There was no better color-commentating duo in broadcasting than Eck and the Rem Dawg. But soon, Red Sox broadcasts will be without either.
NESN broadcaster and National Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley announced Monday that he would be retiring from the booth at season's end, hoping to spend more time with his family in California. The announcement produced plenty of memories about Eck's illustrious broadcast career, but perhaps no name came to mind more than that of his former broadcast partner Jerry Remy, who died in October after a decades-long battle with cancer.
On Tuesday, Eckersley reminisced on the guidance given to him by Remy in a sit-down with Tom Caron.
"I was with Remy the last three years," Eckersley said, as seen on NESN's pregame coverage. "And we saw how it ended for him. And I had conversations with Jerry about (retiring) and I'll never forget Jerry telling me, 'Go! Go to California.' And I'll never forget that. But it's time, I've got to be with the grandkids and 50 years is long enough."
Eckersley and Remy shared the broadcast booth throughout parts of nine seasons from 2013-2021, creating memories that would last a lifetime for Red Sox Nation. Perhaps no moment meant more than when Eckersley caught Remy's first pitch in the Rem Dawg's final public appearance at Fenway Park ahead of the Red Sox's 2021 Wild Card Game matchup with the New York Yankees.
"I said, 'Jerry, they love you, and I love you too. This is your moment.' And he said to me -- not so much what he said to me in the moment, but the next day he texted and said, 'I'm glad it was you,' " Eckersley recalled to Caron. "And that meant the world to me, that he was glad it was me. I can't help but think, what a privilege it is to do Red Sox games. It is a privilege to be in that booth. Especially with a guy like Jerry who put all those years into it. So, you know, I walk away with a lot of memories, and Jerry in particular, but I really appreciate what happened. I appreciate the Red Sox. I appreciate NESN for letting me be who I am."
As Eckersley winds down his 50-year career, there can only be hope that a few more memories are made along the way.
