Remy Jerry - Watching Baseball : discovering the game within the game

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Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 by Jerry Remy and Word Association, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to The Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, Connecticut 06437.

The Lyons Press is an imprint of The Globe Pequot Press.

Text design: Casey Shain

Photos used as spot art courtesy of Boston Red Sox

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-0-7627-4801-3

Printed in the United States of America

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To Phoebe, my best friend and confidante, the backbone in my life and career.

Jerry Remy

To Janice, my favorite southpaw, who takes baseball (and me) so very seriously.

Corey Sandler

Its not easy being a green monster. People talk to me all the time, but I dont really like to answer. I just watch.

I was around here in 1912 when Fenway Park opened; we won the World Series that year, dont ya know? And we did it again in 1915 and 1916 and 1918... and then there was a brief interruption.

For eighty-six years I watched the Red Sox play hard, win a bunch of games, and break a lot of hearts. And then in 2004 there was a change in the air around here. There was a new flag flying from Fenway Park, and I heard the distant echo of what sounded like a Nation full of cheers, tears, and joy.

The next two years were exciting, but in the end... no joy. But things were very special in 2007: The cheers started on Opening Day and the joint was rocking all season long. And now there are two new World Championship banners hanging on Yawkey Way.

Like I said, I am a monster of few words. Ive traveled with the team, flown on the charters, sat in on clubhouse meetings, and visited the press box buffet in every major league park.

Heres what I know: This Jerry Remy guy is not as dumb as he looks. He knows more about baseball than many managers, coaches, and players. Heck, he even knows more about the game than I do.

Jerry has been part of the Red Sox for thirty years; thats almost a third of the history of Fenway Park.

Born near Fall River, Massachusetts, he was a high school star at Somerset High School. After coming up to the bigs and playing three seasons with the California Angels, Jerry returned home to Red Sox Nation in 1978. He was a dirt dog at second base for seven years, and then someone got the crazy idea of giving him a microphone in 1987. He hasnt stopped talking since.

I know this guy, and hes the real thing. This is not a history of baseball or a locker room confessional; there are more than enough of those. Instead, allow yourself to let Jerry talk to you about how to watch baseball, just like he tells me during every game.

WALLY THE GREEN MONSTER

Nothing would have been the same without my wife, Phoebe. Weve been married more than thirty years now, and across all of my years in baseball and broadcasting, shes had most of the responsibility for raising the family. Shes the strongest person I know.

My parents, Joe and Connie Remy, were my first and foremost supporters. They made it through my playing days, which were tough on their nerves, and now they keep track of me on television.

Going back, I will always remember my high school coach in Somerset, Jim Sullivan, who was one of the most positive people Ive ever been around.

Kenny Myers, a great scout for the Angels, believed he could teach me to be a player, and I guess he did.

Dave Garcia, manager of the Double A El Paso team, and for a brief period my manager with the Angels, took me to the next step, making me believe I could be a big leaguer. Grover Resinger, a crusty old baseball lifer, watched me play Triple A ball and helped guide me through.

Dick Williams taught me more in one year than any other manager I ever played for.

Walt Hriniak, hitting coach for Boston and my close, trusted friend for many years, taught me to put the best effort into everything I do.

Thanks to Jeremy Kapsteinwithout him I wouldnt have had a clue about the business side of baseball. Hes as trustworthy as they come, always looking out for my best interests, and still my close friend.

The late, great Ned Martin was my first partner in broadcasting and helped me ease into the job. Mercy.

Sean McDonough brought out the best in me as an analyst.

And Ive also been lucky to work with Bob Kurtz and most recently with Don Orsillo and the rest of the NESN broadcast crew, friendly booth and traveling companions.

I had a great relationship with my coauthor, Corey Sandler; he did a wonderful job interviewing me and making me look smart in this book.

And, of course, theres Wally the Green Monster, my alter ego and best friend on the road. He never gives me any back talk.

JERRY REMY

The Oracle of Fenway, answering questions from the NESN studios in a Triple Play segment.

Photo by Corey Sandler

Coauthor Corey Sandler in the NESN broadcast booth at Fenway Park.

Photo by Tessa Sandler

I thought I knew a lot about baseball until I heard Jerry Remy on television analyzing the choreography of a double play, and so I went back to school, listening to him across a season.

And then I got the chance to spend much of a hot stove league winter across the table from Jerry, enrolled in a one-on-one graduate course.

The result is this book, a labor of love for me. This is the fourth edition, revised and updated. I hope youll come away with a new appreciation of the whys and wherefores of baseball, a game that combines athletic ability, ballet, and intellect in a way no other sport does.

Jerry is the real deal: smart, funny, and a great teammate for a book. He is the Rem Dawg.

Thanks, too, to longtime facilitator Gene Brissie. We extend our thanks to editor Tom McCarthy, a guy who knows a good team when he sees one. Thanks, too, to Dan Spinella, Shelley Wolf, Casey Shain, and Melissa Evarts at The Globe Pequot Press. And Janice Keefe converted hours of audiotape to megabytes of words in her inimitable style.

We appreciate the assistance of Eric Kay and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Baseball Club. Thanks, too, to Debbie Matson, Meghan McClure, Brita Meng Outzen, and the Boston Red Sox for research and photographs from their archives.

COREY SANDLER

I N T R O D U C T I O N

I love baseball and I will always love it. My favorite time begins when the umpire says play ball and ends with the final out.