Which Boston athlete has suffered the most in his career?

[SShoreFan 2.0]

In an attempt to right a wrong - I am posting this as an off shoot to the "Pierce a Celtic Til 2013" thread, which briefly stated that Paul Pierce may be the most suffering Boston Athlete of all time.  That statement got me thinking.......
Which Boston athlete has suffered the most in his (her?) career?


A lot of athletes come to mind way ahead of Paul Pierce.  Granted he was on some losing teams and had the whole stabbing incident, but who has suffered the most while a professional athlete while wearing a Boston (New England) uniform?

Steve Grogan?  Injuries, losing teams, fans turn on him and then love him.
Cam Neely?  Injuries, losing teams, almost winning and being forced to retire.
Ted Williams?  Greatness in front of empty stadiums, career interrupted by 2 wars, fights w/ the press?

Thoughts?

[Donoghus]

Tony Conigliaro.

Hometown boy playing for the Sox.  At the time, he was the youngest player ever to reach 100 homeruns. Rookie of the year.

Got beaned in '67 and you could argue his absence contributed to the Sox just coming up short in that year's World Series against the Cardinals.

He was never the same and was prematurely out of the game.  Ended up with health complications the rest of his life and died at 45

Really sad story.

[nickagneta]

Bill Russell and the racial issues he faced in this town were deplorable. Deficating on his bed and trashing his house in Reading simply because he was a black man in a rich white neighborhood is something not one other player in the history of Boston sports has had to suffer.

[zerophase]

bill russell suffered the most mentally through discrimination, but pierce suffered more physically through his stabbing.

[ChampKind]

I'd go with Cam Neely, but all in all he was pretty blessed overall.  Steve Grogan?  Maybe.  Looks like you and I have the same ideas, SShore.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

bill russell suffered the most mentally through discrimination, but pierce suffered more physically through his stabbing.

The situations of Russell and Pierce are night and day different.  There's been a ton of athletes who have been in bar altercations in this city (Bird, Neely, Hart Lee Dykes, Mo Vaughn, etc). 

When I think of suffering, I think of on field failures, greatness not realized for a myriad of reasons, lack of fan support, etc... 

[Rondo2287]

Curtis Leskanic. Former closer and relief pitcher for the boston red sox during 2004.  Phenomenal stuff but never caught on anywhere.  Never got his fare share of credit for the job he did out of the pen in 04.  I still have my, "No need to panic, we have Leskanic." T-shirt. 

[JSD]

Ray Bourque has 21 years in Boston with no ring. That has to count for somthing

[JSD]

Tony Conigliaro.

Hometown boy playing for the Sox.  At the time, he was the youngest player ever to reach 100 homeruns. Rookie of the year.

Got beaned in '67 and you could argue his absence contributed to the Sox just coming up short in that year's World Series against the Cardinals.

He was never the same and was prematurely out of the game.  Ended up with health complications the rest of his life and died at 45

Really sad story.

TP, Right after I thought of Bourque I thought of Tony C...


Steve Buckley is that you?

[blackbird]

Well, I have certainly suffered, since none of the area teams will even give me a workout, and at 34 I have to admit at this point that they probably never will...

But I'm going to go with former Sox pitcher Bryce Florie, since his injury was one of the scariest, bloodiest, most gruesome things I've ever seen. And it effectively ended his career since he was a nervous wreck on the mound after that.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Well, I have certainly suffered, since none of the area teams will even give me a workout, and at 34 I have to admit at this point that they probably never will...

But I'm going to go with former Sox pitcher Bryce Florie, since his injury was one of the scariest, bloodiest, most gruesome things I've ever seen. And it effectively ended his career since he was a nervous wreck on the mound after that.

I cringed when I read Bryce Florie (Same goes for Tony C).  Anyone remember when Dwight Evans was also knocked unconscious by a pitch?

[Kuberski33]

Depends how you want to define 'suffering'.  Just on field or off field.

On field Bourque or Carl Yastrzemski who in addition to never winning a title -- and coming incredibly close -- was booed, often mercilessly, by Sox fans from I believe '68 to '73 or '74.  Plus he was hammered in the media.  Was once called 'an All Star from the neck down' by a manager -- not sure if it was Dick Williams.

Off field, take your pick with Tony C, Normand Leveillier, Travis Roy, Reggie Lewis, there are a bunch who had some bad stuff happen to them.

[jay_jay54]

Bill Russell and the racial issues he faced in this town were deplorable. Deficating on his bed and trashing his house in Reading simply because he was a black man in a rich white neighborhood is something not one other player in the history of Boston sports has had to suffer.

Good point Nick,as i have heard over the years from different people across the nation,  still view Boston professional sports,the fans,media,etc. as being prejudice towards their blk athletics,(outside the arenas).Even though times have changed,and people have come full circle with others,the stigmas lives on.(imo) Ive  felt Paul Pierce has been lowballed and passed over because he's a Celtic,(by the media).Even though the incidents to Russell were many years ago,the effects may still lingere,or lingered for years.Ashame,if its true,how people(mainly the media),uses pro sports to fuel  something that should be a nonsport issue.Nick,have you ever asked yourself this question,"how would MJ's career turned out,if he had been a Celtic during his best yrs.(taking Bird out of the equation),or would he have gotten the media attn,and acalades the same way as a Celtic player?I don't think so,and maybe Paul Pierce would have gotten more attn,and been in more visable stuff over the years,if he had been in a different media market or in a city more minority based ?Just questions ive asked myself,and others have brought it up to me over the yrs.,because at one time,Pierce was probably in the top 3 best players in the league.He's no slouch today,but he never got the attn i felt he deserved in his youth by the media. 

[Hoops]

Based on events "on the field," who has suffered more than Billy Buckner?

[Redz]

If we're looking historically, Tony C. would rank up there for real life stuff.

Sports wise, Yaz would have to rank up there.  He was so [dang] clutch, then got stuck with pop outs to end two of the biggest games of his career.