Jerry Remy dies of cancer at age 68 | See 5 facts about him

A former Red Sox second baseman Jerry Remy, who later became the voice of the Boston Red Sox, died of lung cancer a week before he turned 69.

Jerry Remy was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008, and in the years since, he has been outspoken about his physical health and mental health challenges. In August 2021, he stepped away from his broadcasting role to undergo treatment.

Before his departure, he wrote a statement pledging his willingness to fight the ailment with everything he has. “As I’ve done before and will continue to do, I will battle this with everything I have,” Remy wrote. “I am so grateful for the support from NESN, the Red Sox, and all of you. I hope that I’ll be rejoining you in your living rooms soon.”

Upon his passing, John Henry, owner of Red Sox, released a statement saying:

“We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster, and 13-year cancer warrior. Jerry’s love and connection to baseball didn’t allow anything to stand between the game and him, including for many years cancer. 

“He devoted his entire career to baseball, and whether from his seat in the clubhouse or his perch above the field in the broadcast booth, he took generations of rising Red Sox stars and a multitude of fans along for the ride with him.“

To honor the baseball legend, we have compiled 5 facts about him.

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5 interesting facts about him

Jerry Remy early life

Born Gerald Peter Remy in Fall River, Massachusetts, on 8 November 1952, he grew up in nearby Somerset and attended Somerset High School before obtaining a degree from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Personal life 

Jerry Remy got married to Phoebe, and together, they had three children – Jared, Jordan, and Jenna Remy.

Jared worked for the Red Sox as a security guard but was fired in 2008 after another guard told the State Police that Jared sold steroids to him. On 16 August 2013, Jared got into even bigger trouble as he was arrested for the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Jennifer Martel, a charge he pleaded guilty to on 27 May 2014. He was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

On the other hand, Jordan was selected by the Red Sox in the 49th round of the 1999 MLB draft, but he did not play professionally.

There is not much information on Jenna Remy, the third of Jerry Remy children.

Career

Remy spent a total of seven seasons with the Red Sox, batting .286 with two homers and 211 RBIs. A knee injury limited him to 30 games in 1984, and the Red Sox released him in 1985. He ended his career having played 1,154 games with a career average of .275 and 208 stolen bases.

After his playing days came to an end in 1988, he found success in broadcasting, working for the New England Sports Network (NESN) as the regular color commentator for NESN’s Red Sox broadcasts.

Remy worked with Dave O’Brien, and he won four New England Emmy awards alongside Orsillo. Additionally, he was voted Massachusetts’ favorite sports announcer in 2004 by Sports Illustrated. NESN and the Red Sox celebrated Jerry Remy Day at Fenway Park on 24 June 2008, in honor of his 20 years of service for the network.

On the side, he ran a website known as The Remy Report, which now mostly sells merchandise.

Health

Jerry Remy had surgery to remove a ‘very small, low-grade cancerous area’ from his lung in November 2008. It is believed that he developed illness from his years of smoking cigarettes.

During his recovery from the surgery, he suffered from an infection and a bout of pneumonia. After the surgery, Jerry Remy was depressed, and he ended up taking an indefinite leave of absence from his broadcast duties for NESN, starting 30 April 2009.

In May 2013, due to another bout of pneumonia, Remy took time off from his broadcasting role, and in August 2013, he 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. In June 2017, Remy announced that his lung cancer had returned, and on 7 August 2018, he had his fourth cancer diagnosis. However, he declared he was cancer-free after undergoing treatment in early November 2018.

His health continued to deteriorate, although he kept commentating until he had to be hospitalized during the third inning of a game on 11 June 2021 due to shortness of breath. Then, he left NESN in August 2021 to focus on his treatments.

Jerry Remy’s last public appearance was to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park on 5 October 2021. Twenty-five days later, he passed away.

Tributes

Tribute poured in from several baseball icons, including his former teammates Rich Gedman, Dennis Eckersley, Wed Boggs, Carl Yastrzemski, and others like David Ortiz, Gary Striewski, and more.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ended his appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show by paying tribute to Jerry Remy.

“Before we sign off, I just wanted to say to all of our tans out there, who are mostly Red Sox fans, how much we all are saddened by Jerry’s passing and how much he meant to all of us, the connection that he was to the Red Sox, his voice in the game and (how great) it was for the fans.

“He meant so much to Boston sports as a player and as an announcer, and his commentary of the game and insight into the game. We’ll all miss him. I know our fans are Jerry Remy and Red Sox fans, too, so our sympathy goes out to the Remy family. I just want to express my and all of our appreciation for all that he did to make Boston sports enjoyable and exciting for all of us. We’ll certainly miss him,” he said.

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