by Joe Pickering, Jr., FN BoardBobby Valentine, the new coach of our Red Sox, is wearing No. 25 in honor of Tony Conigliaro with whom he played many years ago. Wonderful tribute! Bobby hopes that Tony C's number will be retired. Well, he and several other million Red Sox Fans want the same thing! There was something about Tony C that excited all of us. His drive, his competitiveness, and restless energy. He was an amazing player who had, if not for that tragic beaning, would be in the Hall of Fame. Yet, Tony C is in a more important Hall of Fame...the Hall of Fame of Courage! God rest his soul. This is my song about him that I wrote in 2007. Of all my songs, this song is one of my all time favorites. May his memory live on in our hearts for as long as our hearts beat.
TONY C
AT FENWAY PARK IN THE YEAR NINETEEN SIXTYFOUR
A TRIBUTE WAS HELD TO JFK MURDERED MONTHS BEFORE
WITH THE KENNEDY FAMILY IN THE STANDS THAT DAY
TONY C HOMERED ON THE FIRST PITCH HE SAW AT FENWAY
CHORUS
THOUGH HE’S GONE TONY C LIVES ON
IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO SAW HIM PLAY
IN HIS GOLDEN MOMENTS THERE AT FENWAY
TONY C TONY C YOU’RE WITH US TODAY
BORN IN REVERE, PLAYED BALL FOR ST. MARY’S OF LYNN
FROM THE START KNOWN FOR HIS FIERCE DESIRE TO WIN
ONE YEAR IN THE MINORS WHERE HE WON THE M.V.P.
HE STORMED INTO THE MAJORS THAT WAS TONY C
MOST HOMERS BY A TEEN A MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD STILL
YOUNGEST HOME RUN CHAMP, HIT 100 SECOND NEVER HAD HIS FILL
TONY C HUGGED HOME PLATE CLOSER THAN HIS GIRL FRIEND
DESPITE BROKEN BONES HIS GUTSY PLAY WOULDN’T END
HIS EGO’S HALF THE REASON HE HITS LIKE HE DOES
BILLY HERMAN SAID DETERMINED, DRIVEN THAT’S WHO HE WAS
THE MICK SAID HIS FIELDING WAS REAL CLOSE TO AL KALINE
THE HALL OF FAME RIGHTFIELDER WHO WAS SUBLIME
REPEAT CHORUS
WITH HOLLYWOOD LOOKS TONY C HAD SUPER APPEAL
HE EVEN SANG AND HAD AN RCA RECORD DEAL!
HIS BIGGEST HIT A SONG CALLED PLAYING THE FIELD
HE WAS A BIGGER HIT AT FENWAY ON THE FIELD!
A JACK HAMILTON FASTBALL SMASHED INTO HIS FACE
PARTIAL BLINDNESS STOPPED HIS HALL OF FAME CHASE
NOT BEFORE HE WON A.L. COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ON BASEBALL’S FIELD OF DREAMS TONY C HAD NO FEAR
PESKY HAS HIS PESKY POLE, TONY C CONIG’S CORNER
RIGHT FIELD BLEACHER DECK NAMED IN HIS HONOR
TONY C DIED IN SALEM, MASS AT THE AGE FORTYFIVE
IN THE MEMORY OF RED SOX FANS HE’S ALIVE
REPEAT CHORUS:
Joe Pickering Jr. Songwriter King of the Road Music BMI C 2007 Copyright owner Phil Coley Producer and Singer (From the Cd Baseball Songs Sports Heroes 2 and available as a single on digital download. www.kingoftheroadmusic.com)