Gene Conley
Encyclopedia
Donald Eugene Conley (born November 10, 1930) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played eleven seasons from to for four different teams. Conley also played forward in the 1952-1953 season
and from 1958
to 1964
for two teams in the National Basketball Association
. He is best known for being the only person to win championships in two of the four major American sports, one with the Milwaukee Braves
in the 1957 World Series
and three Boston Celtics
championships from 1959-61.
Conley was the winning pitcher
in the 1955 All-Star Game
and was selected for the 1954 and 1959 games.
In 11 seasons pitching for the Braves, Phillies
and Red Sox
, Conley posted a 91-96 with 888 strikeout
s and a 3.82 ERA
in 1588.2 innings
.
. While still young, his family moved to Richland, Washington
. He attended Richland High School where he played multiple sports. He reached the all-state team in baseball
, and basketball
, and was the state champion in the high jump
. Conley attended Washington State University
, where in 1950, he led Washington State to a second place national rank in college baseball
. In basketball, Conley was twice selected honorable mention to the All-America
team, leading the team in scoring with 20 points per game.
During the summer, Conley pitched semi-professional baseball in Walla Walla, Washington
, in which scouts from almost every Major League Baseball
team came to recruit him. He also was getting contract offers to play professional basketball from the Minneapolis Lakers
and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks
. At first he declined the offers, saying that his family doesn't want him to sign any professional contracts until he finished school. But the offers were getting bigger, and in August of he signed a professional contract with the Boston Braves
for a $3,000 bonus.
In 1949, he married. They are still married and have three children and seven grandchildren.
in and was assigned to Hartford of the Eastern League by the request of former Braves star Tommy Holmes
, who was managing the club. After a month, Conley had a record of five wins and only one loss and was praised by observers in the league, saying that he had the best fastball since former pitcher Van Lingle Mungo
played in the league in . On June 10, he threw a one-hitter against Schenectady Blue Jays
, giving up the lone hit in the seventh inning. Holmes was promoted to manager of the Braves on June 25, and was replaced by future Baseball Hall of Famer Travis Jackson
.
By August 1, Conley had a record of 16 wins, with only three losses, leading the league. He was unanimously selected to the Eastern League All-Star team on August 29 He received the Eastern League MVP award that season, after he became the first player in Hartford history to win twenty games in a single season.
In the beginning of the season, Conley, along with fellow rookies George Crowe
and Eddie Mathews
, was invited to spring training, with a chance of making the roster. Around that time, the United States Army
was drafting for the Korean War
. Many major and minor league players were selected to fight in the war, depleting team rosters. Conley was deferred because of his height (6'8'), which was above the Army maximum height for a soldier.
of the struggling American Basketball League
Conley played in the National Basketball Association for six seasons - four seasons for the Boston Celtics and two for the New York Knickerbockers. Conley helped more in a back-up role as a strong rebounder averaging 6.3 rebounds per game in only 16.5 minutes of playing time.
"When I look back, I don't know how I did it, I really don't," Conley said. "I think I was having so much fun that it kept me going. I can't remember a teammate I didn't enjoy."
company in Boston, Massachusetts. After a year working there, the owner of the duct tape company died. Conley later founded his own paper company, Foxboro Paper Company, in which he owned for 36 years until he retired from the business.
Conley lived in Clermont, Florida
until December 2009, where he played golf
and watched the Orlando Magic
play in his free time. He moved to his vacation home in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
in 2010. In 2004, his wife released a biography of him, called One of a Kind, which chronicled his life in both baseball and basketball and how his family dealt with him being gone for most of the year.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played eleven seasons from to for four different teams. Conley also played forward in the 1952-1953 season
1952-53 NBA season
The 1952–53 NBA Season was the 7th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
and from 1958
1958-59 NBA season
The 1958–59 NBA Season was the 13th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Minneapolis Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals....
to 1964
1963-64 NBA season
The 1963–64 NBA season was the 18th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 6th straight NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals....
for two teams in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He is best known for being the only person to win championships in two of the four major American sports, one with the Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 1957 World Series
1957 World Series
The 1957 World Series featured the defending champions, the New York Yankees , playing against the Milwaukee Braves . After finishing just one game behind the N.L. Champion Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, the Braves came back in 1957 to win their first pennant since moving from Boston in 1953...
and three Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
championships from 1959-61.
