Gene Conley
From SoSH
| Born: | November 10, 1930 |
| Birthplace: | Muskogee, Oklahoma |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 6' 8" |
| Weight: | 225 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1951: Amateur Free Agent by the Boston Braves |
| College: | Washington State University |
| High School: | Columbia HS (WA) |
| Other Teams: | Boston Braves 1952 Milwaukee Braves 1954-58 Philadelphia Phillies 1959-60 |
| Years with Boston: | 1961-1963 |
Donald Eugene "Gene" Conley (born November 10, 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) pitched 11 seasons in the major leagues for the Braves, Phillies and Red Sox between 1952 and 1963.
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Overall Career
Signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Braves in 1951, Conley won 14 games for Milwaukee in 1954 and finished third behind Wally Moon and Ernie Banks in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting.
The Braves traded Conley to the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 1959 season. That season, Conley would go on to lead the league in ERA+ (137) and was selected to his third All-Star Game.
The Boston Red Sox acquired Conley in the 1960 offseason for Frank Sullivan. In his second season with Boston, the tall lanky right-hander won a career-high 15 games. For his career, Conley finished with a 91-96 record, 9 saves, 888 strikeouts and a 3.82 ERA in 1588.2 innings.
Conley's Moments in the Sun
- July 12, 1955: Braves pitcher Gene Conley strikes out the side in the top of the 12th inning of the 1955 All-Star Game in Milwaukee. In the bottom of the frame, Stan Musial homers off Boston's Frank Sullivan, earning Conley the win.
- August 15, 1961: Conley tosses a complete game six-hit shutout in a 8-0 Red Sox victory over the Cleveland Indians. Conley adds a solo homer for good measure, while Frank Malzone goes 5-for-5 with a pair of homers, and Jackie Jensen and Carroll Hardy hit back-to-back jacks in the 5th. [1]
Awards
- 3-time National League All-Star (1954, 1955 and 1959).
- 2-time Minor League Player of the Year (1951, 1953).
Trivia
- Conley won both a World Series title in 1957 with the Milwaukee Braves and three NBA titles with the Boston Celtics in 1959, 1960, and 1961.
- Conley was the first man to win the Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year award twice, doing so in 1951 with Hartford of the Eastern League and in 1953 with Toledo of the American Association.
Transactions
- Before 1951 Season: Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent.
- March 31, 1959: Traded by the Milwaukee Braves with Harry Hanebrink and Joe Koppe to the Philadelphia Phillies for Johnny O'Brien, Ted Kazanski, and Stan Lopata.
- December 15, 1960: Traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Red Sox for Frank Sullivan.
- April 25, 1964: Released by the Boston Red Sox.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
