Jerry Remy

Gerald Peter Remy, commonly known as Jerry Remy, (born November 8, 1952) is a Major League Baseball broadcaster and former Major League Baseball second baseman. Remy grew up in Somerset, Massachusetts. An all-star second baseman originally drafted by the California Angels in 1971, he was traded to his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1977. After a series of injuries forced his retirement in 1985, he took up a career in broadcasting. In 1988 he joined NESN as a color commentator for Red Sox broadcasts, a job he has held continuously (except for some time off for health problems) since then.

Early life

Jerry Remy was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on November 8, 1952, but grew up in nearby Somerset, Massachusetts.^[1] He attended Somerset High School (now known as Somerset Berkley Regional High School) and Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.^[2]

Playing career

In 1971, Remy was drafted in the 8th round (129th overall) by the California Angels. He played four seasons in their minor league system before making his major league debut in 1975. Remy played three seasons for the Angels as their starting second baseman before being traded to the Boston Red Sox after the 1977 season.

Remy was the Red Sox starter at second in 1978, being selected to play in the All-Star Game, in which he did not appear. He continued as their starting second baseman for the next six seasons, although he was often hampered by injuries. A knee injury in May 1984 led to Remy's release by the Red Sox in December 1985 and to his retirement during spring training in 1986.^[3] Bill James, in his Historical Abstract rated him as the 100th greatest second baseman of all time as of 2001.

Post playing career

Since 1988, Remy has found success in broadcasting, working for the New England Sports Network (NESN), as the color commentator for all NESN Red Sox broadcasts. From 2001 through the end of the 2015 season, Remy teamed with play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo. NESN celebrated Jerry Remy Day on June 24, 2008, in honor of Remy's 20 years of service for the network. He is currently serving as the first president of Red Sox Nation. Remy and Orsillo won four Emmy awards and Remy himself was named Massachusetts best sports announcer in 2004 by Sports Illustrated.^[1][4][5]

Remy owns a hot dog stand, "RemDawg's", located on Yawkey Way just outside Fenway Park in Boston, as well as Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill in Logan International Airport since 2008 and Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill behind Fenway Park on Boylston Street, which opened March 9, 2010. On March 3, 2015, Boston.com reported that this location has closed.^[6] A third location opened in Remy's hometown of Fall River in October 2012. He also runs a web site, The Remy Report,^[7] and is the author of the book Watching Baseball (co-authored with Corey Sandler) and the children's books Hello Wally and Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation!.

Jerry Remy was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006, and was elected honorary President of Red Sox Nation in 2007.^[5]

Health

In November 2008, Remy had surgery to remove a "very small, low-grade cancerous area" from his lung, most likely a result of years of smoking cigarettes.^[8] During his recovery from the surgery, he suffered from an infection as well as a bout of pneumonia. Due to fatigue and depression, Remy took an indefinite leave of absence from his broadcast duties for NESN, starting April 30, 2009.^[9]

On August 12, 2009, Remy went to Fenway Park and attended Red Sox manager Terry Francona's pre-game press conference. He told both NESN and the 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 broadcasters Don Orsillo and Dennis 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.^[10] On August 19, 2009, Remy released a statement announcing his return to commentating on August 21, 2009, against the New York Yankees. Remy stated that he would likely skip some road trips. He returned full-time for the 2010 baseball season. Remy took time off starting May 28, 2013, due to a bout of pneumonia. He returned to the booth on June 25, 2013.^[11] On August 16, 2013, Remy announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence after his son was arrested for murder. Remy did not return to the broadcast booth until the beginning of the 2014 season.

Family

Remy and his wife Phoebe have three children, Jared, Jordan, and Jenna.^[12] Jared worked for the Red Sox as a security guard, but was fired in 2008 after another guard told the State Police that Jared had sold him steroids.^[13] 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. Remy was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.^[14][15] Jordan was selected by the Red Sox in the 49th Round of the 1999 MLB draft.^[16] In 2010 he was charged with indecent assault and battery.^[17] Jenna was arrested on July 25, 2013, for disorderly conduct, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, wanton malicious defacement, and misdemeanor breaking and entering after she broke into her ex-boyfriend's home.^[18]

Hello, Wally! Books

Jerry Remy has written five books in his Hello, Wally! series for children.^[19] Remy teamed with the publisher Mascot Books to bring his fanciful tales of Wally's adventures to life. The series of books began as an idea based on Remy's stories about Wally during Red Sox games.

Books

• Watching Baseball, World Championship Edition: Discovering the Game within the Game (Watching Baseball: Discovering the Game Within the Game), ISBN 978-0-7627-4801-3, 2008
• Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation!, ISBN 1-932888-89-6, Illustrator – Danny Moore, published by Mascot Books
• Hello, Wally!!, ISBN 1-932888-80-2, 2006, published by Mascot Books
• Coast to Coast with Wally the Green Monster, published by Mascot Books
• A Season with Wally the Green Monster, published by Mascot Books
• Wally the Green Monster and His World Tour, published by Mascot Books

See also

• List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• The Remy Report
• Jerry Remy's Sports Bar and Grill