Bumgarner’s second slam of season gets Tony Cloninger’s name back in the newspaper
A lot of people were sounding trumpets on Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner’s behalf after he hit his second grand slam of the season in San Francisco’s 8-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
The Big League Stew blog on Yahoo pointed out that Bumgarner became only the second pitcher in history to smack two grand salamis in the same season. It said Tony Cloninger of the Braves was the only other pitcher to do it, in 1966.
Right-o.
What it did not say is that Cloninger hit his two slams that season in the same game.
On July 3, 1966, Cloninger homered twice with maximum ducks on the pond during Atlanta’s 17-3 victory over San Francisco at Candelstick Park.
Two grand slams in the same game. By a pitcher.
Now that’s something really worth sounding trumpets about. And perhaps a French horn as well.