He was predeceased by : his siblings, Frank Cloninger and Marie Goodman. Here is Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.'s obituary. 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. He drove in nine runs that day, getting three hits as the Braves routed San Francisco 17-3. He was 77.Cloninger died Tuesday. 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 . 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. Tony Cloninger Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com We've updated our WAR calculations based on new data updates. After leaving the majors, Cloninger was a big hitter for a nationally recognized softball team in North Carolina. In a 12-year pitching career, Cloninger had a combined record of 113-97, a 4.07 earned run average and 1,120 strikeouts. Tony Cloninger - Wikipedia Tony 'The Rock Springs Rifle' Cloninger Autograph on a 1962 Topps Baseball Card (#63 | Checklist), Tony Cloninger Miscellaneous Items of Interest. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Would you like to offer Tony Lee Cloninger Sr.s loved ones a condolence message? 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? 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 . 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. 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. Blogs; Online will; Shop. . Cloninger returned to pro ball was the longtime bullpen coach for the New York Yankees during their championship run. DENVER, N.C. (AP) Former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, perhaps best known for hitting two grand slams in a game, has died. We are sad to announce that on July 24, 2018 we had to say goodbye to Tony Lee Cloninger Sr. (Denver, North Carolina). 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 . Cloninger, who went on to have a 12-year major league career, died on Tuesday at age 77. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. 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. 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's also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The right-hander was 24-11 for Milwaukee in 1965, the club's last season before moving to Atlanta. Playing at Candlestick Park, Cloninger became the only pitcher to hit two grand slams in the same game. Funeral homes; Help and advice. He had worked as a consultant for the Boston Red Sox since 2002 and the team announced his death Saturday. 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? 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. ), First published on July 28, 2018 / 10:59 PM. Box 39, Denver, N.C. 28037. Cloninger finished up as a reliever with St. Louis in 1972. It was later that season, with a bat, that Cloninger put himself into the record book. 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. Mr. Tony Lee Cloninger, Sr., age 77, of Denver, passed away on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. [5][6][7], Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in Denver, North Carolina at the age of 77.[8].