Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro

Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro

The only thing believable about the story of Tony Conigliaro is that it happened. He grew up in the shadows of Fenway Park, and smashed a long home run in his first at bat there at the age of 19. He led the American League in homers at age 21, and at 22 become the youngest player in AL history to reach 100 home runs.
Then, as a key member of the 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox, disaster struck in the form of a fastball to the face. Tony C's season was over; he was fortunate his life was not. He sat out 1968, but worked his way back to a huge season in 1970, with 36 HR and 118 RBI.
But things were not right. His vision was deteriorating. In the winter of 1970, the Red Sox dealt him to the Angels. Did they sense a problem, or was the ego of megastar Carl Yastrzemski the catalyst?
By 1972, Conigliaro was out of baseball. He couldn't see. But he wouldn't quit, and he fought his way back again, making the 1975 Red Sox - their next World Series team - as Designated Hitter. But the devastation from that beanball was too great, and Conigiaro by June of 1975 he was forced to retire again, this time for good.
Nevertheless, Tony C. remained immensely popular in Boston. He turned to announcing and opened a successful restaurant. But then, in the winter of 1982, while driving with his brother, Conigliaro suffered a heart attack. He slipped into a coma from which he never emerged, lived on for years in a vegetative state, until finally passing away in 1990.
TONY C., by Boston sportswriter David Cataneo, takes readers through the incredible life and tragic demise of the iconic Red Sox player, from his early years as the brash hot shot, with "Ted Williams confidence," to his success on the field, and then through the injury, the elation of a second life, and the horror of his deteriorating vision.
Tony C. also covers in depth the thrilling off-the field life of the slugging right fielder. Conigliaro had no shortage of female companionship, nor did he ever back down from confrontations with Yastremski or any of his other teammates, He was also known to battle with his unyielding and sometime seemingly unfeeling manager, Dick Williams.
Tony C also had a successful run as a pop singer in the mid-1960s, and when his career as a slugger fell into doubt, he pursued a career in karate and tried to make it as a pitcher, showing some success on that front.
No other book on Tony Conigliaro matches this one for its detail on the incredible highs and lows of his career as a ballplayer, or his wild and at times desperate life away from the game. And no other book provides a more intimate look inside the head and heart of the beloved and tragic character known simply as â€œTony C.â€
Country USA
Manufacturer Summer Game Books
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-04-06
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Summer Game Books
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-04-06
Format	Kindle eBook

Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro

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