BASEBALL & HORSES In 1965, a couple of big old boys walked into our western store. Because they were dressed in suits and ties, they really stood out. They introduced themselves as Tony Cloninger and Denis Menke with the Milwaukee Braves. Tony was a pitcher and Denny was a short stop. Seems their manager insisted that his players wear suits and ties when not in baseball uniform. Well, Tony was a good ole Southern boy from North Carolina, loved horses and had heard about our store. That day, there was a lot of horse talk, and before they left, they gave us tickets to the games they were playing in Houston on that trip. Let me tell you, the player’s seats are the best in the house, right behind home plate! Every day they were in town that trip, and any others that year, they came out to the store and had lunch with us. At Tony’s request, we took them to the ranch and showed them all our horses. That year, 1965, Tony was having the best year of his career, when he went 24-11, but sadly got no Cy Young votes because Sandy Koufax was pitched out of rotation and won 26 games. It was the end of the season and Tony ran out of games.
on my gentlest horses. They looked like “Neds in the first reader.” None of them had ever been on a horse’s back, and It was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud. Their big butts were all over the saddle—feet and legs everywhere. We got through that first day with them sitting their horses a lot better at the end of the lesson. We got in a couple more lessons before they left town that trip and they began to lose their grasshopper postures. The next year, 1966, the Braves moved to Atlanta and Tony made it into the record books. On July 3rd, in Candlestick Park, he hit two grand slams and drove in another run, for nine runs batted in, making him the only man—no less the only pitcher in National League history to do so. Tony roomed with Denis Menke, and he’d get up every morning and take batting practice with the team, something I’m told not many pitchers do. Denny was a strong hitter and hit his share of home runs. Tony gave him credit for making him a good hitter. On a trip to Houston, Tony asked us to find him a really good yearling stallion and bring him to Atlanta. We went out to Rob Brown’s in Throckmorton, Texas, where we saw a gorgeous palomino colt by Blue Gold and out of an Eddy/Hancock cross mare. I really wanted to keep that horse but had promised Tony a good one. That colt was, by far, the best I had seen all year. We bought him for Tony and took him to Atlanta. Tony was bitten by the horse bug, and he bought several more horses from us.
Our friendship grew, and on one trip to Houston, Tony asked if I would teach him to ride. OH MY GOD! A top athlete wanted me to teach him something athletic! I have never been so intimidated in my life, especially when he said that left-handed ace relief pitch1967 was really the end of Toer, Billy O’Dell and short ny’s career with the Braves. The stop, Denis Menke wanted opening game that year, the to join the lessons. Billy was manager started Tony and left nicknamed Digger, because Autographed 1967 Topps Card used with the him in for 13 innings. It was a cold he had a game stopped once permission of the Topps Company. miserable day and Tony pulled a to dig a hole in the pitcher’s shoulder muscle in addition to mound for his toe. I think he even had somebody bring contracting a virus that left him with a spot in one eye. a shovel out to the mound. Denis was taciturn but congenial. His wife and I became pretty good friends after When I asked why he didn’t move to the outfield since he he was traded to Houston and she had me teach her to was such a strong hitter, he told me that he was no good at any position with the spot in his eye. He couldn’t see the ride also. ball. He was traded to Cincinnati and still managed to conWell, the first lesson day arrived, and I was about to throw tribute nine wins to the 1970 National League Pennant. up until someone pointed out that these guys were very He was a bullpen coach for the Yankees and was pitching accustomed and receptive to instruction and training. My coach for the Boston Red Sox.. reticence really disappeared when I got all three mounted PatsHorseTales.com
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