Jerry Remy to return to Red Sox broadcast booth
Jerry Remy told reporters that he only made the decision to come back to the booth about a week ago. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Longtime Boston Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy, who took a leave of absence last August after his son Jared was arrested and charged with murder, told reporters Monday that he will return to the broadcast booth this season.
WEEI's Rob Bradford reported that Remy met and spoke with a small group of reporters on Monday, where he outlined his plans to return as a color analyst. Up to this point, he had not spoken publicly about his son's arrest.
Remy’s son, Jared, has pleaded not guilty to the August 2013 murder of his girlfriend, Jennifer Martel. His trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 7.
Remy told the group of reporters that he was leaning toward not returning until recently. But he said a clean bill of health — he has battled lung cancer and depression in the past — and the encouragement of friends and family eventually convinced him to return. Ultimately, he said he decided to come back "about a week ago."
Via WEEI, here's part of his opening statement to reporters Monday afternoon:
“€œRight around the turn of the year, after a miserable holiday season, that baseball clock clicks in a little bit, and people reminded me — my inner circle of friends and my wife — about my career and where it came from and where it is. I got drafted as a baseball player. I got drafted last and made it to the big leagues. I wanted to quit. My father talked me out of it. I made it to the big leagues. When I started this job — awful. I was terrible. I couldn’€™t wait for the first season to be over because I wanted out. I didn’€™t quit. I continued on for 26 years. When I got cancer, I wanted to quit. I didn’€™t. It threw me into a depression. I came back. I continued on. Some of these things started to resonate a little bit with me. I’€™ve never been a quitter, and I don’€™t intend to be one now. I’€™ve been in professional baseball in some capacity for 40 years. It’€™s what I do. It’€™s what I know. It’€™s where my comfort level is. It’€™s where I feel I belong and where I feel that I’€™m going to continue to do so for as long as possible.
“I must say that I hope in no way that my decision to come back to do games has a negative impact on the Martel family. I’€™m quite certain they’€™ll understand that we have to make a living. Unfortunately, mine is in the public eye. I think they’€™ll understand that. We have spoken to the Martels. Phoebe and I have expressed our condolences to the family and to the brother and the sister-in-law. It seemed to be received. We can understand their anger. I would feel the same way."
