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TONY CONIGLIARO - THE TRAGIC BASEBALL STORY
Tony Conigliaro was the quintessential Boston ballplayer. Born in Revere, Massachusetts on January 7th 1945, toward the end of World War II, Conigliaro rose rapidly to stardom.
He hit a home run in his first major league game. For the season, he hit .290 with 24 home runs over the first five months, but after breaking his arm in August, he saw the Rookie of the Year award go to Minnesota's Tony Oliva. When Conigliaro hit 32 homers the following season, he become, at age 20, the youngest home run champion in the history of the American League. He had also become the youngest person to reach 100 homers.
But Tony C's life would never be the same after August 18, 1967. During a night game at Fenway Park, Conigliaro was hit in the face by a fastball from California Angels' pitcher Jack Hamilton. He suffered a broken cheekbone and temporarily lost the sight in his left eye, causing him to miss the 1968 season. Conigliaro returned in 1969, winning the Comeback Player of the Year award. In '70, he belted 36 homers and it appeared, his career was back on track. But vision problems continued to bother him and he left the big leagues in 1971. He attempted a brief comeback in 1975 but it failed.
In 1982, Conigliaro suffered a heart attack while returning from an audition for the Red Sox telecasts. He was never the same and on February 24, 1990, this seemingly indestructible hero died.
Submitted by Lance
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