| Jerry Remy | |
|---|---|
 Remy with theBoston Red Sox in 1978 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1952-11-08)November 8, 1952 Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| Died: October 30, 2021(2021-10-30) (aged 68) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 7, 1975, for the California Angels | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 18, 1984, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .275 |
| Home runs | 7 |
| Runs batted in | 329 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Gerald Peter Remy (November 8, 1952 – October 30, 2021) was an American professionalbaseball player andsports broadcaster. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as asecond baseman for ten seasons—three with theCalifornia Angels (1975–1977) and seven with theBoston Red Sox (1978–1984). After retiring from professional play, Remy was acolor commentator for televised Red Sox games for 33 years until his death.
Remy began commentating with the TV channelNew England Sports Network (NESN) in 1988, and later expanded toover-the-air television in 1995. A native ofSomerset, Massachusetts, Remy was a popular local figure, known for his exuberance, humorousnon-sequitur game commentary, and thickNew England accent that endeared him with Red Sox fans. He was given the nickname "RemDawg" and was elected "President" ofRed Sox Nation in 2007. Remy also owned restaurants in the Boston area, and wrote books about baseball.
Gerald Peter Remy was born inFall River, Massachusetts, on November 8, 1952, and grew up in nearbySomerset.[1][2] He attendedSomerset High School andRoger Williams University inBristol, Rhode Island.[3] He was ofFrench Canadian descent.[4]
Remy was selected by theWashington Senators in the 19th round of the1970 MLB draft, but he did not sign. He was then selected in the 8th round of the January supplemental phase of the1971 MLB draft (129th overall) by theCalifornia Angels, and signed with the team.[5]
Remy played four seasons in the Angels'farm system: 1971 with therookie leagueMagic Valley Cowboys, 1972 with theClass AStockton Ports, 1973 with the Class AQuad City Angels (.335, 4 home runs and 36 RBI in 117 games), and 1974 withDouble-AEl Paso Diablos and theTriple-ASalt Lake City Angels, where he hit a combined .323 with 4 home runs and 67 RBI. Overall, Remy appeared in 421 games inMinor League Baseball,batting .275 with 12home runs and 152RBIs.[6]
Remy made his major league debut with the Angels on April 7, 1975. He hit a single off ofSteve Busby of theKansas City Royals in his firstat bat and was subsequentlypicked off.[7] With the1975 Angels, Remy played 147 games (145 starts) as the Angels' second baseman, batting .258 with one home run and 46 RBIs. He had 34stolen bases, but wascaught stealing a league-leading 21 times. The following year, his average rose slightly to .263, although with no home runs and 28 RBIs. In 1977, he had a career-high four home runs, along with a .252 average and 44 RBIs; he was namedteam captain of the Angels in June, becoming only the second captain in the team's history.[8]
Overall, in three seasons with the Angels, Remy played in 444 games, batting .258 with five home runs, 118 RBIs, and 110 stolen bases. On December 8, 1977, he was traded to theBoston Red Sox in exchange for pitcherDon Aase and cash considerations.[9]
Remy was the Red Sox's starting second baseman in 1978 and was selected for theMLB All-Star Game, although he did not play in the game.[10] Overall, with the1978 Red Sox, he batted .278 with 44 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 148 games. He also had two home runs, the last ones of his career. In the1978 American League East tie-breaker game against theNew York Yankees, Remy was on base in the ninth inning whenCarl Yastrzemski made the final out;[11] it was the closest Remy came to the postseason in his MLB career.[3][12]
