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. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. In that stretch, Cloninger went 113-97 with a 4.07 ERA over 1,767 2/3 innings across 352 outings, including 247 starts. July 28, 2018 / 10:59 PM 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. 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. [5][6][7], Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in Denver, North Carolina at the age of 77.[8]. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. He's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was 77. Bob Lynn and Pastor Mike Devine officiating. inDenver,NC, Buried: But he recovered and returned to the Red Sox as a senior pitching adviser in 2004, then stayed on as a player development consultant for 14 more seasons. us, Died: Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. 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. He also was an accomplished batter with a .192 batting average, 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. (As a batter, he had a career average of .192.). He was 77. Born: 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. The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. He played four seasons in Cincinnati and finished up his career as a reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972. A farming family blessed with considerable baseball genes - an older brother passed on a potential professional career, and two of Tony's sons . 11,854th in major league history) He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. in Lincoln County, NC Obituary Allen A. Cloninger, age 79, passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on the evening of Friday, September 23rd, 2022. Waiting for the deal to go through was nerve wracking, he told United Press International. IRON STATION Rarely in newspaper history does a sports story on a high school athlete rate Page One coverage. At one point, Cloninger, age 61 at the time but not shying away from trouble, grabbed Orioles player Brook Fordyce in a headlock. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002, and the team announced his death Saturday. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. 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 served as a bullpen coach for the New York Yankees from 1992-2001, helping the club win five pennants and four World Series titles. 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. 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,". 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. When he gets to be, he'll be one of the great ones." 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. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. Tony Lee Cloninger (August 13, 1940 - July 24, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach. BOSTON -- Major League Baseball mourns the loss of Tony Cloninger, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77. 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. ( Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. Tony 'The Rock Springs Rifle' Cloninger Autograph on a 1962 Topps Baseball Card (#63 | Checklist), Tony Cloninger Miscellaneous Items of Interest. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, North Carolina. All Rights Reserved. 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. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. Tony Cloninger Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Tony Cloninger Stats Tony Cloninger was born on Tuesday, August 13, 1940, in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Would you like to offer Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.s loved ones a condolence message? 1 one month into the season? Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Traded to Cincinnati during the 1968 season, he went to the World Series with the Reds in 1970. 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. 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. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. It was the first year the Braves played in Atlanta, having decamped from Milwaukee. 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). While the major league draft didn't officially begin until 1965, Cloninger in essence was the 2018 version of theDetroit Tigers' No. The Boston Red Sox announced his death on Saturday. Ranking MLB's radical City Connect uniforms: Which one's No. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images). 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. 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. 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. 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. 1? Cloninger went 113-97 during 12 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Braves. 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. 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. Tony Cloninger hoisted an armload of bats in 1966 after pitching the Atlanta Braves to a 17-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants and entering the record books as the only pitcher ever to hit two grand slams in a game. Local baseball fans will forever remember Cloninger as the opening day starter for the Atlanta Braves in their April 12, 1966 major league debut at old Fulton County Stadium and for hitting two grand slams in the . 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. He's not a finesse man yet. He drove in nine runs that day, in fact, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. Denver United Methodist Church Cemetery, Denver, NC, High School: Rock Springs HS (Denver, NC), Debut: On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. Anyone can read what you share. Cloninger was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 15, 1961, with the Milwaukee Braves. 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. Her. 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. BOSTON -- Major League Baseball mourns the loss of Tony Cloninger, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77. 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. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Try our free interactive obituary template. 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. We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). He was 77.Cloninger died Tuesday. Cloninger returned to pro ball was the longtime bullpen coach for the New York Yankees during their championship run. 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. A unique and . 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? 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. We present them here for purely educational purposes. DENVER, N.C. Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Find out more. 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). Allen was born in Strawberry Plains on February 14th, 1943, to. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Did you know Cloninger is also the only pitcher ever to accomplish the feat in baseball history through today, the first player from the National League ever to hit two slams in one game, and Tony tied the Major League mark for most RBIs in a game by a pitcher - all in that same game? Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. 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. Box 39, Denver, N.C. 28037. Here is Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.'s obituary. Ray was born to the late Donald and Emma (Jackson) Cloninger. He had been a consultant for the team since 2002. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. The Braves sent 52 batters to face Giants pitching. After two batters were hit by pitches, fights broke out and benches cleared. 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. Tony Lee Cloninger was born on Aug. 13, 1940, in Cherryville, N.C., to Carl and Edna Cloninger. He was 77. Cloninger, 76, still lives in Lincoln County and is a father of four children who he credits for supporting him throughout his coaching career. July 28, 2018. