BOSTON -- After undergoing a final session of radiation on Tuesday to treat lung cancer, longtime Red Sox television broadcaster Jerry Remy returned to the booth on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
The former Boston second baseman first battled the disease in 2008 and has been forced to fight through numerous recurrences, including last season, when he had to go through chemotherapy, surgery and radiation before returning to the booth in September.
It was announced on Aug. 7 that he was again battling lung cancer, which forced him to have to undergo four weeks of radiation.
On Wednesday, Remy joined the NESN broadcast in the third inning, taking the opportunity to thank all for the endless support they have sent his way.
"The reason I came into the ballpark tonight is because over the last month, I've received tons and tons of mail," said Remy prior to the game. "Every time the FedEx truck or UPS truck pulls up to the driveway, I know it's mail from either Fenway Park or from NESN. I figured the only way that I could possibly answer the people is by going on TV and thanking them personally for that."
A team of experts at Mass General Hospital sent a biopsy of Remy's tumor to a lab in an effort to create a vaccine to handle the recurrences of the disease, which continue to arise in the same spot.
While quick to note that he has no plans to retire, Remy said that the days of covering road games or 115 games a season are gone, but that he hopes to sit down with NESN in the near future to figure things out moving forward.
"I'm not ready to go anywhere, is the biggest thing," he said. "I've got grandchildren I want to see grow up. I still want to do my job, probably not in the same level I've done in the past. It's something we're going to have to sit down and talk about. I'm not retiring, but there will be limitations. I'm not going to travel anymore. We'll sit down and figure that all out at the right time."
While Remy admitted that the radiation treatments have left him too tired to watch games on most nights, he does keep up with the Red Sox and feels that they have something special going this season.
"What this team has done is absolutely remarkable," he said. "They're pretty darn good."