New York — The bitter Yankees-Red Sox rivalry took a backseat Tuesday. Boston honored a man in pinstripes for something far bigger than baseball.
New York Yankees left-hander Tim Hill received the 2025 Tony Conigliaro Award. The Red Sox announced the selection, recognizing Tim Hill for his courageous fight against Stage 3 colon cancer before reaching the majors.
Tim Hill becomes the first active Yankees player to earn this distinction in the award’s 35-year history. No Yankees reliever has ever received the honor.
“I am humbled and grateful to be recognized as this year’s recipient of the Tony Conigliaro Award,” Tim Hill said in a statement. “Tony’s story is one of determination and resilience, two qualities I have always admired. One thing I’ve learned is that a little inspiration along with determination can go a long way. This award itself is a reminder that setbacks don’t have to define you. I’d like to thank the committee and the Conigliaro family for this award and for continuing to honor Tony’s legacy.”
The disease that changed everything
The road to this honor began with heartbreak. Tim Hill lost his father, Jerry, to colon cancer in 2007. Tim was still in high school.
Seven years later, the Kansas City Royals selected the lefty in the 32nd round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Bacone College in Oklahoma.
But spring training in 2015 delivered devastating news. Tim Hill felt unusually exhausted during fitness tests. Blood work from his team physical raised red flags. Doctors ordered more testing.
They discovered Tim Hill had Lynch syndrome, an inherited disorder that increases cancer risk. The same condition had claimed his father’s life.
Then came the colonoscopy. At just 25 years old, Tim Hill received a Stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis. His projected survival rate sat between 65 and 75 percent.
Eight months of fighting
Tim Hill never threw a pitch in his first full professional season. Instead, he fought for his life.
The treatment stretched eight brutal months. He endured chemotherapy, radiation and surgery that removed half his colon. Tim Hill dropped from 220 pounds to roughly 150 pounds.
He later described it as the worst eight months of his life.
But Tim Hill refused to quit. He ate six to seven meals daily to regain weight. He completed online classes to earn his degree during treatment. By late 2016, doctors declared him cancer-free.
The long climb to the majors
Recovery meant rebuilding from scratch. Tim Hill returned to the minors in 2016 and made his major league debut with Kansas City in 2018. The path to the Yankees would take six more years.
The sidearm specialist bounced around the league. He pitched for the San Diego Padres from 2020 to 2023.
The Chicago White Sox signed him for 2024. That stint ended poorly. Chicago released him in June after he posted a 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances.
The Yankees claimed him days later. Everything changed in New York.
Finding a home in the Bronx
Tim Hill transformed into one of baseball’s most reliable relievers in pinstripes. His funky submarine delivery became a Yankees bullpen staple. The ground-ball approach gave hitters fits.
He posted a 2.05 ERA across 35 appearances for the Yankees down the stretch in 2024. The postseason brought even better results. Tim Hill allowed just one earned run in 10 Yankees playoff appearances.
New York brought him back on a one-year deal worth $2.85 million. Tim Hill rewarded the Yankees faith with his best full season yet.
The 35-year-old led the Yankees bullpen with 70 appearances in 2025. He finished with a 3.09 ERA across 67 innings pitched. Over his two seasons with New York, Tim Hill has combined for a 2.68 ERA in 105 games.
The Yankees exercised his $3 million club option to retain Tim Hill through 2026.
An award steeped in tragedy
The Conigliaro Award carries deep meaning. Boston created it in 1990 to honor players who overcome adversity through spirit, determination and courage.
Tony Conigliaro embodied those qualities. The Red Sox outfielder from Revere, Massachusetts, became a local legend in the 1960s. He homered in his first at-bat at Fenway Park in 1964 at just 19. By 22, he had reached 100 career home runs.
Then disaster struck. On Aug. 18, 1967, during Boston’s “Impossible Dream” season, a pitch struck Conigliaro in the face. The impact fractured his cheekbone, dislocated his jaw and severely damaged his retina.
He missed the rest of that season and all of 1968. Most thought his career was finished.
Conigliaro proved them wrong. He returned in 1969 and won Comeback Player of the Year. But lingering vision problems ended his career at 30. He died in February 1990 at 45.
He was an All-Star (1967), AL home run leader (1965), and finds a proud place in the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Joining an elite group
A 13-person committee selected Tim Hill from several candidates. The panel included Red Sox officials, MLB executives, media members and a Conigliaro family representative.
Past winners include cancer survivors Trey Mancini and Jon Lester. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey won after his 2012 Cy Young campaign with the Mets. One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott also received the honor.
A story that transcends rivalry
The Yankees and Red Sox compete fiercely each year. Their fans share little common ground.
But some things matter more than wins and losses. Tim Hill’s journey from cancer patient to Yankees reliever represents something universal.
The award bearing Tony Conigliaro’s name now belongs to a man in Yankees pinstripes. For one November day in Boston, that felt exactly right.
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