Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Longtime Boston Red Sox announcer and former second baseman Jerry Remy died after a battle with lung cancer, the team announced. He was 68.
The Red Sox said Sunday that Remy died Saturday night. He was first diagnosed in 2008. In August, Remy stepped away from his role as a color analyst at NESN to undergo treatment. He returned to throw the ceremonial first pitch Oct. 5 at Fenway Park in Boston.
"We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster and 13-year cancer warrior," Red Sox owner John Henry said in a news release. "Jerry's love and connection to baseball didn't allow anything to stand between the game and him, including for many years cancer.
"He devoted his entire career to baseball and whether from his seat in the clubhouse or his perch above the field in the broadcast booth, he took generations of rising Red Sox stars and a multitude of fans along for the ride with him.
"During his lifetime, he witnessed great triumphs and terrible tragedies handling all of it with grace, dignity, and a huge heart. He left an indelible mark on this club and on an entire nation of Red Sox fans."
Remy played his first three MLB seasons, from 1975 through 1977, for the California Angels. He played his final seven seasons for the Red Sox. He was known for his hustle and slight, 5-foot-9, 165-pound frame.
The 1978 All-Star hit .275 with seven home runs, 140 doubles, 38 triples and 208 stolen bases in 1,154 career appearances.
Remy played his final seasons for the Red Sox in 1984 and joined NESN as a color analyst in 1988. He spent 34 years with the network. Remy was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006.
He is survived by his wife, Phoebe, three children and two grandchildren.