Remy continued as Boston's starting second baseman for the next six seasons, although he was often hampered by injuries. In 1979, he played in 80 games and batted .297. In 1980, he batted a career-high .313 but was limited to 63 games; he also appeared in the outfield for the only time in his career, playing the ninth inning in right field during a May loss to theCleveland Indians.[13] In 1981, Remy played in 88 games while batting .307. On September 3–4, 1981, he accomplished the rare feat of collectingsix hits in a game, going 6-for-10 in a 20-inning game against theSeattle Mariners.[14]
In 1982, Remy appeared in a career-high 155 games while batting .280; in 1983, he batted .275 while playing in 146 games. In 1984, a knee injury limited him to 30 games for the season, during which he batted .250; he made his final start at second base on May 5,[15] and his final MLB appearance on May 18 when he flied out as apinch hitter.[16] Remy was released by the Red Sox on December 10, 1985, and he retired duringspring training in 1986.[17] Overall, in seven seasons with the Red Sox, Remy played in 710 games, batting .286 with two home runs, 211 RBIs, and 98 stolen bases.[3]
During his ten-year MLB career, Remy batted .275 with seven home runs, 329 RBIs, and 208 stolen bases in 1154 games. Defensively, he had a .981fielding percentage.[3]Bill James, in hisHistorical Abstract, rated Remy as the 100th greatest second baseman of all time as of 2001.[18]
Jerry Remy | |
|---|---|
 Remy at theWhite House in 2019 | |
| Years active | 1988–2021 |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Team | Boston Red Sox |
| Genre | Color commentator |
| Sport | Major League Baseball |
| Employer | New England Sports Network |
After 1988, Remy found success inbroadcasting, working for theNew England Sports Network (NESN), as the regularcolor commentator for NESN's Red Sox broadcasts. Initially paired withNed Martin through 1992 andBob Kurtz from 1993–2000, from 2001 through the end of the 2015 season, he teamed with play-by-play announcerDon Orsillo; starting with the 2016 season, Remy worked withDave O'Brien. Beginning in 1995, he also replaced former color commentatorBob Montgomery on the over-the-air Red Sox broadcasting team, paired withSean McDonough for those broadcasts through 2004, when Orsillo took over for McDonough on the over-the-air games as well. He also ran a website, The Remy Report, which covered Boston Red Sox news and information.[19][20]
Remy owned ahot dog stand, RemDawg's, a nod to the nickname he held amongst Red Sox fans, located just outside Fenway Park, as well as Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill in Terminal C ofLogan International Airport.[21] There were three other Bar & Grill locations: one behind Fenway Park onBoylston Street that opened March 9, 2010, which was reported closed in March 2015,[22] and subsequently became a Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill (named after another former Red Sox player,Tony Conigliaro);[23] a second in the Seaport District ofSouth Boston, which in December 2016 also became a Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill;[24] and a third in Remy's birthplace of Fall River that opened in October 2012, which in March 2018,The Herald News of Fall River reported would be closed.[25]
Remy wrote three books about baseball, and several children's books about Red Sox mascotWally the Green Monster, which began as an idea based on Remy's storytelling while broadcasting Red Sox games.
In 2012, to commemorate the 100th anniversary ofFenway Park, then-Red Sox second basemanDustin Pedroia authored a sixth book in the series,Wally The Green Monster's Journey Through Time.
