On July 11, 1971, Tony Conigliaro retired from baseball after several attempts to overcome a serious eye injury. At the age of 19, Tony exploded onto the scene as a rookie with the Red Sox in 1964 with 20 HRs and immediately stole the hearts of all Red Sox fans. He followed a great rookie season with even a greater sophomore season in 1965 leading the league in HRs with 32, the most ever by a player his age, and 82 RBIs. It ended on August 18, 1967, when he was hit in the face with a fastball that fractured his left cheekbone and caused permanent damage to his eye. He tried several comebacks starting in 1969 with some success but was not able to realize his early accomplishments. Except for some cameo at bats for the Red Sox in 1975, his last comeback attempt was in 1971 with the California Angels, but the strain of playing with such a handicap forced him to retire at the age of 26. To honor Tony C following his premature death in 1990 the Red Sox wore black arm bands during the 1990 season. Each year the Tony Conigliaro Award is given to the player who has overcome an obstacle and adversity.
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Tony C was terrific 👏 He was first in the fans' eyes because of his good looks, and his Fenway-friendly, smooth right-handed swing. He made girls` hearts swoon, and Sox fans thrilled. His life was another twisted deviation on a made-for-Hollywood movie. New Englanders who lived through it will never forget the life and legacy of Tony C.