RIP - Tony Cloninger

Former Braves' pitching ace Tony Cloninger passed away on July 24, 2018 at age 77.

Cloninger was the Braves' ace for the few years between the Warren Spahn and Phil Niekro eras, but may be most remembered for hitting 2 grand slams in the same game on July 3, 1966.

He played for the Braves from 1961-68, then was traded to the Reds in the June 1968 deal that sent Milt Pappas to the Braves. After 3 1/2 seasons with the Reds, Cloninger pitched briefly for the Cardinals in 1972.

After his playing career, Cloninger coached for the Yankees for 9 seasons during the Joe Torre regime, and then worked for the Red Sox for the past 15 years.

New York Times obituary

WLOS-13 obituary
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