Tony Conigliaro Award


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 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, held in January, by members of the Conigliaro family.

Award winners

^Indicates multiple award winners in the same year
Denotes player who is still active

YearPlayerTeamAdversity overcomeRef
1990Kansas City RoyalsTourette syndrome
1991Philadelphia PhilliesA 1984 beaning very similar to the one that shortened Conigliaro's career
1992California AngelsBorn without a right hand
1993Chicago White SoxHip replacement surgery in 1992
1994California AngelsDeath of 9-month-old son to spinal muscular atrophy during the offseason
1995Chicago White SoxDiagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma
1996Montreal ExposBorn deaf
1997Baltimore OriolesDiagnosed with colon cancer early that season
1998Boston Red SoxSerious shoulder injuries
1999Florida MarlinsTesticular cancer
2000Anaheim AngelsCerebral hemorrhage
2000Tampa Bay Devil RaysBroke arm while throwing a pitch
2001Montreal ExposArthroscopic shoulder surgery in 2000, and the death of his wife from Crohn's disease
2001Baltimore OriolesType 1 diabetes that required Johnson to wear an insulin pump on the field
2002Cincinnati RedsElbow injuries that required five surgeries and sidelined him for five years
2003Oakland AthleticsBorn with two club feet
2004Tampa Bay Devil RaysReconstructive knee surgery and Tommy John surgery while in high school
2005Colorado RockiesBlood clots in both lungs
2006Pittsburgh PiratesBorn with a club foot and a severely pigeon-toed foot
2007Boston Red SoxDiagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2006
2008Tampa Bay RaysDiagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that causes chronic muscle fatigue
2009St. Louis CardinalsHad Tommy John surgery and nerve problems in his throwing arm
2010Tampa Bay RaysSat out a year after a rotator cuff tear
2011Chicago CubsDiagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma as a child
2012New York MetsVictim of child sexual abuse, born without an ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm
2013Boston Red SoxUnderwent Tommy John surgery in 2012
2014Washington NationalsKidnapped in 2011, multiple injuries including a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a broken hamate bone, and repeated hamstring strains
2015St. Louis CardinalsDelayed baseball career five years while serving in the United States Navy; first Naval Academy graduate to make MLB debut since 1921
2016San Diego PadresDeath of his wife to cancer during the season, caring for their three young daughters
2017Colorado RockiesDiagnosed 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
2018Oakland AthleticsDeath of his mother to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2019Los Angeles DodgersNumerous arm injuries and the death of his son Brooks