Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro

by David Cataneo

As the budding baseball superstar for the Boston Red Sox in 1967, Tony Conigliaro became the youngest major league player to hit 100 home runs, a record he still holds. He was on his way to becoming baseball's new hero until, after three short years, he was struck in the head by an errant pitch that nearly killed him. Because the blow damaged his keen eyesight, Tony's baseball career suddenly ended. In Tony The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro, author David Cataneo writes of the tragic end to Tony C's baseball career, and his triumph over losing his dreams by becoming a sportscaster on the west coast. Tony seemed to be on top again with a good job, good looks, and good friends. But tragedy struck again in 1982 when Tony, only 37, suffered a massive heart attack that damaged his brain and confined him to a wheelchair. Tony Conigliaro's life seems to have been full of tragedy and Tony The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro is filled with remembrances from Tony's family, friends, and former Red Sox teammates. This extensively researched book, which includes rare photographs, provides the intimate details of Conigliaro's life, both on and off the baseball field. Tony The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro is a powerful human drama that will leave you with a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[James]

Heart-wrenching. Absolutely heart-wrenching.

There really should be a movie made about Tony’s life. Triumph and tragedies, this book tells it all, as seen by those who were closest to Tony Conigliaro.

[Richard]

When I was a kid, Tony Conigliaro was my favorite baseball player. I remember riding in my parents car with the game playing on the radio when in 1967 he got hit in the eye by a Jack Hamilton fastball. Despite a couple of comebacks, he was never the same. Then after he'd retired, he suffered a heart attack at age 37 that left him in a vegetative state until he died eight years later. It's one of the saddest stories in sports. This book, somewhat on the thin side, does set straight a number of rumors. Even after his first comeback, Conigliaro's vision varied, so that in 1970, three years after he got beaned, he saw well enough to hit 36 home runs and 116 RBIs. The next year, it worsened again, and he had to retire again (He was out of baseball all of 1968). Also, I assumed his heart attack was the result of drugs, but Conigliaro was a relative teetotaler, shunning drugs and rarely drinking. Throughout his life in sports, he worked as hard as anyone to stay in top shape. This book probably won't make you feel better, but if you remember how exciting Conigliaro was to watch, you'll want to relive those days. It's also a reminder that life doesn't always turn out as planned, or as it should.

[Chaim Wachtel]

Truly a tragic story, well worth reading

I am a Yankee fan, born after Tony C. got hit. I had heard the story, seen the pictures, but didn't really know the complete story. This book tells the story of a young man, fulfilling every kid's dream.. and then one pitch ruined it... Well written, and worth reading

[Mike Boyer]

A great baseball read

I really enjoyed this book even though it dealt a lot with Tony C’s struggles after his baseball injury and health issues. Very detailed. Baseball side stories abound. Tough book to put down. Kudos to the author. A very detailed account.

[Jeff Moyer]

Good book about an exceptional baseball player

Covers a lot about Tony C that didn't not growing in that era or being a Red Sox fan. Joyful yet sad story of unrealized promise.

[Lance]

When a baseball fan hears the name “Tony Conigliaro” the first thought that comes to mind that his story is a tragedy – he was young, talented, good-looking, a heartthrob to young women, and was playing for his hometown Boston Red Sox when he was struck in the eye by a pitch in August 1967. While he came back to play baseball after recovering from the injury, he was never the same player again. His story is told in this biography by sportswriter David Cataneo.

The book is well researched and the reader will have a complete picture of Conigliaro’s life, not just his baseball career or the events of that fateful plate appearance. His high school and minor league success is well documented, as is his love for his high school sweetheart. He lived the life of a playboy off the field, and on the field he is portrayed as a cocky, self-assured young man, and then goes out and backs up his bravado with outstanding play.

The narrative is very supportive of Tony and portrays him in a very favorable light in most instances. Even in situations that one may question his actions or why he thinks in the manner he did, Cataneo explains why this happened and frames it in a way that will make the reader take Conigliaro’s side in nearly every case. I didn’t think it was necessary in every case and one in particular, why Conigliaro would never shake the hand or speak to the pitcher who threw the pitch that hit him, Jack Hamilton, the writing seemed to be making excuses for Conigliaro’s behavior. I also thought that the author was too critical of others who did not approve of Conigliaro’s behavior, such as Red Sox manager Dick Williams. While Williams had a well-deserved reputation of being hard on his players, this is another case where the author seemed to be taking one side of the dispute and not clearly illustrating why Williams was acting the way he was.

Nonetheless, the overall quality of the book is fine and well worth the time to read, mainly because Cataneo does a very good job of covering the entire story of Conigliaro. In fact, I thought some of the best writing came later in the book after Conigliaro’s playing days were through. It was here when the previous thoughts I had about objectivity didn’t matter as Cataneo writes poignantly about Canigliaro’s last years.

Readers who were fans of Conigliaro and the Red Sox in the 1960’s will especially enjoy reading this book. If the reader wishes to learn more about this player whose career was cut short by an errant pitch, this is one to pick up.

I wish to thank Summer Game Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[J.D. Enright]

Good and thorough

I'll be honest, I got this due to a great price, but also out of curiosity. Growing up a Red Sox fan, many are familiar with the "tragedy" of Tony Conigliaro's life. How he was this gifted young slugger, a local boy who at 22 had his career destroyed by a single pitch. This paints a different picture, a very thorough one through interviews with family and friends, of Tony C's meteoric rise,his fateful injury, his determination to recover from a beaning that nearly killed him, his amazing comeback in 1969 and 1970, his first retirement following a unwanted trade to California, his second abbreviated attempt at a comeback in 1975, and his post-playing career and sad end eight years after a heart attack in 1982. While Tony C's story ends sadly, there is plenty of inspiration, especially in his first comeback attempt. And the book makes one re-think of his story as a "tragedy."

[Jim Noyes]

one of my earliest grammar school friends were cousins of the Conigliaro's, nad I remember sitting in my dining room listening to the Red Sox-Angels game the night he was hit by the pitch. this book does not disappoint, a very good story of a hard luck guy.

[Andrew Coiner]

What might have been...

A kind-hearted and detailed look at the life and death of Bostonian Tony Conigliaro, an upcoming baseball star whose career and life were altered by an errant pitch.

[Evan]

I forgot if I read this or not. I think I did. Poor poor Tony...

No, I'm pretty sure I did.

yeah.

[Terry]

Wow! I looked forward to reading this, and it did
not disappoint. A very tragic tale. Will never forget
reading this book. Or Tony C!