https://twitter.com/GlobeSox/status/427909582967828480BREAKING: Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, who has been on leave since his son was charged with murder, will return to the booth this season.
https://twitter.com/GlobeSox/status/427909582967828480BREAKING: Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, who has been on leave since his son was charged with murder, will return to the booth this season.
Part of Remy's statement to the media.‘People have told me in time that things get better. Time has not gotten things better. I still feel the same way today as I felt on the night of August 15th. We were doing a game in Toronto. I got on the team bus going to the hotel. I was notified by somebody on the bus that some reporter was trying to reach me because there was an incident, and my initial reaction was that the incident was from the night before and I didn’t pay it much mind, but then it started to bother me, so I called my wife, and she gave me the news that Jen was dead. Obviously I was in shock on the ride home from Toronto, and I apologize to the media for not being available to them at that particular time, but I was in no condition to talk about it or even imagine it.
‘At that particular time, as the days went on, I got away from here for about four or five days. They were hanging around the house, waiting for a comment, and I wasn’t ready to give it. I hid away at a friend’s house for four or five days. It gave us a chance a little bit to get our thoughts together, to get our emotions together, and see exactly where we were with this. It became worse and worse. The initial shock, the initial grief all got worse. There was no possible way that I felt I could come back last year to do Red Sox baseball. We had a discussion with NESN people, with the Red Sox people. They had wanted me to come back, but I couldn’t do it. They respected my wishes and said that you’d be welcome back anytime you want to come back.
‘During that span, I didn’t watch any games. I couldn’t tell you what happened from August 15th to the playoffs. I did watch the playoffs. I did watch the World Series. Once the World Series was over, the trickle-down effect of this tragedy was even more than I could imagine — how it affected not only the Martel family, obviously, but also how it affected our family. I just fell into a thing where every day, something was popping up that was worse than the day before. At that particular time, I was giving no thought at all to whether I was going to be back doing this, not doing it, didn’t care. If you’d asked me in November, December, if I’d be back, the answer would have been no. We were going through and are still going through issues almost on a daily basis between custody, between, obviously, my son’s upcoming trial. There’s a lot on everybody’s plate. I felt, for a couple of months, two or three months, that was over, there was no way I was coming back. I had two main concerns — obviously, what the public would think, and whether I could be myself. My answers at that time were no. I had a very small circle of friends, three very good friends of my wife who were encouraging me to reconsider the way I felt or at least give it time, give it more time. I promised them that I would do that. I couldn’t find a reason to come back. I just couldn’t find it.
‘Right 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.
‘It was really three friends of mine and my wife that got me off the schneid because I had been trying to tell my family that we have to move on in some capacity and live our lives, yet I was one that was resisting that. I think it’s up to me to set an example to go on and live my life. Unfortunately — well, fortunately or unfortunately — it’s in the public eye, and it makes it a little bit different than some other things.
ifmanis5 said:Full time? Part time?
mabrowndog said:And when it's time for Jared's trial (assuming it comes during the season), and all the horrors from that fateful day including new testimony and previously unreleased gory details are splattered all over the newspapers and local TV coverage, how does he not take another leave of absence at that point?
OilCanShotTupac said:Whether you love or hate Remy in the booth, that's as powerful and heartfelt a statement as you will ever see.
OilCanShotTupac said:Whether you love or hate Remy in the booth, that's as powerful and heartfelt a statement as you will ever see.
SeanBerry said:Unless Jerry is somehow using the money he makes this season to build a time machine to go back and stop his son from brutally murdering the mother of his granddaughter... this doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
jose melendez said:Jesus, that's one of the most painful things I've read in a while.
From a human perspective, I'm not sure how you can deal with one of your kids doing something that terrible, and how it's possible to function, even a little, on a daily basis. To the extent that working gives Jerry some distraction, provided it doesn't haunt the Martels, I'm all for it as a human being.
