NESN announcer, Jerry Remy, will be off the air in hopes of a full recovery from cancer surgery. Remy, 56, underwent surgery late last year for lung cancer.
In a statement, the Red Sox longtime announcer said, “I want to focus on completing my recovery so that I can return to work without distractions or interruptions.”
He cleared things up in one of his blog entries: “In November I had a very small, low-grade cancerous area removed from my lung. I was fortunate that it was discovered at an early stage. Except for the surgery, I required no additional treatments. I left the hospital with a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, following the surgery, I developed a bad infection further compounded by a case of pneumonia. It was the pneumonia and the infection that set me back. This all happened just as I was leaving for Spring Training. In hindsight, it was a mistake to go, and I am paying the price for it now. As NESN announced, I am taking a leave of absence so that I can fully recover.”
Jerry Remy is sure that his lung cancer came from his earlier years of smoking: “I hope that disclosing my bout with cancer will reinforce the dangers of smoking to every member of Red Sox Nation, especially children.” Remy cares about his fans and wants them to learn from his mistakes.
By traveling with the Red Sox and frequently visiting the clubhouse, he has become great friends with the players and management. One of his good friends, Sox manager Terry Francona, said, “We’re certainly thinking about him a lot. I’ve talked to Rem quite a few times this winter, and at least stayed in touch with him. He knows we’re thinking about him. I know the statement came out [today], so it’s an official statement, but this has been going on for a while. He’s in our thoughts and prayers — always is. He’s a good friend of everybody’s.”
Over the years, Jerry Remy has been entertaining fans of all teams with his infectious sense of humor. “He has that type of humor where he always keeps the fans entertained,” Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell said, “My dad switched cable companies just to be able to get the home feed to listen to him. I think he catches the eyes of a lot of people and gives the game in a way that’s very enjoyable. That’s not an easy thing to do, and I think he does it very well and a lot of people enjoy his work.”
Fans of all teams enjoy watching Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo cracking jokes and playing air guitar in the broadcasting booth. He has a special kind of personality that makes watching Red Sox games a little more humorous. Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said, “Jerry is beloved, and on behalf of everyone in Red Sox Nation, I want him to know that he is in our thoughts. We will sorely miss him in the broadcast, but the most important thing is that he takes all the time he needs to recover.”
We will keep you updated with more information as soon as it is released.
