Conigliaro was born in Revere, Massachusetts, on August 15, 1947.[1] His father, Sal, was employed at a tool and die shop and was eventually promoted to plant manager. Both he and his wife, Teresa, inspired their sons to pursue baseball.[2] Conigliaro attended Swampscott High School,[1] where he graduated as a three-sport star. He threw a no-hitter against Winthrop High School in April 1964, several days after his brother Tony made his major league debut.[2] Conigliaro was subsequently drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (fifth overall pick) of the inaugural MLB draft in 1965.[1][3]
Conigliaro's best performance came during the 1970 season.[7] He recorded career-highs in hits (108), runs scored (59), home runs (18), RBIs (58), and games played (114). He also had the fifth-most assists as a left fielder in the American League (AL) with seven.[1] In order to fit Conigliaro into their lineup that year, the Red Sox moved Carl Yastrzemskitofirst base.[2][8] Billy Conigliaro reportedly became "very emotional" when his brother Tony was traded to the California Angels at the end of the season.[8] He subsequently batted .262 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 1971, finishing eighth in the AL in doubles (26).[1]
Unhappy in Milwaukee, Conigliaro announced his retirement from baseball in the middle of the 1972 season.[10][11] He applied for reinstatement in 1973, and the Brewers sold Conigliaro to the Oakland Athletics for an undisclosed amount of money.[2] He appeared with the Athletics in that season's American League Championship Series and the World Series, where he was hitless in seven at bats.[1] He had knee surgery during the offseason, and was waived by Oakland in March 1974. He attempted a comeback with the Athletics in 1977, but declined an assignment to the minor leagues.[2] He finished his career with a .256 batting average, 40 home runs, and 128 RBIs in 347 games played.[7]
Conigliaro was an early pupil of Shotokan karate grandmaster Kazumi Tabata, who acknowledged Conigliaro in his book.[12] He was married to Keisha on October 19, 2002, until his death.[7] Conigliaro died on February 10, 2021, of a heart attack at his home in Beverly, Massachusetts.[7][8]
