Longtime Red Sox broadcaster and former player Jerry Remy passed away yesterday at age 68, as first reported by WCVB-TV Boston. Remy had been battling lung cancer for over a decade, and in August stepped away from his announcing duties for further treatment.
Even during his most recent health issues, Remy made it to Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch prior to this year’s AL wild card game, a 6-2 Red Sox victory over the Yankees.
Remy has been the voice of Red Sox games on NESN since 1988, becoming a beloved figure in New England (in fact, fans even voted Remy as the ceremonial president of Red Sox Nation back in 2007). In addition to his broadcasting work, Remy has also authored several books on baseball, as well as five children’s books starring Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster as the main character.
A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, Remy broke into baseball as a player, spending his first three seasons with the Angels before the Red Sox acquired him in a December 1977 trade. Now playing for his local team, Remy reached the AL All-Star team in 1978 and went on to play seven seasons in Boston, becoming a fan favorite that extended into his work in the NESN booth. Remy played 1154 games during his 10 years in the big leagues, with knee injuries hampering his ability to stay on the field in the last half of his career.
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