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. copyright=new Date(); Cloninger hit his first major-league home run in 1965, his fifth season in the majors. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Denis Menke Bat | Tony Cloninger Two Grand Slams Game | July 3, 1966. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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). 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. DENVER, N.C. (AP) Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. The Braves dont tell me how much they give, he said. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? vs. ATL 0.0 IP, 1 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, L, Rookie Status: The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. (Age 31-344d) 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 was 77. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Data Provided By Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. document.write(update); Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Write your message of sympathy today. Tony Cloninger was born on Tuesday, August 13, 1940, in Lincoln County, North Carolina. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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. Tony Cloninger has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. [4] In 2004, Cloninger became a player development consultant for the Red Sox, serving for almost 15 consecutive seasons until his death. DENVER, N.C. Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Tell their story, and publish it online for free. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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. 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. 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. Comments. He was 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. Do you have a blog? ATLANTA Former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, a lifelong Democrat and the father of Georgia's lottery-funded HOPE scholarship while serving as governor, died Friday. Then, after his major league career ended, Cloninger was a standout recreation softball player for the legendaryHoward's Furniture team in Denver before eventually returning to the major leagues as a pitching coach. 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). from the SABR BioProject, More Tony Cloninger Pages at Baseball Reference. After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. 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. The May 16, 1958 game came less than a week after he threw a perfect game in a first round playoff win over Drexel. vs. SFG 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 SO, 2 BB, 6 ER, L, Last Game: 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. He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. 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." In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. In the May 22, 1958, edition of The Gaston Gazette, Tony Cloninger was that rare player. 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. Cloninger died Tuesday in Denver, North Carolina at the . Find the obituary of Ray Eugene Cloninger (1936 - 2021) from Denver, NC. He returned to pro ball with the Yankees during their championship run. Cloninger died . It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. 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. He's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. During the summers of 1956 and 1957, Cloninger was a pitching and hitting standout for Cherryville Post 100. There is no photo or video of Tony Lee Cloninger Sr..Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. On April 12, 1966, Cloninger threw the first pitch for the new Atlanta franchise. (Age 20-306d, Cloninger died Tuesday. DENVER, N.C. (AP) Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was 77. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church. 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. He was 77. He had a 16-5 pitching record with 308 strikeouts in 171 innings in those two seasons, which ended with playoff defeats to Shelby. But he narrowed his list of finalists to the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves and San Francisco Giants before signing with the Braves. Cloninger died Tuesday. After he was signed, he was reluctant to talk about the bonus. In the era prior to the draft, Cloninger could have signed with any major league team. 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. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. Cloninger was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 15, 1961, with the Milwaukee Braves. His fastball is in the same class with Bob Gibson's, Bob Veale's, Jim Maloney's, Don Drysdale's, and those fellows. 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. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. He had worked as a. Tony Lee Cloninger (August 13, 1940 July 24, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach. Cloninger was the losing pitcher of record. 1 overall pick Casey Mize out of Auburn in June and Mize's signing bonus was $7.5 million. Seattle Mariners unveil City Connect uniforms. July 24, 2018 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 was 77. It just didn't work out too good for me. As Red Sox pitching coach, Cloninger was ejected from a game in 2002 against the Baltimore Orioles. 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. 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. Exactly 24 years ago as he sat there Thursday afternoon wrapped in a New York Yankees warmup jacket, Cloninger had pitched the opener for the Braves in the first-ever regular-season game in . He became Boston's pitching coach in 2002 and took a medical leave in 2003 because of bladder cancer. Ray was born August 26, 1946 in Bellefontaine to the late Donald Edward and Emma L. (Jackson) Cloninger. 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 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). Allen was born in Strawberry Plains on February 14, 1943 to the late Randy and Mary Lee Cloninger. Exceeded rookie limits during 1961 season, View Player Bio Raymond "Ray" L. Cloninger, 76 of Bellefontaine passed away Sunday, January 1, 2023 at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. To ease my mind, he said, he went raccoon hunting with his brother. 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. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to East Lincoln Optimist Club, PO Box 39, Denver, NC 28037. 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). 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. / CBS Boston. 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. July 28th, 2018. Tony Cloninger was born on August 13, 1940. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church. 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. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. 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. 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. 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 . Tony Cloninger, who threw the first pitch in Atlanta Braves history and hit two grand slams in one game later that inaugural season, died. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 30, 2018 at Denver United Methodist Church with Rev. Raymond's Obituary . In 1970 he went to the World Series with Cincinnati and started Game 3 against the Baltimore Orioles. 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. Cloninger hit five of his 11 career home runs in 1966. Fiorentina captain Astori found dead aged 31 before match. The son of the late Carl E. and Edna L. Cloninger, he is survived by three sons Tony, Jr. (Karen), Darin (Angie) and Michael (Kim) and one daughter Meredith Sherrill (Ronnie). The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. No cause was given. 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. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. He compiled a career batting average of .192, with 67 RBIs and 11 home runs, including five in the 1966 season.