Jerry Remy announced Monday that he will return to NESN broadcasts of Red Sox games. The long-time color commentator had been absent since his son, Jared, was arrested for the murder of Jennifer Martel last August.
It goes without saying that the circumstances surrounding Remy's departure were terrible. It seems like the past few years have been tremendously unfair to the former second baseman, who endured a battle with lung cancer and dealt with depression in the aftermath.
Still he returned to Fenway. Had either hardship ended his time in the booth, it would have been an unfitting close to a career which has seen Remy bring so much joy into the lives of Red Sox fans for so many years. He deserves a more fitting send-off. One which comes when he chooses, not in the middle of the season, in between games, as the result of some new awful hurdle thrown at him by the universe.
This all sounds very small and unimportant when put in the context of that night in August. But even if he doesn't know my name, it's hard not to think of Jerry Remy as a friend. I suspect that's true for many Red Sox fans. Right now, I'm just glad that friend's not going away. Welcome back, Remy. We'll see you in March.