As a baseball fan, however, I'm not sure this is going to work. Even if he can keep his pain from trickling over into his broadcasting, I'm not sure I can keep the knowledge of his family life from trickling over into my viewing experience. When Don and Jerry are giggling about something, rather than just being tired of it, I thing there's going to be a part of me that thinks "How can he be laughing after what his son did?" I don't know that this is fair, but it's probably true. That said, that's me and how I think. Everytime I see a Sox crowd celebrating a series win, I think back to poor Victoria Snelgrove...
jose melendez said:Jesus, that's one of the most painful things I've read in a while.
From a human perspective, I'm not sure how you can deal with one of your kids doing something that terrible, and how it's possible to function, even a little, on a daily basis. To the extent that working gives Jerry some distraction, provided it doesn't haunt the Martels, I'm all for it as a human being.
As a baseball fan, however, I'm not sure this is going to work. Even if he can keep his pain from trickling over into his broadcasting, I'm not sure I can keep the knowledge of his family life from trickling over into my viewing experience. When Don and Jerry are giggling about something, rather than just being tired of it, I thing there's going to be a part of me that thinks "How can he be laughing after what his son did?" I don't know that this is fair, but it's probably true. That said, that's me and how I think. Everytime I see a Sox crowd celebrating a series win, I think back to poor Victoria Snelgrove...
For whose benefit? For him to acknowledge the nature of the case (slam-dunk guilty) was, I thought, a surprisingly open comment for a guy who's certain to be a witness in a forthcoming trial, if there is a trial [I am not following the legal proceedings but I'm not sure why Jared wouldn't plead guilty], and in a more likely sentencing phase. Beyond that, I would never second guess him in this regard myself. How does one decry their own son at all? [/shakespearean tragedy]nattysez said:I also think his attitude toward his son is awful. Shouldn't he decry his actions in the strongest possible terms? "This isn't how he was raised," "I cannot believe my own flesh and blood could be capable of something like this," etc. Instead he says "well, we tried our best, but he has issues and things ended badly." His lack of statements about his son being an abomination suggests he's trying to help his son get a better deal at trial, which is indefensible.
chrisfont9 said:For whose benefit? For him to acknowledge the nature of the case (slam-dunk guilty) was, I thought, a surprisingly open comment for a guy who's certain to be a witness in a forthcoming trial, if there is a trial [I am not following the legal proceedings but I'm not sure why Jared wouldn't plead guilty], and in a more likely sentencing phase. Beyond that, I would never second guess him in this regard myself. How does one decry their own son at all? [/shakespearean tragedy]
nattysez said:That statement sounds pretty good until you read the q&a and then re-read it.
He has spoken to his daughter-in-law's parents ONCE since she was killed, and that was in the courtroom at a hearing. Is it really so hard to give them a call to say that you're going back on the air, rather than making them learn about it from the media?
He is apparently contesting who gets custody of his granddaughter (or at the very least, did not back down when the Martels petitioned for custody).
He talks about being "embarrassed" to go out. You should be "ashamed," Jerry, not "embarrassed."
What's he been doing with this money? He must reference his need for money at least 3 times.
I also think his attitude toward his son is awful. Shouldn't he decry his actions in the strongest possible terms? "This isn't how he was raised," "I cannot believe my own flesh and blood could be capable of something like this," etc. Instead he says "well, we tried our best, but he has issues and things ended badly." His lack of statements about his son being an abomination suggests he's trying to help his son get a better deal at trial, which is indefensible.
chrisfont9 said:For whose benefit? For him to acknowledge the nature of the case (slam-dunk guilty) was, I thought, a surprisingly open comment for a guy who's certain to be a witness in a forthcoming trial, if there is a trial [I am not following the legal proceedings but I'm not sure why Jared wouldn't plead guilty], and in a more likely sentencing phase. Beyond that, I would never second guess him in this regard myself. How does one decry their own son at all? [/shakespearean tragedy]
Patty Martel said her daughter did not press to renew the restraining order at the request of the Remy family. Jennifer had spoken to Remy’s mother, who begged her not to file any kind of complaint because it would ruin Remy’s life; she also told Jennifer they would protect her, Patty Martel said.
