Tony Conigliaro Award

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The Tony Conigliaro Award is a national award instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honor the memory of their former star Tony Conigliaro. It is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Conigliaro. His promising career was tragically shortened when he was hit in the face by a pitch at Fenway Park on August 18, 1967. He made a dramatic comeback in 1969, hitting 56 home runs with 198 RBI in two seasons, but his performance fell off and he was never the same player.

A special panel is composed of the media, representatives of the commissioner and the two leagues' offices. Tony's brothers Billy and Richie, and a fan, make the selection. Announcement of the award is made at the annual major league winter meetings in December and the formal presentation takes place at the Boston Baseball Writers Association dinner in January.

This is the list of the players honored with the Tony Conigliaro Award, including the specific adversities they had to overcome:

1990

• Jim Eisenreich
  • Tourette syndrome

1991

• Dickie Thon
  • Recovered from a beaning in 1984 very similar to the one that shortened Conigliaro's career

1992

• Jim Abbott
  • Born without a right hand

1993

• Bo Jackson
  • Came back from hip replacement surgery in 1992

1994

• Mark Leiter
  • Lost 9-month-old son to Werdnig-Hoffman disease during offseason

1995

• Scott Radinsky
  • Came back from Hodgkin's disease

1996

• Curtis Pride
  • Deaf from birth

1997

• Eric Davis
  • Came back after diagnosis of colon cancer early that season

1998

• Bret Saberhagen
  • Came back from serious shoulder injuries

1999

• Mike Lowell
  • Came back from testicular cancer

2000

• Kent Mercker and Tony Saunders
  • Mercker came back from cerebral hemorrhage
  • Saunders came back from breaking his arm while throwing a pitch

2001

• Graeme Lloyd and Jason Johnson
  • Lloyd's wife suffered from Crohn's disease, which would cause her death in 2004
  • Johnson is a Type 1 diabetic who wears an insulin pump on the field

2002

• José Rijo
  • Came back after five years out of baseball with serious elbow injuries

2003

• Jim Mecir
  • Born with two club feet

2004

• Dewon Brazelton
  • Underwent reconstructive knee surgery and Tommy John surgery before graduating from high school

2005

• Aaron Cook
  • Came back after surgery in 2004 to remove blood clots from both lungs

2006

• Freddy Sanchez
  • Born with a right club foot and a severely pigeon-toed left foot

[edit] Resource

• 2004 Boston Red Sox Media Guide