Tony C: How One Pitch Changed Everything for Tony Conigliaro
From hometown hero to American dream to Shakespearean tragedy, Tony Conigliaro lived them all before most finish college. His tale ranks near, if not at, the top of what could have been. A young Tony C at Yankee Stadium in 1964. (Getty Images) It’s difficult to fathom another American athlete from the 20th century who stood upon the mountaintop, ready to conquer their world — in this case professional baseball — only to have it taken away in less than a second. That’s how long the pitch took to travel from California Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton’s right hand to the…