The Oracle of Fenway, answering questions from the NESN studios in a “Triple Play” segment.
Photo by Corey Sandler
Nothing would have been the same without my wife, Phoebe. We’ve been married more than thirty years now, and across all of my years in baseball and broadcasting, she’s had most of the responsibility for raising the family. She’s 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 I’ve 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 Kapstein—without him I wouldn’t have had a clue about the business side of baseball. He’s 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 I’ve 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, there’s 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 you’ll 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
