Jerry Remy's 3 Broadcast Partners Discuss How Much Joy He Brought To Red Sox Nation
BOSTON (CBS) -- Red Sox broadcasts will never be the same, not without Jerry Remy providing his insight and entertaining spin on the game. Remy passed away over the weekend following a long battle with cancer, but he will never be forgotten among Red Sox Nation.
Fans certainly have their favorite Remy moments through his 30-year career in broadcasting. Those who shared the NESN booth with Remy have plenty to choose from, and they each offered their fondest memories of "The Rem Dawg" with WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Sunday.
Don Orsillo shared the broadcast booth with Remy for 15 seasons, and shared endless incredible calls and incontrollable giggles with Remy. They called numerous no-hitters and walk-off wins together, but it was their relationship on air that had fans falling in love with the Orsillo-Remy one-two punch.
Whether it was Remy losing a tooth on air or the famous "Pizza Thrower" incident, the two shared some incredible non-baseball moments on air. But what Orsillo will remember most was his relationship with Remy off the air, which started when Orsillo first landed the job at NESN.
Orsillo said he appreciates a "lifetime of memories, a great deal of thankfulness" during his time with Remy.
"He was more than just as friend. He was the very reason I got into the Major Leagues and then taught me how to be a Major League broadcaster when I got there," Orsillo recalled to Roche. "Really how to be an adult; he was a family member for me.
"I'm so glad that he was in my life and so glad that I was able to be there with him for those hard times," added Orsillo. "Looking back on it now, he was supposed to be in my life for a very big reason."
Sean McDonough called Red Sox games with Remy for nearly a decade, and said that he knew something special could happen each and every night he stepped into the booth with Remy.
"It's an awesome thing when you go to work and know you're going to be part of something good, because the guy sitting next to you is great," said McDonough. "Every night I showed up at Fenway or on the road, I knew this had a chance to be a special broadcast, because this guy next to me was special."
A former Red Sox second baseman and Somerset native, there was never any question about Remy's passion for the Red Sox.
"Who else sounded like that who was on the air? He sounded Boston," said Dave O'Brien, who had shared the NESN booth with Remy since 2016. "He never tried to change or hide any of that. He was very proud of where he came from, and I think that's where it started. He sounded like your neighbor, my neighbor, colleagues, friends, cousins that we grew up with.
"The other thing was his love for the Red Sox was completely genuine and honest. He rooted for the Red Sox. He wasn't a 'homer' but it was clear his heart was bleeding for the Red Sox every night," added O'Brien. "His heart was in it and in the Red Sox, and that meant everything to the viewers and the fans of the ball club."
"He was one of them, and was until the day he died. He was as New England as New England gets," said Orsillo. "Whether you are a resident, a player for the Red Sox. He was the most genuine person I know. ... He was a very, very real person."
While Remy was always friendly among fans, those interactions were not his strong point. Because of that, McDonough said that those close to him really knew that their relationship with Remy was genuine.
"He told me a couple of times the last few months that he loved me, and that meant a lot to me. As much as he was every man, the mayor of the people and of Red Sox Nation, one-on-one, he wasn't always comfortable with people," said McDonough. "Some people thought he was awkward or standoffish, but he wasn't comfortable with that. When he told you about how he felt about you -- it was really meaningful.
"I have a couple of texts from him that will not get deleted," McDonough added.
Remy was in and out of the booth the last few seasons as his cancer returned. He last stepped in Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch ahead of Boston's Wild Card win over the New York Yankees on Oct. 5.
"I think it was great for him because I think he knew it was goodbye," said McDonough. "I think he knew at that point that he wasn't coming back for opening day or for another season. I think Red Sox Nation and the people in the park felt that was goodbye.
"It was fitting that he got a chance to say goodbye and that we got a one more opportunity to show our love and appreciation for him," McDonough added. "He knew that people loved him and how they felt about him. Jerry knew and appreciated that very much. It uplifted him through many hard things that he went through. The love, support and compassion of Red Sox Nation helped him get through that."
