Remy extends contract to stay in booth through 2010

[riverside sluggers]

im very happy to hear about this

 

Remy where he wants to be

Red Sox analyst is a perfect fit

By Bill Griffith, Globe Staff | August 9, 2005

 

The negotiations, said Jerry Remy, took all of 15 minutes. ''Last August, Sean McGrail [NESN president/general manager] asked me to consider a contract extension," said the Red Sox analyst, who was going into the final year of his contract. ''We finally sat down over the winter and agreed on the basics in no more than 15 minutes." The result: a five-year extension that will keep Remy in the NESN booth through the 2010 season. McGrail said it was a no-brainer. ''He's a fixture in New England and most likely the hardest-working guy in baseball," said McGrail. ''We wanted to make sure he was going to stay with us." Remy left little doubt that's what he wanted, too.

 

''This is where I want to be," said Remy, who has broadcast more than 2,300 Sox games in his 18 years in the booth. ''The longer I do it, the more I enjoy it." How much? ''When it's over, I'll miss this more than I missed playing after I retired," he said. For younger members of Red Sox Nation, Remy, who grew up in Somerset, had a 10-year major league career, including seven seasons at second base for the Red Sox (1978-85) and a trip to the All-Star Game. ''I'm happy where I am," he said. ''This is where I want to finish. I'm a local guy. It's where I was brought up. We've established a lot of goodwill. I'd be foolish to do anything else." Remy didn't start out to market that goodwill, but he now has a website (http://www.theremyreport.com), plus RemDawg's hot dog stand, the RemDawg line of merchandise, and endorsement deals with Miller beer and Modell's Sporting Goods.

 

''Everything has come to me," he said. ''It's all been a natural spinoff." It started with the website, the idea of longtime friend John O'Rourke, who has continued to run the site and streamline its operation. This season, traffic has doubled on the site, with 3,000 visits on a slow day and up to 12,000 on a busy one. In addition, another 4,000 visit the message boards. Remy sold out his All-Star party at Fenway Park (1,000 tickets at $135 each) in advance and ''next year, it will be even bigger," he said. ''The .406 Club will be remodeled and the Sox can accommodate even more of us." ''None of this would have happened without John," said Remy. ''Nor without Trisha Saintelus-Curtis running the message board."'

 

Remy points to the talent he's worked with in the booth: Ned Martin, Bob Kurtz, Sean McDonough, and Don Orsillo. But he adds, ''The people behind the scenes -- [producer] Russ Kenn, [director] Mike Narracci, and [associate producer] Adam Jupiter -- make it fun to go to work."He'll do a national game for Fox a week from Saturday when the Sox visit the Angels, but those calls haven't been as frequent this year, a byproduct of the team's World Series championship. ''The big guys [Joe Buck, Tim McCarver] have been doing all the Sox games this year," said Remy. For the future, more things seem headed Remy's way. There was talk of adding RemDawg hot dog stands both downtown and at Logan Airport, but a restaurant deal may come first.

 

''A RemDawg Grill, somewhere between a sports bar and the Capital Grille, is what we'd like to do," said Remy. ''Something like Harry Caray's place in Chicago." But it's all predicated on the daily schedule that has Remy arriving at the ballpark by 2:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game, making his rounds of the field, clubhouse, and manager's office, before grabbing a bite to eat. After that, it's off to RemDawg's, doing a spot on the pregame show, and then taping the opening for the telecast. ''The timing has been perfect for all of it," he said. ''The first two years we had the website, the team went to the postseason and won the World Series." Neither the team nor its analyst seems to be slowing down.

[MC Hammer]

Well, one of my favorite things about being able to watch the games on NESN, over the past week and a half or so, was getting to listen to remmy, and don. I don't think I've ever laughed as much during a sporting event, as I have watching these Red Sox games. These guys give you the info and keep you entertained. Even if it's a blow out, they always still find a way to keep me entertained.

 

Very happy Remmy is staying.

[sarasoxfan]

this is good news, these two are fantastic.

[Sizzlin22]

Man Orsillo has it GOOD, he's 35 years-old, he'll be calling Sox games for the next 35-40 years in the summer then go home for the rest of the year.

[Soxfan1]

I miss sean Mcdonough. Anyways great move by the sox.

[Sizzlin22]

McDonough only did Friday night games. Besides him and Orsillo are pretty much the same. They even SOUND exactly alike.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Remy is the man, so is Orsillo. They are so funny. Glad to see he got resigned. It wouldn't be a regular sox game without them to me.

[riverside sluggers]

how can you beat when sox and d-rays are in a tied game, so tense you can cut it with a knife, and remy gets you to laugh by talking about this toothache that he has

[Sizzlin22]

I like Orsillo also because he gets really into the game. Example, the game where Clement go hit in the head. When the Red Sox won that game you could hear the excitement in his voice.

[sarasoxfan]

remy wearing a do-rag has to make the highlight reel..

[schillingouttheks]

I like Orsillo also because he gets really into the game. Example, the game where Clement go hit in the head. When the Red Sox won that game you could hear the excitement in his voice.

Or right after the Twins game...

 

"Manny's back! And he's back big!"