Savin Hillbilly said:I guess I just can't grasp how anyone would judge anybody but Jared Remy here.
nattysez said:
Really, you don't judge the people who told Jared Remy's wife that they'd protect her if she didn't file a police report against him?
Now I'm really done.
As Savin Hillbilly states, it was Phoebe Remy and not Jerry who asked that the Martels not extend the restraining order. In addition, the proper authorities could have made the issue moot by locking up Jared Remy. Finally, in the worst imaginations, I do not think anyone could have predicted the situation would turn out as horribly as it did. With the power of 20/20 hindsight, it is easy to condemn Phoebe or Jerry for their actions prior to the murder. Without knowing the outcome, could you honestly say that you would not do everything to protect your offspring?nattysez said:
Really, you don't judge the people who told Jared Remy's wife that they'd protect her if she didn't file a police report against him?
Now I'm really done.
I agree with this. I will add that while no one wants to be seen as a quitter, there is not a human being on Earth who would blame Remy for "quitting" in this situation. Beyond his son, he's 61 and he has had health issues. How much longer would he have continued in the best of circumstances? If you need something to take your mind off things, I dunno, there are all sorts of hobbies. If he needs the money (I hope not, but maybe), he can write yet another book or just be a studio personality or something.SaveBooFerriss said:Without getting into the moral issues about him coming back or the issue of whether he is a good or bad announcer, the my impression from this is he is really does not want to come back, but is only doing so out of a sense of obligation. I do not think that portends well for the future.
richgedman'sghost said:I do not think anyone could have predicted the situation would turn out as horribly as it did.
I agree with this. And his personality while doing games will be just what it's always been.maufman said:If his health holds up, Remy will work something like 150 games this season, not counting Spring Training. He's going to become part of the scenery again; after a few weeks, people will forget about his son until the trial rolls around.
Savin Hillbilly said:
I would assume, until proven otherwise, that they were in denial, and grasping at straws. They wanted to think their kid was reachable and the situation was fixable. I'm not saying they didn't fuck up--as did the police, who could have held Jared Remy regardless of Jenn Martel's choices--I'm saying that I have no reason to assume they didn't fuck up from human and pitiable motives. There but for the grace of god, et cetera. (I won't belabor the point that the news accounts specify that it was Phoebe Remy, not Jerry, who called Jenn to ask her not to press the complaint, but FWIW it's true.)
Savin Hillbilly said:"Son or not, I am at a loss for words articulating my disgust and remorse over this senseless and tragic act."
If you can't imagine what it was like to write and publish that sentence--if you can't fathom that it must have felt like vomiting concentrated sulfuric acid over and over for a month--then we are coming at this situation from two very different places.
I guess I just can't grasp how anyone would judge anybody but Jared Remy here.
Their "kid" was 34 years old and had a 13 year history of violence against women. As in, beating the living shit out of women he was involved with romantically. If you think Phoebe Remy acted alone with no consultation with her husband in asking Martel not to cooperate and can't even grasp how anyone would judge anybody but Jared Remy here, or how anyone could have predicted that the 'roid head who liked to beat up women might have decided to retaliate against the woman who got him charged, then your imaginations are poor, stunted things.richgedman'sghost said:As Savin Hillbilly states, it was Phoebe Remy and not Jerry who asked that the Martels not extend the restraining order. In addition, the proper authorities could have made the issue moot by locking up Jared Remy. Finally, in the worst imaginations, I do not think anyone could have predicted the situation would turn out as horribly as it did. With the power of 20/20 hindsight, it is easy to condemn Phoebe or Jerry for their actions prior to the murder. Without knowing the outcome, could you honestly say that you would not do everything to protect your offspring?
Does it, now?mauidano said:Interesting range of opinions and emotions in the thread here. Ultimately, Jared Remy is responsible for his actions. It's easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback here and second guess all of it. A lot could and should have been done by MANY not just Jerry Remy. Jerry's "job" happens to be a high profile one. To prevent him from working at his job does not make sense either. It's understandably difficult beyond imagination for all involved but as harsh as it may sound, life does go on.