Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 22: Jerry Remy

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?

One would be forgiven for assuming that Jerry Remy spent his entire baseball career in the Red Sox organization.  Certainly he is well-known for his ties to the Red Sox, particularly his broadcast career.  Even his playing career seems to be mostly remembered for his time with the Red Sox.  But no, Remy was drafted by the Angels and spent his first three seasons there.

Prior to the 1978 season, the second-baseman was traded to the Red Sox for Don Aase.  He had his only All Star season in 1978 when he hit .278/.321/.350.  He had a career-high 24 doubles and stole 30 bases while hitting two home runs and driving in 44.  He scored 87 runs and hit the only two home runs of his Red Sox career.  The next two seasons were injury-plagued and he played just 143 games between the two seasons, but his hitting stats remained.  In 1980 he batted .313, his highest single-season batting average.

Remy was finally healthy again in 1981, playing in 88 games during the shortened season.  He hit .307/.368/.338 with 31 RBIs and stole nine bases.  He was fully healthy the next two seasons as well.  Remy played through the 1983 season, but once again struggled with injuries.  During his seven years in Boston, Remy hit .286/.334/.334 with 90 doubles, two home runs, 385 runs scored, 211 RBIs and stole 98 bases. 

A Boston Red Sox icon, Remy parlayed his playing career into an enormously successful and memorable broadcast career.  Some day, he deserves to be granted the Ford C. Frick Award.  It is just so unfortunate that it would be a posthumous recognition.