Tony Conigliaro Award

Tony Conigliaro
A black-and-white photo of a man's head and chest. He is wearing a baseball cap with the letter "B" and a white baseball jersey that says "RED SOX", partially obscured.
Tony Conigliaro, the namesake of the award
Awarded forGiven 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.
Presented byBoston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America
History
First award1990
Most recentDaniel Bard, Colorado Rockies

The Tony Conigliaro Award is a national recognition instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honor the memory of Tony Conigliaro. It is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best "overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Conigliaro."

Conigliaro debuted with the Red Sox in 1964, and was selected to the MLB All-Star Game in the 1967 season. Subsequently, he was hit in the face by a pitch at Fenway Park on August 18, 1967. After missing the rest of the year and all of 1968, he made a comeback in 1969, homering on opening day. He then hit 20 home runs in that season, winning The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award. In 1970, he posted career highs in home runs with 36 and RBIs with 116, but vision problems continued to persist; his performance fell off, and he was never the same player. After a final comeback attempt in 1975, Conigliaro retired at age 30.

Conigliaro died in 1990, and the Red Sox instituted the award in his honor. A panel is composed of the media, representatives of the commissioner, and the two leagues' offices. The selection is made by a panel of voters and the award is presented at the annual dinner of the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), normally held in December or January, by members of the Conigliaro family.

Award winners

A man in a blue baseball jersey, a blue hat, and white pants stands on a pitcher's mound and prepares to throw a pitch.
Jim Abbott learned how to pitch and use a glove with only one hand.
A man in a grey baseball jersey that says "BOSTON" across the chest wearing a red long sleeve shirt underneath the jersey walks on the edge of grass and dirt.
Jon Lester helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series, one year after undergoing treatment for cancer.
^
Indicates multiple award winners in the same year
double-dagger
Denotes player who is still active
Year Player Team Adversity overcome Ref
1990 Jim Eisenreich Kansas City Royals Tourette syndrome
1991 Dickie Thon Philadelphia Phillies A 1984 beaning very similar to the one that shortened Conigliaro's career
1992 Jim Abbott California Angels Born without a right hand
1993 Bo Jackson Chicago White Sox Hip replacement surgery in 1992
1994 Mark Leiter California Angels Death of 9-month-old son to spinal muscular atrophy during the offseason
1995 Scott Radinsky Chicago White Sox Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma
1996 Curtis Pride Montreal Expos Born deaf
1997 Eric Davis Baltimore Orioles Diagnosed with colon cancer early that season
1998 Bret Saberhagen Boston Red Sox Serious shoulder injuries
1999 Mike Lowell Florida Marlins Testicular cancer
2000^ Kent Mercker Anaheim Angels Cerebral hemorrhage
2000^ Tony Saunders Tampa Bay Devil Rays Broke arm while throwing a pitch
2001^ Graeme Lloyd Montreal Expos Arthroscopic shoulder surgery in 2000, and the death of his wife from Crohn's disease
2001^ Jason Johnson Baltimore Orioles Type 1 diabetes that required Johnson to wear an insulin pump on the field
2002 José Rijo Cincinnati Reds Elbow injuries that required five surgeries and sidelined him for five years
2003 Jim Mecir Oakland Athletics Born with two club feet
2004 Dewon Brazelton Tampa Bay Devil Rays Reconstructive knee surgery and Tommy John surgery while in high school
2005 Aaron Cook Colorado Rockies Blood clots in both lungs
2006 Freddy Sanchez Pittsburgh Pirates Born with a club foot (right) and a severely pigeon-toed foot (left)
2007 Jon Lester Boston Red Sox Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2006
2008 Rocco Baldelli Tampa Bay Rays Diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that causes chronic muscle fatigue
2009 Chris Carpenter St. Louis Cardinals Had Tommy John surgery and nerve problems in his throwing arm
2010 Joaquín Benoit Tampa Bay Rays Sat out a year after a rotator cuff tear
2011 Tony Campana Chicago Cubs Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma as a child
2012 R. A. Dickey New York Mets Victim of child sexual abuse, born without an ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm
2013 John Lackey Boston Red Sox Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012
2014 Wilson Ramosdouble-dagger Washington Nationals Kidnapped in 2011, multiple injuries including a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a broken hamate bone, and repeated hamstring strains
2015 Mitch Harris St. Louis Cardinals Delayed baseball career five years while serving in the United States Navy; first Naval Academy graduate to make MLB debut since 1921
2016 Yangervis Solartedouble-dagger San Diego Padres Death of his wife to cancer during the season, caring for their three young daughters
2017 Chad Bettis Colorado Rockies Diagnosed with testicular cancer in November 2016, underwent surgery eight days later, went through chemotherapy until May 2017, and returned to baseball activities one month later
2018 Stephen Piscottydouble-dagger Oakland Athletics Death of his mother to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2019 Rich Hilldouble-dagger Los Angeles Dodgers Numerous arm injuries and the public announcement of the death of his son Brooks
2020 Daniel Barddouble-dagger Colorado Rockies Prior to the 2020 season, had last pitched in MLB in 2013 and had retired from professional baseball in 2017 due to control issues.
2021 Not yet awarded dagger

dagger The award is presented at the annual banquet of the Boston chapter of the BBWAA, which was not held in December 2021.

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-01-10 15:40 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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