Tony Cloninger

Tony Cloninger
Cloninger in 1962.
Pitcher
Born: August 13, 1940 (1940-08-13) 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
Career statistics
Win-Loss record	113-97
Earned run average	4.07
Strikeouts	1120
Teams
Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1961-1968) Cincinnati Reds (1968-1971) St. Louis Cardinals (1972)

Tony Lee Cloninger (born August 13, 1940 in Cherryville, North Carolina), 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.

A power pitcher, Cloninger compiled a career 113-97 record with 1,120 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA in 1,767.2 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 RBI and 11 home runs, including five in the 1966 season. On July 3, 1966, in a 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. Cloninger became the first player in the National League, and only pitcher to date, to hit two grand slams in the same game.

Cloninger finished his career pitching with Cincinnati and St. Louis. 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 champions) 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. In 2010, Cloninger began his seventh consecutive season as a player development consultant for the Red Sox.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• Batters with two grand slams in the same baseball game
• Baseball record holders

External links

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

References

Preceded by Ralph Treuel

Boston Red Sox Pitching Coach 2002-2003

Succeeded by Dave Wallace