BOSTON -- Tampa Bay pitcher Dewon Brazelton, who bounced from home to home with a twin brother who has cerebral palsy, will receive the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity through spirit, determination and courage.
The award is named for the promising Red Sox player whose career essentially ended when he was hit in the face by a pitch in 1967.
Brazelton and his brother, Fewon, grew up in Tullahoma, Tenn., living in four different homes. At 13, Dewon became involved with two local churches and families in the community who helped nurture him.
He was a baseball star with a 3.4 GPA at Middle Tennessee State University before being drafted by the Devil Rays with the third overall selection in 2001. He made his major-league debut in 2002 and went 6-8 with a 4.77 ERA in 22 games last season.
At 20, Conigliaro became the youngest player to lead a major-league team in home runs when he hit 32 in 1965. He reached 100 homers before his 23rd birthday.
But he was hit in the face by a pitch at Fenway Park on Aug. 18, 1967, missed the entire 1968 season and his career never recovered. Conigliaro died of a heart attack in 1990, and the Red Sox created the award in his memory. Past winners include Jim Eisenreich, Jim Abbott, Bo Jackson, Eric Davis and Bret Saberhagen.
Andres Galarraga, Jon Lieber, Chris Carpenter, Johnny Estrada and Brad Wilkerson also received votes from the 11-member panel this year.
Brazelton will receive the award at the annual dinner of the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America on Jan. 13.
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