Red Sox left-handed pitcher Cam Booser, who overcame alcohol abuse, injuries, and a bicycling accident, is set to receive the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity. Booser, who made his major-league debut this season at nearly 32 years old after leaving a career in construction, said, “To have my name in the same conversation as Tony Conigliaro is something that I will always hold close. This is truly humbling.”
The Tony Conigliaro Award, named after the former Boston outfielder, recognizes a player who has faced adversity and showed “spirit, determination, and courage,” qualities that were known to define Tony C. Other players who received votes for the award include Kansas City right-hander Lucas Erceg, Atlanta lefty Chris Sale, Oakland righty Mason Miller, Baltimore righty Albert Suárez, and Cleveland lefty Matthew Boyd.
Past winners of the award include Jim Eisenreich, Bo Jackson, and Curtis Pride. Red Sox players who have previously won the award include Bret Saberhagen, Jon Lester, and John Lackey.
The award is decided by a committee made up of Red Sox and Major League Baseball officials, media members, and a representative from the Conigliaro family.
Booser had retired from baseball in 2017 at the age of 25 after struggling with alcohol abuse and injuries. These included a broken leg, broken vertebrae, Tommy John surgery, a torn labrum, and a broken back from being hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He joined a carpenters union and worked in construction, but he began throwing off a mound again in late 2020.
Booser played in independent leagues in 2021, spent time with the Diamondbacks in 2022, and signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox last year. He made 48 relief appearances for Triple-A Worcester in 2023. The Red Sox called him up to the major leagues on April 19, and he closed out a victory in his debut against Pittsburgh that night.
For the 2023 season, Booser had a 3.38 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings over 43 games, including a 15-game streak without allowing a run.
Tony Conigliaro, a native of the Boston area, made his major-league debut in 1964 at the age of 19 and homered in his first at-bat at Fenway Park. In his second season, he became the youngest player to lead the league in home runs with 32. By the age of 22, he had hit 100 home runs, making him the youngest in American League history.
In 1967, Conigliaro was hit in the face by a pitch, which fractured his cheekbone, dislocated his jaw, and damaged his retina. After missing all of 1968, he returned to play for two more seasons with the Red Sox, but vision problems forced him to retire. He suffered a heart attack in 1982 and passed away eight years later at the age of 45. The Tony Conigliaro Award has been presented annually since his death.
