Gene Conley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Conley |
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Conley in 1961
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| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: November 10, 1930 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| Died: July 4, 2017 (aged 86) Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| April 17, 1952, for the Boston Braves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 21, 1963, for the Boston Red Sox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 91–96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.82 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 888 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Donald Eugene Conley (born November 10, 1930 – died July 4, 2017) was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He was a pitcher for four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1952 to 1963. Conley also played as a forward for two teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1952 to 1964.
Gene Conley is one of only two people to win championships in two of the four major American sports. He won a World Series with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957. He also won three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics from 1959 to 1961.
Contents
Early Life and College
Gene Conley was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. His family later moved to Richland, Washington. He went to Richland High School. There, he was a star in many sports. He was chosen for the all-state team in both baseball and basketball. He also won the state championship in the high jump.
Conley went to Washington State University. In 1950, he played on the Cougar baseball team. They made it to the 1950 College World Series. In basketball, Conley was a top player. He led his team in scoring, averaging 20 points per game. He was also named to the All-America team twice.
During the summer, Conley played semi-professional baseball. Scouts from almost every Major League Baseball team came to watch him. He also received offers to play professional basketball. In August 1950, he signed a contract with the Boston Braves.
Minor League Baseball
Conley went to spring training in 1951. He was sent to a team in the Eastern League. After just one month, he had a great record of five wins and only one loss. People said he had one of the best fastballs they had seen in years. On June 10, he almost pitched a no-hitter. He gave up only one hit in the seventh inning.
By August 1, Conley had 16 wins and only three losses. He was the best pitcher in the league. He was chosen for the Eastern League All-Star team. He also won the Eastern League MVP award. He was the first player in his team's history to win twenty games in one season.
In 1952, Conley was invited to spring training with the Boston Braves. This was a chance to make the main team. Many players were being drafted for the Korean War. Conley was not drafted because he was very tall (6 feet 8 inches). This was above the Army's height limit for soldiers.
Major League Baseball Career
Conley made his first Major League Baseball appearance on April 17, 1952. He played for the Boston Braves against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced famous players like Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider. Conley lost his first game and his next three starts. He finished the season with no wins and four losses.
He returned to the major leagues in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves. He had a strong season, winning 14 games and losing 9. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team. He also finished third in the Rookie of the Year award voting.
In 1955, Conley was again named to the All-Star team. He finished that season with 11 wins and 7 losses. He continued to pitch for the Braves until 1959.
World Series Champion
In 1957, Conley played in the 1957 World Series against the New York Yankees. The Braves won the series in seven games. This was a big achievement for Conley and his team.
In 1959, Conley was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He made his third All-Star team that year. He won 12 games and lost 7. His season ended early in August when he broke his hand after being hit by a pitch.
Boston Red Sox
In 1960, the Phillies traded Conley to the Boston Red Sox. When he played for the Red Sox in 1961, he became the first athlete to play for three professional teams in the same city. He had played for the Boston Braves and the Boston Celtics before.
Conley played three seasons with the Red Sox until 1963. He won 29 games and lost 32. His last game was on September 21, 1963. In his 11 seasons, Conley had 91 wins and 96 losses. He had 888 strikeouts.
Conley was a good hitter for a pitcher. He hit 5 home runs and had 45 RBI. He was the winning pitcher in the 1955 All-Star Game. He was the last living player to have played for both the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves.
Professional Basketball Career
While playing baseball, Conley also signed with a basketball team. In 1952, the Boston Celtics chose Conley in the NBA draft. He played 39 games as a rookie in the 1952–53 NBA season. He played about 12 minutes per game for the Celtics.
After five years away to focus on baseball, Conley returned to the Celtics in 1958. He played about 13 minutes per game. The Celtics won the NBA finals that year, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers. Conley averaged 4.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Conley had his best year with the Celtics the next season. He played almost 19 minutes per game. He scored 6.7 points and grabbed 8.3 rebounds on average. The Celtics won the NBA championship again.
Conley played on one more championship Celtics team in the 1960–61 season. They defeated the St. Louis Hawks. Conley then joined the New York Knicks. He averaged 9.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 70 games during the 1962–63 season.
In his six seasons in the NBA, Conley averaged 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. His jersey number, 17, was later given to John Havlicek. It was then retired by the Celtics to honor Havlicek's career.
Conley once said, "When I look back, I don't know how I did it. I think I was having so much fun that it kept me going."
Gene Conley is one of only 13 athletes to have played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
Retirement
After he stopped playing professional sports, Gene Conley worked for a duct tape company. After a year, the owner of the company passed away. Conley then started his own paper company, Foxboro Paper Company. He owned this company for 36 years before he retired from business.
The Washington Sports Hall of Fame added Conley to its list of famous athletes in 1979.
Conley lived in Clermont, Florida, for many years. He enjoyed playing golf and watching the Orlando Magic basketball team. In 2010, he moved to his vacation home in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.
Gene Conley died on July 4, 2017, at his home in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He passed away from congestive heart failure.
Personal Life
Gene Conley's mother was from the Cherokee tribe. She was 6 feet 2 inches tall. Gene was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
In 1951, Conley married Kathryn Dizney. They had three children and seven grandchildren. In 2004, his wife wrote a book about Conley's life. It was called One of a Kind. The book talked about his careers in baseball and basketball. It also shared how his family managed with him being away for most of the year.
In 1962, Conley made headlines for a funny incident. He and teammate Pumpsie Green got off a Red Sox team bus in New York City traffic to find a restroom. The bus driver then drove away without them! Conley later said, "We got off and went in this bar, and when we came back out, Pumpsie said, 'Hey, that bus is gone,' and I said, 'We are, too!'" Conley and Green checked into a hotel. Green rejoined the team the next day. Conley took a short break and even tried to fly to Jerusalem. The Red Sox owner, Tom Yawkey, fined him, but later gave the money back because Conley worked hard for the team.
See also
In Spanish: Gene Conley para niños