Conley was the winning pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the 1955 All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and was selected for the 1954 and 1959 games.
In 11 seasons pitching for the Braves, Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Conley posted a 91-96 with 888 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 3.82 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 1588.2 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Early life
Conley was born in Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
. While still young, his family moved to Richland, Washington
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
. He attended Richland High School where he played multiple sports. He reached the all-state team in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and was the state champion in the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. Conley attended Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, where in 1950, he led Washington State to a second place national rank in college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
. In basketball, Conley was twice selected honorable mention to the All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
team, leading the team in scoring with 20 points per game.
During the summer, Conley pitched semi-professional baseball in Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, in which scouts from almost every Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team came to recruit him. He also was getting contract offers to play professional basketball from the Minneapolis Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. At first he declined the offers, saying that his family doesn't want him to sign any professional contracts until he finished school. But the offers were getting bigger, and in August of he signed a professional contract with the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for a $3,000 bonus.
In 1949, he married. They are still married and have three children and seven grandchildren.
Minor league career
Conley attended spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in and was assigned to Hartford of the Eastern League by the request of former Braves star Tommy Holmes
Tommy Holmes
Thomas Francis Holmes was an American right and center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Boston Braves...
, who was managing the club. After a month, Conley had a record of five wins and only one loss and was praised by observers in the league, saying that he had the best fastball since former pitcher Van Lingle Mungo
Van Lingle Mungo
Van Lingle Mungo was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher known for his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mungo played for the Dodgers from to . At the end of his baseball career, he played with the New York Giants....
played in the league in . On June 10, he threw a one-hitter against Schenectady Blue Jays
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, giving up the lone hit in the seventh inning. Holmes was promoted to manager of the Braves on June 25, and was replaced by future Baseball Hall of Famer Travis Jackson
Travis Jackson
Travis Calvin Jackson was a Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s. His exceptional range at shortstop led to the nickname "Stonewall."...
.
By August 1, Conley had a record of 16 wins, with only three losses, leading the league. He was unanimously selected to the Eastern League All-Star team on August 29 He received the Eastern League MVP award that season, after he became the first player in Hartford history to win twenty games in a single season.
In the beginning of the season, Conley, along with fellow rookies George Crowe
George Crowe
George Daniel Crowe was a Major League first baseman. He attended Franklin High School in Franklin, Indiana, graduated from Indiana Central College, now the University of Indianapolis, in 1943 and played baseball and basketball. He was the first Indiana "Mr. Basketball"...
and Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
, was invited to spring training, with a chance of making the roster. Around that time, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
was drafting for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Many major and minor league players were selected to fight in the war, depleting team rosters. Conley was deferred because of his height (6'8'), which was above the Army maximum height for a soldier.
Professional basketball career
In the middle of his first season of professional baseball, Conley agreed to sign with the Wilkes-Barre BaronsWilkes-Barre Barons
The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a legendary basketball team from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.The Barons played between 1933 and 1972 in different American leagues. The team won 11 titles during this time, and the most memorable are those were won while playing in the American Basketball League and the...
of the struggling American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
The American Basketball League was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States...
Conley played in the National Basketball Association for six seasons - four seasons for the Boston Celtics and two for the New York Knickerbockers. Conley helped more in a back-up role as a strong rebounder averaging 6.3 rebounds per game in only 16.5 minutes of playing time.
"When I look back, I don't know how I did it, I really don't," Conley said. "I think I was having so much fun that it kept me going. I can't remember a teammate I didn't enjoy."
Retirement
After his retirement from professional sports, Conley started working for a duct tapeDuct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
company in Boston, Massachusetts. After a year working there, the owner of the duct tape company died. Conley later founded his own paper company, Foxboro Paper Company, in which he owned for 36 years until he retired from the business.
Conley lived in Clermont, Florida
Clermont, Florida
Clermont is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando. The population was 13,100 in 2008. The city is essentially residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, and food and beverage establishments, which are tourism oriented. The historic...
until December 2009, where he played golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and watched the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
play in his free time. He moved to his vacation home in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in 2010. In 2004, his wife released a biography of him, called One of a Kind, which chronicled his life in both baseball and basketball and how his family dealt with him being gone for most of the year.
External links
- Baseball Library
- Baseball Reference
- Basketball-Reference.com: Gene Conley
- Conley had twice as much fun at The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...