“Now batting number 25, Tony Conigliaro, Conigliaro.” Sherm Feller

The saga of Tony Conigliaro and his impact upon the Red Sox, Fenway Park and the Fenway Faithful would not be complete without an epilogue, as I wrote in the first story of Conig, he is a classic Shakespearian tragic hero. There are four books written about him, one of them his,

One written by Robert Rubin http://www.amazon.com/Tony-Conigliaro-Despair-Robert-Rubin/dp/B000NP8V4E/ref=sr_1_sc_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326355573&sr=1-3-spell

One written by David Cataneo http://www.amazon.com/Tony-Triumph-Tragedy-Conigliaro/dp/1558536590/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326319813&sr=1-1

And one recently released by Bruce Fitzpatrick which will soon make its way to the big screen. http://www.amazon.com/Tony-Conigliaro-Story-1/dp/1468019708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326320228&sr=1-1

Tony C still matters!

Following Tony’s death in February of 1990, the Red Sox announced the establishment of The Tony Conigliaro Award to forevermore honor his memory. 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.” Among its winners has been Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester who overcame non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006.

Jon Lester 2007.

Tony C still matters…..

Since his passing, there has been those among the Fenway Faithful who believe his number 25 should be retired to the facade of Red Sox immortals in right field. The Red Sox have been steadfast in their criteria for that honor and it has included election into the Major League Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Carlton Fisk unveils Pesky’s number 6.

However, in September of 2008, the Red Sox made an exception to that criteria and retired the number 6 of the legendary Johnny Pesky. This has increased the number of those who believe Tony C should be so honored, because,

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.

Tony C still matters.

New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, himself a young player trying to make it while Tony was nearing the end, has chosen to wear Tony’s number 25 in his honor. A gesture that has many a Red Sox fan pleased that the new skipper seems to “get” what Tony means to them, and that’s because,

Tony C still matters.

So when Bobby Valentine’s tenure is through and he peels off the number 25 for the last time, the Red Sox should place it on that right field facade. An ever-present reminder that greatness is eternally worth striving towards but it can also be fleeting and can be stolen away in less than a heartbeat! An ever-present reminder of the urgency of this life and what a precious gift it is and not a moment, not one single instant, should be squandered.

And if the Red Sox choose to not follow that course, it won’t really matter, but Tony C….. Tony C will still matter…..Tony C will always matter!

And so it is on this day in Fenway Park history, January 13, 2012.

About fenwaypark100

Hello and welcome, my name is Raymond Sinibaldi. An educator for more than two decades, a baseball fan for nearly 60 years, I have authored four books about baseball and her glorious history; with a fifth on the way in late spring of 2015; the first, The Babe in Red Stockings which was co-authored with Kerry Keene and David Hickey. It is a chronicle of Babe's days with the Red Sox. We also penned a screenplay about Babe's Red Sox days so if any of you are Hollywood inclined or would like to represent us in forwarding that effort feel free to contact me through my email. In 2012 we three amigos published Images of Fenway Park in honor of the 100th birthday of Fenway Park. That led to the creation of this blog. The following year, 2013 came my first solo venture, Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota. This is a pictorial history of spring training in those two Florida cities. The spring of 2014 brought forth the 1967 Red Sox, The Impossible Dream Season. The title speaks for itself and it also is a pictorial history. Many of the photos in this book were never published before. The spring of 2015 will bring 1975 Red Sox, American League Champions. Another pictorial effort, this will be about the Red Sox championship season of 1975 and the World Series that restored baseball in America. I was fortunate enough to consult with sculptor Franc Talarico on the “Jimmy Fund” statue of Ted Williams which stands outside both Fenway Park and Jet Blue Park Fenway South, in Fort Myers Florida. That story is contained in the near 300 posts which are contained herein. This blog has been dormant for awhile but 2015 will bring it back to life so jump on board, pass the word and feel free to contact me about anything you read or ideas you may have for a topic. Thanks for stopping by, poke around and enjoy. Autographed copies of all my books are available here, simply click on Raymond Sinibaldi and email me.

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