It is difficult to imagine the Boston Red Sox without Jerry Remy. He has been the voice of a generation, starting his career as a broadcaster back in 1988. He quickly became beloved by Red Sox Nation, his humor and insight into the game making him one of the best color commentators in the game.
However, he had also battled cancer numerous times in the past few years, with his latest battle the seventh time he had undergone treatment. Unfortunately, he was unable to win this latest fight, as he passed away at 68 years old.
Boston Red Sox legend Jerry Remy passes away
His work in the booth made him a legend. Remy was voted the honorary president of Red Sox Nation in 2007, and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006. In addition to his broadcasting career, he wrote five children’s books featuring Wally the Green Monster, and several other books on baseball in general.
He had quite a few memorable moments in the booth. It seemed that there would be multiple times a year where he would be unable to broadcast because he was laughing so hard at something that had happened, furthering his stature as being a fan just like everyone watching the game. He once lost a tooth during a broadcast, with play by play man Don Orsillo attempting to repair it. And who can forget his commentary when a fan pelted another fan with a slice of pizza?
Prior to his time in the booth, Remy was a solid second baseman for the Angels and Red Sox. An All Star in 1978, he posted a .275/.327/.328 batting line over his 4963 plate appearances. While he had almost no power, hitting seven homers in his time in the majors, Remy did steal 208 bases. Knee issues hindered him in the latter part of his career, leading to his being out of baseball at 31 years old.
The Boston Red Sox have lost a key part of their identity with Jerry Remy’s passing. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.