Tony Cloninger

Tony Cloninger
Cloninger in 1962.
Pitcher
Born: August 13, 1940 Cherryville, North Carolina
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 15, 1961, for the Milwaukee Braves
Last MLB appearance
July 22, 1972, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	113–97
Earned run average	4.07
Strikeouts	1,120
Teams
As player Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1961–1968) Cincinnati Reds (1968–1971) St. Louis Cardinals (1972) As coach New York Yankees (1992–2001) Boston Red Sox (2002–2003)
Career highlights and awards
4× World Series champion (1996, 1998–2000)

Tony Lee Cloninger (born August 13, 1940), is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves (1961–68), the Cincinnati Reds (1968–71), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1972). He batted and threw right-handed.

Playing career

A power pitcher, Cloninger compiled a career 113–97 record with 1,120 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 1,767²⁄₃ innings pitched. 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).

Regarded as a tough fireball pitcher, Cloninger also was a dangerous power hitter. He compiled a career batting average of .192, with 67 RBIs and 11 home runs, including five in the 1966 season. On July 3, 1966, in the Braves' 17–3 win over the Giants at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Cloninger helped his team's cause with two grand slams and nine RBIs.^[1] Cloninger became the first player in the National League, and the only pitcher to date, to hit two grand slams in the same game.

Cloninger finished his career pitching with Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Coaching career

After retiring, he served as a bullpen coach for the New York Yankees (1992–2001), where he was a member of five American League champions and four World Series champion teams, and pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox (2002 through early 2003). He was forced to step down from the latter post when he underwent successful treatment for bladder cancer, which had been diagnosed in spring training.^[2] In 2015, Cloninger began his twelfth consecutive season as a player development consultant for the Red Sox.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
• List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders
• Baseball record holders

References

1. "Battery's history-making slams boost Giants".
2. Whisnant, Gabe, '"Cloninger Reflects on Tenure with Steinbrenner's Yankees", The Shelby Star, July 16, 2010

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube
• profile Baseball Library