Tony Conigliaro Award on Baseball Almanac

Tony Conigliaro Award

The Tony Conigliaro Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who best overcomes a major, often life altering obstacle and continues to thrive through the adversity.

Conigliaro played for the Boston Red Sox and he was a truly gifted player until he was hit on the cheek with a fastball thrown by Jack Hamilton. Tony returned to the lineup a year and a half later, hit another twenty home runs, had thirty-six the year after, but was forced to retire due to his eyesight being permanently damaged.

Conigliaro died in 1990, eight years after a debilitating heart attack, at the age of forty-five and the Tony Conigliaro Award has been given annually in honor of his life.

"Young men on the fast track to Cooperstown, all derailed before their promise was fulfilled. Players like Herb Score and Tony Conigliaro were never the same after being hit in the head; Pete Reiser ran into a few too many outfield fences; J.R. Richard suffered a stroke; Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash... great expectations shattered by fate." - Jeff Silverman

Tony Conigliaro Award In Chronological Order
Year	Name^(Quantity)	Team^(Quantity)	Position
1991	Bret Saberhagen⁽¹⁾	Kansas City Royals⁽¹⁾	P
1992	Scott Radinsky⁽¹⁾	Chicago White Sox⁽¹⁾	P
1993	Curtis Pride⁽¹⁾	Montreal Expos⁽¹⁾	OF
1994	Mark Leiter⁽¹⁾	California Angels⁽¹⁾	P
1995	Bo Jackson⁽¹⁾	- Retired -	-
1996	Jim Eisenreich⁽¹⁾	Philadelphia Phillies⁽¹⁾	OF
1997	Eric Davis⁽¹⁾	Baltimore Orioles⁽¹⁾	OF
1998	Jim Abbott⁽¹⁾	Chicago White Sox⁽²⁾	P
1999	Mike Lowell⁽¹⁾	Florida Marlins⁽¹⁾	3B
2000	Kent Mercker⁽¹⁾	Anaheim Angels⁽²⁾	P
2000	Tony Saunders⁽¹⁾	Tampa Bay Devil Rays⁽¹⁾	P
2001	Jason Johnson⁽¹⁾	Baltimore Orioles⁽²⁾	P
2001	Graeme Lloyd⁽¹⁾	Montreal Expos⁽²⁾	P
2002	Jose Rijo⁽¹⁾	Cincinnati Reds⁽¹⁾	P
2003	Jim Mecir⁽¹⁾	Oakland Athletics⁽¹⁾	P
2004	Dewon Brazelton⁽¹⁾	Tampa Bay Devil Rays⁽²⁾	P
2005	Aaron Cook⁽¹⁾	Colorado Rockies⁽¹⁾	P
2006	Freddy Sanchez⁽¹⁾	Pittsburgh Pirates⁽¹⁾	3B
2007	Jon Lester⁽¹⁾	Boston Red Sox⁽¹⁾	P
2008	Not Yet Annouced^(12-2008)	--	--
Year	Name^(Quantity)	Team^(Quantity)	Position
Tony Conigliaro Award

Did you know that Tony Conigliaro holds the Major League record for most home runs hit by a teenage player with twenty-four long balls?

In 1965 Tony Conigliaro led the American League in home runs with thirty-two while Willie Mays led the National League with fifty-two.

Mike Lowell, who won the Tony Conigliaro Award in 1999, had testicular cancer and surgery was performed on February 21, 1999. He returned to the lineup on May 29, 1999, and hit .253 as a rookie with twelve home runs and forty-seven runs batted in.

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