If you close your eyes and think about Boston Red Sox baseball in the 2000s, you don’t just see David Ortiz pointing to the sky or Keith Foulke underhanding the final out of the ’04 Series. You hear it. You hear the wheezing, infectious cackle of Jerry Remy and the smooth, professional-yet-unhinged play-by-play of Don Orsillo.
They were more than just announcers. Honestly, they were the background noise to our summers. For fifteen years, from 2001 to 2015, Don and Jerry turned three-hour blowouts into must-watch television. They were a sitcom that happened to feature a baseball game in the background.
The Chemistry That Shouldn't Have Worked
On paper? It was a standard setup. You had the local kid from New Hampshire (Don) and the former Red Sox second baseman (Jerry). But the magic of Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy wasn't in the stats. It was in the silence between pitches where they'd start talking about a fan's toupee or the proper way to use a rental car's windshield wipers.
Jerry "The RemDawg" Remy was the grizzled veteran, a man who played with a grit that defined New England sports. Don was the perfect "straight man," though he rarely stayed straight for long once Jerry started laughing. That high-pitched, Scooby-Doo-sounding giggle from Remy could break Don in seconds.
You’ve probably seen the clip. The "Here Comes the Pizza" incident.
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It was April 16, 2007. A fan threw a slice of pizza at another fan at Fenway Park. It sounds like nothing, right? Wrong. For several minutes, Don and Jerry absolutely lost their minds. Don’t even get me started on the "Oops" grab in 2011 or the time they tried to figure out a lunar eclipse. It was raw. It was real. It was everything sports broadcasting usually tries to polish away.
Why the NESN Split Still Stings
Basically, the breakup was a PR disaster. In August 2015, news leaked that NESN was letting Don Orsillo go. The fans didn't just get upset; they revolted. More than 65,000 people signed a petition to keep him.
Why? Because you don’t fire family.
The Red Sox claimed they wanted to "energize" the broadcast. They replaced Don with Dave O’Brien—a phenomenal broadcaster, by the way—but the move felt corporate and cold. It felt like the suits at NESN didn't understand what they had. They had a duo that made losing seasons feel like a night out with friends.
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Don eventually landed with the San Diego Padres, where he’s since become a legend alongside Mark Grant. But for Sox fans, that final broadcast in 2015 was a funeral for an era. I still remember the camera panning to Don as he stood alone in the booth, waving to the fans. It was heartbreaking.
The Jerry Remy Legacy and That Final Tribute
Jerry stayed on after Don left. He fought lung cancer with a tenacity that was genuinely inspiring, returning to the booth time and again. He was the "President of Red Sox Nation" for a reason. When he passed away on October 30, 2021, at the age of 68, the heart of the Red Sox broadcast went with him.
But even in death, the drama between the team and the former duo didn't stop.
During the April 2022 tribute to Jerry at Fenway, fans noticed a glaring absence. Don Orsillo wasn't there. He wasn't even on the video screen.
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Later, Don revealed on Twitter that he had recorded a video message for his old partner. He was told it "wasn't needed." It was a final, petty slap in the face from the organization to a man who had given 15 years to that booth. The fans haven't forgotten. They probably never will.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Duo
People think it was all just jokes. It wasn't.
- Don was a master of the moment: He called Hideo Nomo’s no-hitter in his very first game. He called the 2004 comeback. He knew when to let the crowd noise take over.
- Jerry knew the game's soul: He could explain a suicide squeeze or a missed cutoff man better than anyone, but he never talked down to the audience.
- The "Announcer Boy" dynamic: That nickname, given to Don by Tim Wakefield, sticked because Jerry leaned into it. They mocked each other. It was a true friendship, not a professional obligation.
How to Keep the Magic Alive
If you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy, you aren't alone. The internet has preserved the best of it.
- Search "Don and Jerry RemDog best moments" on YouTube. There are compilations that run for hours. Watch the one with the lamp. You'll thank me later.
- Follow Don on social media. He still posts about Jerry often. His "Mini Yacht" fishing trips and his cooking videos are a great way to see that the "straight man" is still just as funny as he was in 2004.
- Support the Jimmy Fund. Jerry was a massive supporter of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Donating in his name is the most "Red Sox Nation" thing you can do.
The booth at Fenway is different now. It’s professional. It’s informative. It’s fine. But it’ll never be "Don and Jerry" fine. We were lucky to have them while we did.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the "Pizza Incident" at least once a year. It’s good for the soul and a reminder of why we love baseball.
- Check out a Padres broadcast. If you miss Don’s voice, tune into a San Diego game. His chemistry with Mark Grant is the closest thing you’ll find to the old NESN magic.
- Read "Jerry Remy: My Favorite 25 Years in Baseball." It’s a great deep dive into the RemDawg’s perspective on the game and his time in the booth.