Bases loaded, three runs in, two out, and Atlanta Braves 24-year-old pitcher Tony Cloninger, facing San Franciso Giants’ Bob Priddy, just wanting to hit the ball hard somewhere and increase the 3-0, first inning lead.
“I wanted to hit a line drive and hopefully drive in a run or two to add to our lead, “said Cloninger, now 75, via a phone interview earlier this week.
That line drive went over the head of future hall of famer Willie Mays and over the centerfield fence 410 feet away from home plate and the Braves led the host Giants, 7-0, on a usual windy afternoon in Candlestick Park.
* Grand Slam No.1
Fourth inning and same scenario as the Lincoln County, N.C. native came to the plate with bases loaded thanks to a two-out walk by teammate Denis Menke, who had also walked with two out in the first.
This time, Cloninger hit a line drive home run off Ray Sadecki over the right field fence for a 13-0 lead and the Braves went on to a 1-3 victory.
* Grand Slam No.2
Cloninger, who had hit two home runs in a game against the New York Mets earlier in the season, had just become the first National League player to ever hit two grand slams in one game joining four American League players who had also accomplished this fete including the first - former New York Yankee hall of famer Tony “Poosh ‘Em Up” Lazzeri in 1936 - and the most recent at the time, Jim Gentile (Baltimore) in 1961.
“After the game teammates Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron kidded me about finally listening to them about the art of hitting,” said Cloninger with a laugh who improved his record to 9-7 and had won his sixth game in his last seven starts.
“My locker was in between their lockers that season and all I did was listen to them and try to pick up some batting tips.”
Cloninger must have listened well that season as he hit .234 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.
53 Wins in Three Seasons: “I am glad to talk about the two grand slams that Sunday afternoon, but I am most proud of my 53 wins in three seasons (19 in 1964, 24 in 1965 and 14 in 1966) before I hurt my arm,” Cloninger stated.
The hard throwing right hander broke into the major leagues at 20 - June 15, 1961 - against those same San Francisco Giants losing that game, but ended with a 7-2 season record.
Best Season: The last year the Braves played in Milwaukee was Cloninger’s best as he was 24-11, second in the Bigs in wins behind Sandy Koufax (26) and ahead of future hall of famers Don Drysdale (23), Juan Marichal (22) and Bob Gibson (20).Tony C. was also sixth in complete games (16) and 10th in strikeouts (211).
Arm Injury Hurts Career: “I started the first game ever played in Atlanta in 1966, and I pitched all 13 innings in a losing cause on a cool April night.
“What probably hurt my arm the most was pitching four days later and I never re-gained my form from 1964 and 1965.”
Dreaming of Being a Pitcher: “I grew up on a cotton farm in North Carolina and loved my family, but did not want to pick cotton for living,” he stated.
“I played for the local VFW team when I was 13 and my coach Ralph Connor moved me from catcher to pitcher when he saw I was throwing the ball harder back to the pitchers than they were throwing to me,” stated Cloninger with a laugh.
“Coach Cotton was a great coach, taught me a lot about the game and kept me grounded and focused on the game.”
That focus was evident as Cloninger later pitched a perfect game for Rock Springs High School, played American Legion ball in the summers and at 17 signed a $100,000 bonus contract with the Braves right out of high school.
Cloninger had a scholarship offer to play baseball and basketball (29 ppg avg as a high school senior) for North Carolina, but he knew his ticket to the major leagues was baseball.
“I needed to help take care of my family and that $100,000 signing bonus was important.”
Next Stop – The D Leagues: Cloninger did well for the Midland (Texas) Braves of the Sophomore League that summer as he was 9-2
Friends For Life: While being shipped half way across the country to pitch for Midland – who would win the Sophomore League that season – he met a roommate and lifelong friend in Denis Menke, another 17-year-old farm boy from Iowa.
“I signed for $100,000 (May 23, 1958) and he signed four days later for $150,000 and we played our first summer of minor league ball together in Texas,” stated Cloninger who turns 76 in August.
Three Make the Bigs: The only three players from the six teams in the Sophomore League in 1958 who made it to the major leagues were Cloninger, Menke and Midland pitcher Cecil Butler who played eight years in the minors and was 2-0 with Milwaukee in 1962.
“Denis and I were roommates for a couple of years in the minors and five years with Braves and we are still good friends today. Interestingly, he batted eighth and I batted ninth the day I hit the two grand slams and he walked both times with two outs to give me the opportunity to make history.”
Tough Second Season: In 1959, Cloninger played for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was 0-9, but righted the ship later that season with an 8-6 record for the Boise (Idaho) Braves and champions of the Pioneer League - Tony C’s second league crown before he was 20. The Braves were led by a 20-year-old from South Carolina, Leslie Bass who was 21-3 that season and won 62 games in five years from D ball to AA ball, but never made the Bigs.
“Our manager in Boise was Billy Smith who was a player-manager for us had a good attitude, knew how the game was to be played and worked well with the younger players,” Cloninger said.
Quail Hunting: “I loved my big league career and playing in the big cities (Milwaukee, Atlanta, Cincinnati, St. Louis), but as soon as the season was over I was back to North Carolina and back to the farm.
“Two of my best friends from the Braves are Henry Aaron who I still go quail hunting with often and Denis who now lives in Florida.”
So for the 17-year-old North Carolina farm boy who came from a high school graduating class of 37 to learn to throw a baseball good enough to sign a big time bonus and one who never lost sight of his roots so as to take care of his family, was able to write his name in the baseball record books on a Sunday afternoon by the bay 50 years ago today.
Priceless.
Happy 4th of July Tony Cloninger.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net