Tony Cloninger

I want to wish former major league pitcher Tony Cloninger, born seventy-one years ago today, the happiest of birthdays.

           Atlanta Braves Pitcher Tony Cloninger

Tony Cloninger pitched for three teams during his twelve-year career, and enjoyed his greatest success while playing for the Braves. He is a member of a very exclusive baseball fraternity: successful pitchers who were also very good hitters.

Cloninger’s first major success came in 1964 while pitching for a Milwaukee Braves team that finished fifth in what was then a ten-team league. The stocky, 6 foot tall right-handed pitcher posted 19 wins against 14 losses, with a 3.56 ERA that year. He was even better in 1965 when he pitched 279 innings, had 24 wins against 11 losses, stuck out an average of just under seven batters per game all while achieving a career best 3.29 ERA. The Braves franchise relocated to Atlanta for the 1966 season, a year that included several classic Tony Cloninger moments.

This is a ticket to the first ever Atlanta Braves home game.

The home town fans, new to the Braves and just getting to know them, must have been thrilled when on Thursday, June 16, 1966, Cloninger’s pitching and hitting propelled the Braves to a 17 to 1 drubbing of the New York Mets. In the third inning Cloninger stepped up to the plate with two men on base and no one out. Hitting from his customary right side, he promptly clobbered an offering from Mets pitcher Dave Eilers for a home run, knocking in three runs in the process. In his next at bat, in the bottom of the fourth inning, he hit a single to left field, but at least this time the bases were empty. That wasn’t the case in the bottom of the sixth inning when Cloninger strode to the plate once again, this time stepping in against Mets relief pitcher Larry Bernarth. I remember Bernarth very well, not only because of his ever-present, earnest facial expressions, but also because he autographed a game-day program for me, which was quite a thrill back in the day.

Speaking of thrills, I’m sure Cloninger enjoyed his after hitting a Bernarth pitch for his second home run of the game, knocking in two more runs. By then the score was 15 to 1 and if I was watching this game back then, by this time I probably thought I was watching a rerun. Again. Cloninger’s line for the day included 5 at bats, 2 runs scored, 3 hits, of which 2 were home runs, and 5 runs batted in. Add this to his work on the mound which included 9 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 earned run and 4 strikeouts and what you have is a pretty good day at the office.

It’s possible that some of you are thinking that anyone could have been pitched and hit successfully against the 1966 New York Mets. How did Cloninger fare against a very good team, such as the San Francisco Giants? These were the Giants who finished in second place, with a record of 96 wins and 68 losses. Their lineup included stars such as Jim Ray Hart, Willie Mays, Jim Davenport, Willie McCovey, Tom Haller, Jesus Alou, Hal Lanier and several very good, secondary players. Of the seven names I mentioned, five were All Stars at one point in their careers, and two of them are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pitching for the Giants that day was Joe Gibbon, and while he was not a spectacular performer, he was an effective one who posted a 3.67 ERA that year. About two and a half weeks after flattening the Mets, the mighty Giants got to face the one-man wrecking crew for themselves. What happened?

On Sunday, July 3, 1966, Tony Cloninger had one of the most phenomenal games anyone has had in the history of baseball. In it he hit 2 Grand Slams and drove in a total of 9 runs as the Braves annihilated the Giants at Candlestick, 17 to 3. Cloninger’s first grand slam came in the top of the first inning off Bob Priddy, who had already taken over the pitching duties from the beleaguered Gibbon. His second grand slam was hit off Ray Sadecki, who was a very good pitcher. In his 5 at bats that day he had 3 hits, scored 2 runs and knocked in 9 runs. In addition to his hitting exploits, Cloninger pitched a complete game in which he surrendered 7 hits, 3 earned runs and struck out 5 batters. As for his teammates that day, they hit like voters do in a Chicago election, early and often. The Braves employed 20 hits to score 7 runs in the first, 1 in the second, 5 in the fourth, 1 in the fifth, 1 in the eighth and 2 in the ninth.

On that long ago Sunday afternoon, Tony Cloninger set two major-league records that stand to this day. He holds the record for most grand slams hit by a pitcher in one game, with 2; and for runs batter in by a pitcher in one game, with 9. It was the 1966 season that marked the mid-point of his career in the big leagues. While he would not have as much success in the back half of his career as he did in the first, Tony Cloninger’s lifetime record of 113 wins and 97 losses is very respectable. Add in special performances such as those I’ve recalled here and it adds up to a very impressive resume. In my opinion, as long as there is baseball and fans who enjoy it, Cloninger’s truly special performances will be remembered. I hope these few words make it easier for them to do so.

So, Tony Cloninger, Happy Birthday once again. This post is for you.