati and St. Louis. Data Provided By Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, North Carolina. Cloninger returned to pro ball was the longtime bullpen coach for the New York Yankees during their championship run. Would you like to offer Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.s loved ones a condolence message? Tony Cloninger, who threw the first pitch in Atlanta Braves history and hit two grand slams in one game later that inaugural season, died. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. He played four seasons in Cincinnati and finished up his career as a reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972. All rights reserved. Try our free interactive obituary template. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. He was 77.Cloninger died Tuesday. Do you have a sports website? 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. Allen A. Cloninger | Bridges Funeral Home 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 had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. 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 . July 28, 2018 / 10:59 PM BOSTON -- Major League Baseball mourns the loss of Tony Cloninger, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Warlick Funeral Home is serving the family. Cloninger went 113-97 during 12 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Braves. One & Done: Tony Cloninger, a pitcher, belted two grand slams in one Cloninger was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 (link), made that quote to them, believed that the game affected his career negatively, but still had good memories as well, "I look back now and think about all the great players who were my teammates Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Joe Torre, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench. Cloninger died Tuesday. DENVER, N.C. Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. 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 . He drove in nine runs that day, in fact, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. No cause was given. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. 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. When he gets to be, he'll be one of the great ones." Tony Cloninger has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. vs. ATL 0.0 IP, 1 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, L, Rookie Status: 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. DENVER, N.C. (AP) Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. Tony Cloninger Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-0 , 210lb (183cm, 95kg) Born: August 13, 1940 in Lincoln County, NC us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Cloninger also holds the Braves' record for RBIs in a single game by a pitcher game, with nine.Cloninger is survived by his four children, as well as nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Blogs; Online will; Shop. . Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, NC, High School: Rock Springs HS (Denver, NC), Debut: He's not a finesse man yet. 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. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images). Cloninger died Tuesday. Cloninger has a daughter, Meredith Sherrill, and three sons Tony Jr., Darin and Michael. He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. Cloninger hit his first major-league home run in 1965, his fifth season in the majors. Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. Obituary (1940 - 2018) | Denver, NC - Echovita Former pitcher Cloninger who hit 2 slams in game dies at 77 In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. He was 77. The son of the late Carl E. andEdna L. Cloninger, he is survived by three sons Tony, Jr. (Karen), Darin (Angie) and Michael (Kim) and one daughterMeredith Sherrill (Ronnie). July 3, 1966: Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger hits 2 grand slams vs. Giants Visitation will be held on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Denver United Methodist Church, Highway 16 North, with funeralservices on Monday at 11 a.m. at Denver United Methodist Church. He drove in nine runs that day, in fact, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. Cloninger drove in nine runs in all that day, getting three hits as the Braves thrashed the Giants, 17-3. DENVER, N.C. Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. His best seasons came in 1965 as the Braves were in their final year in Milwaukee and in 1966 in the Braves firstseason in Atlanta. Seattle Mariners unveil City Connect uniforms. He enjoyed his best year for the 1965 Braves, with career highs in wins (24), strikeouts (211), ERA (3.29), complete games (16), innings (279) and games started (40). 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. The Braves sent 52 batters to face Giants pitching. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. February 1966. update=copyright.getFullYear(); He was predeceased by : his siblings, Frank Cloninger and Marie Goodman. He was 77. 1? [4] In 2004, Cloninger became a player development consultant for the Red Sox, serving for almost 15 consecutive seasons until his death. A power pitcher, Cloninger compiled a career 11397 record with 1,120 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 1,767.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}23 innings pitched. He served as a bullpen coach for the New York Yankees from 1992-2001, helping the club win five pennants and four World Series titles. Tony Cloninger, 77, MLB pitcher who hit two grand slam home runs in one Tony Cloninger | Obituary | Beyond the Dash 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. 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. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. Or maybe better, since he carved a niche in baseball history that can. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to East Lincoln Optimist Club, P.O. [5][6][7], Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in Denver, North Carolina at the age of 77.[8]. At one point, Cloninger, age 61 at the time but not shying away from trouble, grabbed Orioles player Brook Fordyce in a headlock. 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. 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. Here is Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.'s obituary. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church. Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church with Rev. Former pitcher Cloninger who hit 2 slams in game dies at 77 In the May 22, 1958, edition of The Gaston Gazette, Tony Cloninger was that rare player. Richard Walker: 704-869-1841; twitter.com/jrwalk22, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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,".