Gene Conley
Born: 11/10/1930 in Muskogee, OK, USA
Died: 7/4/2017 in Foxboro, MA, USA
MLB Debut: 1952-04-17 | Final Game: 1963-09-21
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'8" | Weight: 225 lbs
Full name: Donald Eugene Conley
Biography
Gene Conley was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1952 to 1963. Born in 1930, Conley made a significant impact on the game during an era marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively driven style of play. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 91 wins and 96 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.82. He recorded a total of 888 strikeouts and notched 9 saves, showcasing his ability not only as a starter but also in relief roles.
Conley was selected as an All-Star four times, highlighting his status as one of the top pitchers of his time. Known for his strong arm and competitive spirit, he contributed to various teams throughout his career, demonstrating versatility and resilience on the mound. His achievements in baseball were complemented by a successful stint in professional basketball, making him one of the few athletes to excel in two major sports. Gene Conley's legacy is remembered not just for his statistics but for his unique place in sports history as a dual-sport athlete during a transformative era in American athletics.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 96 | 276 | 214 | 69 | 13 | 9 | 1588.7 | 1606 | 674 | 162 | 511 | 888 | 3.82 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.7 | 23 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 7.82 | -1413.4 |
| 1954 | ATL | NL | 14 | 9 | 28 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 194.3 | 171 | 64 | 79 | 113 | 2.96 | - |
| 1955 | ATL | NL | 11 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 158.0 | 152 | 73 | 52 | 107 | 4.16 | - |
| 1956 | ATL | NL | 8 | 9 | 31 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 158.3 | 169 | 55 | 52 | 68 | 3.13 | - |
| 1957 | ATL | NL | 9 | 9 | 35 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 148.0 | 133 | 52 | 64 | 61 | 3.16 | - |
| 1958 | ATL | NL | 0 | 6 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 72.0 | 89 | 39 | 17 | 53 | 4.88 | - |
| 1959 | PHI | NL | 12 | 7 | 25 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 180.0 | 159 | 60 | 42 | 102 | 3.00 | 3843.5 |
| 1960 | PHI | NL | 8 | 14 | 29 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 183.3 | 192 | 75 | 42 | 117 | 3.68 | 5420.1 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 11 | 14 | 33 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 199.7 | 229 | 109 | 65 | 113 | 4.91 | -3045.4 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 15 | 14 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 241.7 | 238 | 106 | 68 | 134 | 3.95 | 219.6 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.7 | 51 | 30 | 21 | 14 | 6.64 | -1264.2 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 276 | 548 | 33 | 105 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 45 | 0 | 5 | 119 | 0.192 | 0.203 | 0.257 | 0.461 | -2611.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.400 | 0.0 |
| 1954 | ATL | NL | 28 | 77 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.156 | -714.3 |
| 1955 | ATL | NL | 22 | 54 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.204 | -374.8 |
| 1956 | ATL | NL | 31 | 45 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.156 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | ATL | NL | 35 | 46 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.196 | 0.0 |
| 1958 | ATL | NL | 26 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.188 | 0.0 |
| 1959 | PHI | NL | 25 | 67 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.239 | -306.2 |
| 1960 | PHI | NL | 29 | 63 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.127 | -545.0 |
| 1961 | BOS | AL | 33 | 73 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0.219 | -259.5 |
| 1962 | BOS | AL | 34 | 87 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 0.207 | -412.2 |
| 1963 | BOS | AL | 9 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | WS | ML1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10.80 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | WS | ML1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10.80 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 276 | 211 | 78 | 241 | 19 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | BSN | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954 | ML1 | P | 28 | 27 | 10 | 29 | 1 | 3 |
| 1955 | ML1 | P | 22 | 21 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956 | ML1 | P | 31 | 19 | 8 | 25 | 2 | 3 |
| 1957 | ML1 | P | 35 | 18 | 5 | 27 | 1 | 3 |
| 1958 | ML1 | P | 26 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | PHI | P | 25 | 22 | 9 | 29 | 2 | 2 |
| 1960 | PHI | P | 29 | 25 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 2 |
| 1961 | BOS | P | 33 | 30 | 12 | 28 | 2 | 2 |
| 1962 | BOS | P | 34 | 33 | 17 | 35 | 5 | 2 |
| 1963 | BOS | P | 9 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 276 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State University | Pullman | WA | 1950 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1954 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 23th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1954 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 3rd | 2.0 | 24 | 2 |