Remy worked extensively withThe Jimmy Fund, a charity that supports theDana–Farber Cancer Institute. He was known to invite cancer patients in the broadcast booth, visit with patients in hospitals, and participated in their annualtelethon.[26]
In November 2008, Remy had surgery to remove a "very small, low-gradecancerous area" from hislung, most likely a result of years of smokingcigarettes.[27] During his recovery from the surgery, he suffered from an infection as well as a bout ofpneumonia. Due to fatigue anddepression, Remy took an indefinite leave of absence from his broadcast duties for NESN, starting April 30, 2009.[28]
On August 12, 2009, Remy went to Fenway Park and attended Red Sox managerTerry Francona's pre-game press conference. He told both NESN andThe Boston Globe that he had every intention of returning to broadcasting Red Sox games during the remainder of the 2009 season. He entered the NESN's broadcast booth during the top of the second inning during the night's game to speak with broadcastersDon Orsillo andDennis Eckersley. It was the first time he had been in the booth since he took his leave of absence in April. In between the top and the bottom of the second inning, Remy, still in the booth, was shown on Fenway's center field scoreboard display, to which he received a standing ovation from the crowd attending the game. He revealed during the visit that he had suffered from depression following his physical problems of 2008 and that he was receiving therapy.[29] On August 19, 2009, Remy released a statement announcing his return to commentating on August 21, 2009, against theNew York Yankees. He stated that he would likely skip some road trips. He returned full-time for the 2010 baseball season. In April 2013, he announced that he had suffered a relapse that offseason when cancer was found in a different spot on his lungs during his regular six-monthCT scan that January.[30]
Remy took time off starting May 28, 2013, due to a bout of pneumonia. He returned to the booth on June 25, 2013.[31] On August 16, 2013, he announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence after hisson was arrested for murder; Remy did not return to the broadcast booth until the beginning of the 2014 season.[32] He had another leave during the 2016–17 off-season, missing most of the 2017spring training.[33]
On June 12, 2017, Remy announced that his lung cancer had returned.[34] In January 2018, he announced viaTwitter that he had completed treatments atMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH).[35] A fourth diagnosis of cancer was announced on August 7, 2018.[36] After undergoing treatments, Remy announced in early November 2018 that he was cancer-free.[37]
On June 11, 2021, Remy left Fenway Park during the third inning of a game he was commentating on, due to shortness of breath, and was admitted to MGH.[38] He was released from the hospital five days later,[39] and returned to broadcasting on June 20.[40] On August 4, Remy announced that he would be stepping away from NESN for lung cancer treatment.[41] On October 5, he appeared at Fenway Park to throw out theceremonial first pitch before theAL Wild Card Game, in what ended up being his final public appearance.[42]
Remy died oflung cancer on October 30, 2021, aged 68.[43] A publicwake was held inWaltham, Massachusetts, on November 4.[44]
Remy and broadcast partner Don Orsillo won four New EnglandEmmy awards,[45] and Remy was votedMassachusetts' favorite sports announcer in 2004 bySports Illustrated.[46] Remy was inducted into theBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006,[47] and elected honorary President ofRed Sox Nation in 2007.[48] NESN and the Red Sox celebrated Jerry Remy Day atFenway Park on June 24, 2008, in honor of Remy's 20 years of service for the network.[49] He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2017.[50]
After his death,Joe Buck, veteran sports broadcaster, called Remy's sports broadcasting career "legendary" and called him a "force in the booth", noting "If Red Sox Nation had an emperor, the ‘RemDawg,’ it would be him." Broadcaster Sean McDonough, who of his own accord has worked with at least 160 different broadcast partners, said of his time with Remy: "nothing felt as special as the nine years I spent with Jerry".[51]
On April 15, 2022, the date of the home opener for the season, the team issued a Tweet showing that the NESN broadcasting booth at Fenway Park was now named the Jerry Remy Booth, in his memory. The booth has also been adorned with a memorial plaque honoring Remy.[52] The team held a ceremony to honor Remy prior to their home game of April 20, including appearances from former teammatesDennis Eckersley,Carl Yastrzemski,Rick Burleson,Dwight Evans,Fred Lynn,Jim Rice, andBob Stanley.[53]
Remy and his wife Phoebe had three children,Jared, Jordan, and Jenna.[54]
Jordan was selected by the Red Sox in the 49th round of the1999 MLB draft,[55] but he did not play professionally.[56]
Jared worked for the Red Sox as a security guard, but was fired in 2008 after another guard told theState Police that Jared had sold himsteroids.[57] On August 16, 2013, Jared was arrested in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Jennifer Martel, a charge he pleaded guilty to on May 27, 2014. Jared Remy was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.[58][59]
Longtime Boston Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy, who took a leave of absence last August after his son Jared was arrested and charged with murder, told reporters Monday that he will return to the broadcast booth this season.
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