View source for Tony Cloninger

{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (1940–2018)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Tony Cloninger
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|image=Tony Cloninger 1962.png
|caption=Cloninger in 1962.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1940|8|13}}
|birth_place=[[Cherryville, North Carolina]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2018|7|24|1940|8|13}}
|death_place=[[Denver, North Carolina]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 15
|debutyear=1961
|debutteam=Milwaukee Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 22
|finalyear=1972
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=113–97
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.07
|stat3label=[[Strikeouts]]
|stat3value=1,120
|teams=
;As player
* [[Atlanta Braves|Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves]] ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1968}})
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1968}}–{{mlby|1971}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1972}})
;As coach
* [[New York Yankees]] ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|2001}})
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|2002}}–{{mlby|2003}})
|highlights=
* 4× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1996}}, {{wsy|1998}}–{{wsy|2000}})
}}

'''Tony Lee Cloninger''' (August 13, 1940 – July 24, 2018) was an American professional [[baseball]] player and [[Coach (baseball)|coach]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a right-handed [[pitcher]] from {{By|1961}} through {{By|1972}} for the [[Atlanta Braves|Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves]], [[Cincinnati Reds]] and the [[St. Louis Cardinals]].

==Playing career==
A power pitcher, Cloninger compiled a career 113–97 record with 1,120 [[strikeout]]s and a 4.07 [[earned run average|ERA]] in 1,767{{fraction|2|3}} [[innings pitched]]. He enjoyed his best year for the 1965 Braves, with career highs in [[Win (baseball statistics)|wins]] (24), strikeouts (211), ERA (3.29), [[complete game]]s (16), innings (279) and [[games started]] (40).

Regarded as a tough fireball pitcher, Cloninger also was an occasional power hitter. He compiled a career [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] of .192, with 67 [[runs batted in|RBIs]] and 11 [[home run]]s, including five in the 1966 season.

On July 3, 1966, in the Braves' 17–3 win over the [[San Francisco Giants|Giants]] at [[Candlestick Park]] in San Francisco, Cloninger helped his team's cause with two [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slams]] and nine RBIs, both of which still stand as Braves franchise single-game bests.<ref>{{cite web |title=Single Game Records - Atlanta Braves |url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/history/single-game-records |website=MLB.com |access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref>  Cloninger became the first player in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]], and remains the only pitcher, to hit [[List of Major League Baseball hitters with two grand slams in one game|two grand slams in the same game]]. Cloninger used a bat of teammate [[Denis Menke]] to hit both home runs, and they stood as the only two grand slams of his major league career.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tony Cloninger Stats |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=clonito01 |website=Baseball Almanac |access-date=3 October 2020}}</ref>

Cloninger finished his career pitching with Cincinnati and St. Louis. He was acquired along with [[Clay Carroll]] and [[Woody Woodward]] by the Reds from the Atlanta Braves for [[Milt Pappas]], [[Bob Johnson (infielder)|Bob Johnson]] and [[Ted Davidson]] on June 11, 1968.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28272634/the-cincinnati-enquirer/ "Pappas Traded in Big Deal for Atlanta Pitcher," ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'', Wednesday, June 12, 1968.] Retrieved April 30, 2020</ref>

==Coaching career==
After retiring, Cloninger served as a [[coach (baseball)|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.

In 2002, he became the [[coach (baseball)|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.<ref>[http://www.shelbystar.com/sports/cloninger-48236-yankees-reflects.html Whisnant, Gabe, '"Cloninger Reflects on Tenure with Steinbrenner's Yankees", ''The Shelby Star'', July 16, 2010]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721000538/http://www.shelbystar.com/sports/cloninger-48236-yankees-reflects.html |date=July 21, 2010 }}</ref> In 2004, Cloninger became a player development consultant for the Red Sox, serving for almost 15 consecutive seasons until his death.

As Red Sox pitching coach, Cloninger was ejected from a game in 2002 against the [[Baltimore Orioles]].  After two batters were hit by pitches, fights broke out and benches cleared.  At one point, Cloninger, age 61 at the time, grabbed Orioles' catcher [[Brook Fordyce]] in a headlock.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Christensen |first1=Joe |title=O's, Red Sox clear benches, but not the air |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2002-07-29-0207290162-story.html |access-date=31 July 2020 |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=29 July 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MLB Photo Gallery |url=http://www.mlb.com/mlb/photogallery/photos_best/page_08.jsp |website=MLB.com |access-date=31 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Orioles, Red Sox empty benches |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOFnmRJnxsk  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/GOFnmRJnxsk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |access-date=31 July 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Death==
Cloninger died on July 24, 2018, in [[Denver, North Carolina]] at the age of 77.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Richard |title=Local athletic icon Tony Cloninger dies at 77 |url=http://www.gastongazette.com/sports/20180726/local-athletic-icon-tony-cloninger-dies-at-77 |website=GastonGazette.com |access-date=July 27, 2018 |date=July 26, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning]]
* [[Baseball record holders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Baseballstats |mlb=112412 |espn=20235 |br=c/clonito01 |fangraphs=1002359 |brm=clonin001ton |retro=C/Pclont101 }}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|76a4cb2f}}
*{{Find a Grave|191691694}}
:

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=[[New York Yankees]] [[coach (baseball)|bullpen coach]]|before=[[Marc Hill]]|years=1992–2001|after=[[Tom Nieto]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[Boston Red Sox]] [[coach (baseball)|pitching coach]]|before=[[Ralph Treuel]]|years=2002–2003|after=[[Dave Wallace (baseball)|Dave Wallace]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{1996 New York Yankees}}
{{1998 New York Yankees}}
{{1999 New York Yankees}}
{{2000 New York Yankees}}
{{Atlanta Braves Opening Day starting pitchers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloninger, Tony}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Atlanta Braves players]]
[[Category:Baseball coaches from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox coaches]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Eau Claire Braves players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Braves players]]
[[Category:Louisville Colonels (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball bullpen coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitching coaches]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Braves players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:New York Yankees coaches]]
[[Category:People from Cherryville, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Gaston County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Richmond Braves players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]